Feburary 17, 2007


I started pilot drilling the RH skin in the same manner I did the LH one.  The skin is lined up with the tip rib and then drilled from the corner out.



Both sides partially pilot drilled.  At this point I've only drilled the holes where the clecos are.  The coffee can (full of rivets) is keeping the h-stab from flipping off the bench.



Here's what it looks like from the other side.  Its time to rivet the center ribs.  The frame is mostly locked into place by the skins, but the inner ribs will really stabilize it.



More nicely centered rib holes.



Here's a shot of the rivets attaching the ribs to the front spar.



Here I've drilled and clecoed the center ribs to the skins - now I just have to drill and rivet the ribs to the front and rear spar clips.



Both of them clecoed into place on the skins.



The holes lined up on the center line.



The holes pilot drilled in the center ribs.  I did this by marking the holes and drilling them on the drill press.



I wasn't sure how I was going to drill the ribs - quite close quarters.  A quick trip to Ace produced this nifty flexable drill guide.  The inside spins and the outside dosent.  I had to have a hex drive drill and the closest I could find was 1/8".  Close enough - I'll ream the holes with the deburring tool.



The RH rib drilled to 1/8" and reamed to #30ish.



Both ribs drilled and deburred.



All but the lowest rivet installed.  I'll finally have to make some sort of wedge to pull rivets at an angle.




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