Looks like nice work. I've enjoyed looking at all the pics!!

Thanks
 

Thanks Andy.

Looks like you're making good progress, and adapting well to figuring things out. Your pictures and commentary remind me of many of the mini-milestones I saw while on my RV7 building journey. It just gets better and and fun as the pieces get bigger and more interesting. Soon you won't have to imagine how it's going to look. You're gonna love building and flying that plane.

Bevan

Thanks for the kind words. Yes I am still having a blast with this... But looks like It will be a very slow build... good thing I am not counting hours.

#28
 

Today I had another very good riveting session. Spend about 4 hours in the shop. Called it a night at midnight. I picked up things where i left off. So the right side of the HS was on the schedule.

Again I started by riveting the nose rib to the skin like I did on the left side. Much quicker this time around. Looks good to me.


I feel like I always manage to screw up one rivet so that I alway have to drill one out. This is pretty much a non event as long as things are accessible at this point.

Drilled this one with a smaller metric size drill bit...


Then give it a few turns with the actual size drill bit of the whole and pop of the head. usually they come right off.


This is from the inside. This is how I like them to come out. Dead center on the punch!


By the way. This is how I make sure I do everything. I mark everything I have completely done with the a highlighter on the plans. In theory only things that I didn't do would be not marked and easy to spot.


I first put the front spar back in and riveted the line of rivets of the going up, then I riveted left and right alternating one by one.


Here are the rivets all done from the outside


On the outside ribs HS-706 I used this self made bucking bar for the last 2 rivets where things get real tight. This worked out "ok" I do not own a no whole yoke for the Tatco. They are like 75$ and by the time they get to me they are around 150$. For now I am going to try to get away without it.


This is pretty much what I get for being a little cheap... A little dent on the outside


For now I will consider the HS done because I still need to get somebody to check out my work before I close her up but there are only a few rivets left. Everything accessible from the outside


***PS*** (Day after) I feel like I had one heck of a work out. May have to cancel gym membership...

You will not see that little dent and it may have been caused by the end of the rib, not the bucking bar.
Excellent technique on rivet removal.
Your work looks good.

Thanks. Yea I figure if I do paint up there the fiberglass and filler will cover that all up. Still It bugged me quite a bit. Getting over it now ;) But good point. I didn't think about the possibility that that might have just been caused by the rib itself. Poor prep then...

Really gives me confidence that you say that it looks good. Nobody but me has actually seen my work in person thus far.

#29
 

Today I cleaned up the shop a bit from the HS work and started fresh with a clean table.



Yap. Back riveting the stiffeners of the rudder skins.


A bit of tape helps to prevent marks on my parts


One skin done, one to go!


The counterbalance rib R-912 riveted to the R-902 spar. Honestly I couldn't find the rivet call out on the plans... but I just used what I felt was the correct length. I think a 4-5


Counterbalance skin R-913 riveted to the R-912 but not to the spar


The counterbalance led didn't clear the rivets so I needed take some led off


Here we go. Hope Vans took this into account...


Mistake of the day...I let the rivet set walk of the edge... New dent!


This is it for today...

Counterbalance
 

Too late but next time (elevators), just use a flat punch or a 3/8" extension and hammer to pound the relief area into the lead. It re-shapes pretty easy and no weight is lost.

Shoot! That's a good call Larry. Didn't even think about it. Thank you for pointing it out.