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Aghhh

Straun welcome

I think you should continue to build as it is. By the time you finish to build your plane and ready to rig controls time and money spent to build new rudder (if you do not like the old one) will be a small fraction of total time and costs. You may even like your rudder with creases as some memories:)
RV experts may have other solutions for you how to smooth the skins.
 
Sometimes I've had luck using a hand squeezer with flat dies to mend some small mistakes. The rudder skin is so thin, I'm not sure how much you can expect there.

I would agree with previous post. Mistakes always seem worse right when they happen. Keep on building, and you can always revisit a mistake much later if it is still nagging at you. I also messed up my rudder skin, and I ordered a new one. Just buying a new skin is not the priciest mistake.
 
Build on.

If you mess up something larger down the road, have 'em throw in a rudder skin with that to save the shipping/crating.

This from a guy who ordered a replacement fuse skin :D.

b,
d
 
Again!!!!

Well I was going to build on as suggested, but it has been eating at me all day. So I decided to go and work on the other skin and as I was back-riveting the rudder stiffeners on the other side, I neglected to move my back-rivet plate as I went down one of the rows.

I discovered back-riveting does not work to well with carpet behind the rivet.

I tweaked the skin and stiffener pretty bad. So I called it day and ordered 2 new skins and new stiffeners, as I dont feel like drilling out all the rivets on the damaged skin to get the stiffeners off. Needless to say, today has been extremely frustrating.
 
Don't get frustrated just yet.

Consider this a learning experience. I bet you won't backrivet off the plate again. (At least I haven't since I did that same thing)

These are cheap and easy to fix mistakes. Learn all you can before you get in to more critical areas.
 
No big deal!

My son came by came by last week to help out and I put him to work with the pneumatic squeezer dimpling flap ribs. A short time later he called me over and showed me the extra hole he put in one of the ribs. He felt like **** but it was no big deal to me, I told him I'd just add it to pile of parts I've screwed up. I'm very happy with Van's reasonable pricing on replacement parts and how quickly they get them out to you.

As for preventing damage to a flat panel while removing the plastic film, I've had good luck with this method. Lay the panel on a flat bench, get a few inches of the film started on one end them wrap it around a pipe and use a pair of vise grips as a crank handle to wind up the film. Slice the film along the pipe with a razor knife and your done.
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/7518/img0593oc8.jpg
 
img0593oc8.jpg


Now that is a great idea!
 
JakeLewis22 said:
Lay the panel on a flat bench, get a few inches of the film started on one end them wrap it around a pipe and use a pair of vise grips as a crank handle to wind up the film.
Click to expand...
In addition to the above... Hit it with a heat gun as you roll (warm not hot) and you'll be amazed at how much easier it rolls off.
 
Brad when are you going to work on the plane some more?! Aren't you done with that instrument rating yet???? :D
 
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