The plan today was to finalize the left and right elevator skin in terms of edge preparing. There are a lot of little notches and bends so it takes a lot of time to finish them.
I really think I have to cool down on the amount of steps I take and time I spend on doing this edge preparation work.
At this point, I :
1. use the vixen file to file down the mill marks
2. use the V-shape edge deburr tool, twice over, then 20° sidewise and then once more straight
3. use the die grinder with a 1" by 1" scotchbrite wheel to polish it
4. use 400 grit sandpaper to make it smooth paying special attention to inside corners and bends.
This procedure makes real "skating tracks" out of your edges but it is a very time consuming process.
After completing the hole and edge deburring, I dimpled the skins using the c-frame and 3/32" die set.
In the process of doing so, I almost had a new disaster coming. In the picture below, you see why.
You have to keep and force the skin open during dimpling. Doing this alone is not so easy.
My rubber mallet accidentally hit the side of the skin...
It was easy to bend it out again and no real damage is visible.
The holes near the bend of the elevator are impossible to dimple with the c-frame.
For these, you need a special die set that is called a pop rivet dimpler set of 3/32".
This is how it works: a nail goes through a center hole in the female die, slide the nail through the hole, add the male part and use the pop rivet tool to pull both together.
If you don't put too much pressure, you can re-use the nail a couple of times with still a good dimple as result. Eventually after 4 times, the nail will snap.
And here are the finalised and dimpled skins.
Left elevator
Right elevator.
I also visited Hugo Van Ruyskensveld this weekend. A builder living about 15 minutes driving from my doorstep.
He is currently working on the fuselage and is building a RV9. Saw those wings this weekend, my God...
The RV9 is a touring version of the more acrobatic RV7. The fuselage is the same, but the wings and horizontal stabilo are much longer.
Hugo is using epoxy primer instead of zinc chromate based wash primer for corrosion protection. I will consider moving that way too as it is much much less dangerous then zinc chromate. Knowing that I have 2, 7 year olds running around the house and yard makes me think of admitting a bit of security towards health safety.