29 - Fwd Mid Fuse Side Str (Finished); 30 - Aft Fuse Attachment (almost finished "The Big Join"!)

My wife said "there's a lot of 'wifey effort' that hasn't been documented yet on your blog" ... so I figured I better post something today.  She's in the pics below, helping me do "The Big Join" (term coined by Ken B.) of the aft fuselage and the mid/fwd fuselage parts. With a lot of planning, and a nicely crafted fuselage cradle (see last 2 posts), AND most importantly having assisted Ken B. with his 14A's Big Join in January, the process was fairly straightforward.  Riveting the two parts, however, has been a bit of a pain in the ass.  All but the last 37 rivets have been set.  Here are some of the tasks completed during the past ~10 days:

- Drilled, deburred, and riveted gussets to longeron and seat back brace; riveted intercostals to skin, longeron, and seat back brace; bolted roll bar bases to fuselage
- Prepared left and right vent assemblies (will install after section 35)
- deburred and dimpled F-1406 bulkheads; riveted nutplates to bulkheads; test-fit bulkheads to aft fuselage; reorganized workspace to position aft and forward fuselage sections for “the big join”; with my wife, joined the two fuselage halves using clecos.
- clecoed the left, right and top F-01406 bulkheads to skins and ribs and stiffeners; installed ELT antenna bracket; separated, deburred, primed, and riveted shoulder lugs and lug clips; riveted lugs to bulkheads
- riveted left, right, center top bulkheads to each other and to the skins; riveted lugs to skins (my wife helped with back-riveting in several sections)
- riveted the two halves of the fuselage together (various areas) with my wife using the back-rivet bucking bar; riveted 12 of the remaining 23 rivets in the fwd bottom skin; tested two colors of gray for the interior paint - will go with the Light Gunmetal 50 Gloss from Cardinal (A-GR10-4A05)
- riveted remaning 11 rivets in the fwd bottom skin; riveted all but 37 rivets between the aft and fwd parts of the fuselage (almost completed the Big Join) - my wife helped on these PITA rivets

Clecoed seat back brace to fuselage assembly:

DON'T FORGET TO CLICK "READ MORE" TO SEE THE OTHER UMPTEEN PICS FOR EACH POST (this message is mostly for my 80 year old mother)

29 - Fwd Mid Fuse Side Structure (finished right side; seat back brace)

Slow yet steady progress during this past week and a half.  Most of this time was spent finishing the right side of the fuselage, and while I didn't take as many pictures this time (since the right side is almost an exact mirror of the left), I specifically accomplished the following:

- started right side skin - attached to upper & lower longerons, stiffener, and (temp.) bolted longerons to firewall
- clecoed and match-drilled skin/firewall and right side shim (and deburred and dimpled); final drilled all #30 holes common to skin and longerons; final-drilled holes common to skin/center section/ upper drag fitting (and deburred); broke edges of right side skin; radiused top edge of skin; feathered upper aft corner of skin; dimpled right side skin; deburred edges of vent and other cutouts
- countersunk and re-primed countersunk holes in right longerons; riveted right roll bar angle to intercostal; riveted fuselage side ribs to skin; riveted drag fitting and center section side plate to skin; riveted stiffener to skin; installed skin to fuselage; bolted upper and lower longerons (temp) to bulkhead
- prepped stiffeners and other bits for the right side skin structure; riveted canopy latch brackets to side skin; prosealed and clecoed right skin to firewall and right upper longeron
started riveting right side skin to the fuselage, ribs, stiffeners, etc. (used back-rivet bucking bar for as much as possible)
- almost finished riveting right side skin and associated parts to fuselage assembly
- Finished riveting right side skin except for 23 rivets common to the bottom skin; Riveted web stiffeners to bulkhead assemblies; riveted nutplates to center right bottom skin and root fairing attach angles; riveted root fairing attach angles to right side skin; reinstalled bulkhead bar assembly (right)
- fabricated seat back adjustment guides, and assembled seat back brace

Temporarily attached the right skin to match-drill a few holes in the engine mount brackets:

29 - Fwd Mid Fuse Side Structure (finished left side)

Section 29 is long and involved - after over 50hrs, I've only finished the left side (for now) and tomorrow I'll start the right.  But, it is looking more and more like a fuselage each day, which is motivating.  The following were accomplished since the last post:

- re-primed countersunk holes in left longerons (upper and lower); riveted left roll bar angle to intercostal; riveted fuselage side ribs to skin; riveted drag fitting and center section side plate to skin; riveted stiffener to skin; installed skin to fuselage; prepped stiffeners and other bits for the side skin structure; riveted canopy latch brackets to side skin; prosealed and clecoed skin to firewall and upper longeron
- riveted left side skin to a whole lot of shit (used back-rivet bucking bar for as much as possible)
finished riveting left side skin (for now), with the help of my wife who riveted the bottom forward flange of the left side skin to the bottom forward left skin (while I bucked from inside; yes it was a pain)
- riveted armrest, and front skin stiffeners to skin (my wife helped with some of the back-rivet bucking); riveted center section channel; riveted roll bar angle; riveted flap block bracket; prepared root fairing attach angles
- riveted web stiffeners to bulkhead assemblies; riveted nutplates to center bottom skin and root fairing attach angles; riveted root fairing attach angles to left side skin; reinstalled bulkhead bar assembly (left)

Riveted fuselage side ribs to left skin:

29 - Fwd Mid Fuse Side Structure (designed and built fuselage cradle; installed control column assembly; working on side skin and longerons)

The fuselage is very large, and only getting larger, and thus working on a table was started to get unwieldy.  Moreover, I was interested in a device that would help with the eventual "big join" to the aft fuselage, and afford the ability to install the canopy next year.  I therefore decided to design a cradle that would hold the fuselage 16" off the ground, which enables me to work on the fuselage without a step stool, and most importantly, enables the eventual joining of the aft fuselage.  The 16" height (floor to base of fuselage) was chosen in part because of the finishing kit, in which I'll have to attach and fully open the canopy in my 8' 2" garage as part of the canopy installation. Ideally, I would have liked a 20" height for the cradle ... but then I wouldn't be able to open the canopy completely.

Specifically, I did the following during the last week and half:

- designed and constructed a cradle for the fuselage; riveted last 7 rivets of bottom skins; placed fuselage on cradle; cleaned workspace for next part of section
- installed control column assembly - torqued bolts, but one side bound a tiny bit (add a washer, below); trimmed L and R longerons; started deburring edges of longerons
- finished deburring longerons; twisted longerons 10deg each (permanent twist); match-drilled upper engine mount bracket; primed upper longeron assembly; trimmed lower longeron
- riveted upper engine mount brackets to upper longerons; drilled, deburred, primed, and riveted lower longeron assemblies; clecoed upper and lower longeron assemblies to left skin; match-drilled #30 holes in upper engine mount bracket and upper drag fitting and center side section
- removed left skin and center side section and longerons; countersunk side section and longerons; deburred edges of skin; added a thin washer to the control column assembly - NOW it moves perfectly with no binding, with all bolts/nuts torqued to spec
- dimpled left side skin; radiused outboard edge; put break on 4 edges; prepped stiffeners
- prepped a bunch of other ribs/brackets/stiffeners/arm rest and roll bar angles; primed roll bar angles


Here is a picture of the completed cradle, minus carpet padding.  Note that the aft horizontal 2x4 piece is angled slightly (using shims) to match the upward sloping angle of the back part of the mid fuselage.  The front of the fuselage (i.e. firewall) would rest on rightmost 2x4:

28 - Fwd Fuse Lower Structure (completed); 29 - Fwd Mid Fuse Side Structure (mated forward and center sections)

The past week and a half were fairly productive.  I also received a couple major shipments of parts, including the WH-000125-3 fuselage wiring harness from SteinAir, and fuel and brake lines from Aircraft Specialty.  Both companies produce top-notch products that I would be unable to duplicate in my humble home workshop.  Items that were accomplished include:

- countersunk, primed and riveted tunnel angle (F14132); joined muffler and firewall assemblies; riveted tunnel sides and cover bases to forward bottom skins; riveted and bolted center section bulkhead to firewall/muffler assembly
- back-riveted cover ribs to forward bottom skins (with my wife); riveted cover base webs to cover ribs; prepared firewall penetration fittings (waiting for another section of proseal, so won’t waste tube); cut and polished stainless steel vent hinges
- drilled and dimpled hinges for vents; deburred and primed vents, sides and arms; riveted vent door assemblies and inlet assemblies and cable brackets to firewall; countersunk and riveted battery box to firewall
- installed cover panels and nutplates on cover panels; broke down the fuselage crate for trash (still need to proseal and attach the firewall penetration fittings)
- prepped and primed the skin overlaps between center bottom and forward bottom skins
- joined front and middle fuselage halves; removed bulkhead bar assemblies; primed lower gear braces; attached brass elbows to gear braces (for brake fluid); attached gear braces, lower and upper drag fittings with bolts; clecoed center section side plates; final-torqued bolts in upper and lower drag fittings
- match-drilled #40 holes in upper drag fitting; removed and deburred center section side plates; re-clecoed side plates
- fabricated wooden stand to put fuselage on its side; prepared workshop for fuselage move to floor
- moved fuselage to floor (standing on side); clecoed every hole; riveted all holes (except for muffler shroud) with my wife helping with all parts that were back-riveted; prosealed muffler shroud and firewall penetration fittings; attached two nutplates

Here are the main wiring harnesses from SteinAir (doesn't look like much for $1300 ... but this would have taken me forever to make, and I'd probably screw up multiple times);

27 - Firewall (completed); 28 - Fwd Fuse Lower Structure (riveted to firewall assembly; prosealed)

The firewall-related sections are starting to take shape!  I'm really enjoying building this RV-14A - Van's, you did an excellent job with the instructions and overall assembly process.  I'm constantly amazed when all the holes align.  I used "Proseal" again this week - I really missed the smell, and I've grown fond of using it.  Here are the specifics for this week:

- riveted nose gear brackets and firewall angles to tunnel sides; dimpled stainless steel firewall sides
deburred, countersunk and primed firewall angles; riveted angles and gussets to firewall sides; deburred and dimpled firewall top; deburred, countersunk and primed firewall angle (F-01401D)
- deburred angles and gussets for firewall; countersunk relay doubler; dimpled firewall center
- deburred and dimpled forward bottom skins; drilled holes for COM antennae in skins; separated and deburred doublers, hangers, and fuel pump brackets; dimpled antennae doublers; dimpled skin stiffeners; prepped muffler shroud
- fuel tank sealant (“proseal”) used to seal top to side firewalls; tunnel sides attached to firewall; sealed center firewall (only fully clecoed at this point)
- riveted stiffeners and antennae doublers to forward bottom skins; prosealed muffler shroud sides to forward bottom skins (clecoed only; riveted muffler shroud ramp to sides, muffler doublers and muffler hanger angles; riveted fuel pump brackets to muffler shroud and added 4 nutplates
- riveted firewall skins to angles, nosewheel brackets, and gussets
- riveted relay doubler to firewall; riveted all nutplates to firewall
- riveted muffler shroud sides to forward bottoms skins; deburred and riveted cover bases to firewall assembly; prosealed and riveted firewall assembly to muffler shroud and bottom skins; clecoed rest of firewall assembly to bottom skins

Riveted nosewheel attachments to tunnel sides:

26 - Mid Fuse Lower Structure (finished section); 27 - Firewall (tunnel sides; cover angles)

The fuselage is starting to take shape - this week saw the completion of the mid fuselage lower structure, which encompasses all the seat ribs and all the baggage ribs, as well as two bulkheads, much of which was back-riveted to the center bottom skin (thanks to my wife, who bucked the manufactured rivet heads using the back-rivet bucking bar).  Here are the tasks accomplished this week:

- Assembled aft gear brace assembly; riveted seat rib angles to aft gear brace assembly; back-riveted aft gear brace assembly to skin; clecoed center bottom skin to ribs and bulkheads
- dimpled baggage ribs; fluted lower aft flanges of baggage ribs; played with pneumatic metal sheet nibbler
- riveted step attach brackets to weldments to outboard baggage ribs; riveted step attach ribs to outboard baggage ribs; riveted side frame assemblies to baggage ribs; riveted everything to become a larger baggage rib assembly with side frames; riveted nutplates to floor stiffener and power outlet brackets; riveted nutplates to weldments
- back-riveted seat ribs to center bottom skin; riveted baggage ribs to seat ribs and bulkhead; clecoed center bottom skin to baggage ribs
- riveted baggage ribs to bottom center skin; riveted floor stiffener to side frames
- separated deburred firewall angles; deburred and riveted nutplates and cover angles to tunnel sides; riveted support angle to left firewall angle

The new update to Apple's MacOS screws up the order in which photos are uploaded to Blogger ... so these are once again out of order (and it's more of a PITA to reorder them than it's worth).

Riveted seat rib angles to seat ribs:

25 - Fwd Mid Fuse Bulkheads (completed); 26 - Mid Fuse Lower Structure (bottoms skins; seat ribs; baggage ribs)

This week saw the completion of section 25 and the start of what seems to be a very long section 26.  The fuselage is coming along and it was nice to bolt and rivet the seat ribs, and thus form the skeleton of the structure where my rear end will eventually find its home.  I dimpled the large center bottom skin - it was tough to get all the rivets but with a little bending, the center holes were not as much of an issue as I had anticipated.  The following were accomplished this week:

- riveted cover ribs and final-torqued bolts on forward center section bulkhead; reamed .311 and .375 holes
- deburred and riveted doublers to outboard baggage ribs and baggage ribs
- dimpled, fluted, deburred and attached nutplates to seat ribs; attached bushing clips, routing angles and doublers to ribs; riveted crotch strap assemblies (incl. nutplates); fluted outboard seat ribs and baggage ribs to match curvature of center bottom fuselage skin
- bolted and riveted seat ribs to F-01414 bulkhead; separated, deburred and primed seat belt attach lugs; deburred baggage ribs, routing angles, and seat belt lug brackets
- riveted seat lugs and lug brackets to baggage ribs; riveted F-01405 bulkhead to inboard seat ribs and outboard seat ribs and bulkhead angle; assembled and riveted Idler bracket assembly to F-01405 bulkhead; clecoed and match-drilled forward bottom skins
- match-drilled forward bottom skins; cut-out rectangles for gear legs; deburred and countersunk large skin stiffeners; dimpled and deburred small stiffeners; primed all stiffeners
- deburred forward and center bottom skins; up-drilled a bunch of holes; dimpled K1000-06 rivets
- dimpled center bottom skin; back-riveted nutplates, stiffeners and doublers to center bottom skin; separated, deburred and dimpled seat angles; straightened gear brace bars; primed gear brace bars

Reamed inboard 0.311" and 0.375" holes in the spar flanges:

25 - Fwd Mid Fuse Bulkheads (Fuselage kit delivered; most bulkheads completed)

Big week - the Fuselage kit was delivered!  It took 8.5hrs to inventory everything, and a few small items were missing as usual (just blind rivets, bolts, and washers) ... but, even after receiving the missing items, 6 blind rivets were still the wrong size!  Lack of attention to detail that I haven't yet experienced from Van's.  Maybe they have too many orders to fill?   UPDATE - I found out from Van's that someone loaded the wrong rivet size into the bin specified for AACQ-4-3 blind rivets, and thus why my order was wrong (twice).  No worries, at least I was able to help them get to the bottom of this.  So, anyone with AACQ-4-3 rivets should check the length.

The parts list is daunting - far more items than even the wing kit -- this is going to be the most involved kit yet.  After finishing the inventory, I started working on the forward and mid fuselage bulkheads, which are nearly complete.  Specifically, I performed the following tasks this week:

- separated and deburred bulkhead bars; deburred and dimpled bulkhead side channels
- worked on F-01405 bulkhead assembly
- finished F-01405 bulkhead (riveted bulkhead bars together and then bolted to bulkhead)
- attached side angles to aft center section bulkhead; deburred, double-flush riveted, and primed both bearing bracket assemblies
- deburred, drilled, and dimpled cover ribs; riveted nutplates to cover ribs; assembled bearing brace assemblies; countersink flanges of forward center section bulkhead; riveted nutplates to upper flange of bulkhead; riveted and bolted side angles to bulkhead; bolted and clecoed cover ribs to bulkhead

She's finally here:  

17 - Outboard Leading Edge (complete); 20 - Bottom Wing Skins (complete); 22 - Ailerons (complete); 23 - Aileron Actuation (complete)

Big week - the fuselage kit will be delivered tomorrow, so I hustled to finish all non-fiberglass parts of the wing kit (it's DONE after almost 460hrs for two wings), and reorganized the workshop to make room for the fuselage crate.  Specifically, I did the following:

- finished last 29 rivets with my wife riveting and me bucking; attached Aileron trim wires to molex connector and connected to harness; attached access panel
- riveted trailing edge for left aileron (done)
- reattached torque tube-to-bellcrank pushrod (right); attached aileron to left wing; attached bellcrank-to-aileron pushrod (left)
- fabricated and installed landing light lens
- right aileron:  drilled all holes in stainless steel counterweight  through skin and through nose ribs; attached nose ribs to counterweight; deburred edges of nose skin; dimpled top and bottom skins in areas of stiffeners and ribs (did it right this time!)
- riveted ribs and stiffeners to top and bottom skins; drilled trailing edge; finished dimpling everything; countersunk trailing edge; riveted doubler to spar
- riveted nose ribs to nose skin; riveted spar to nose ribs; riveted top skin and bottom skin to spar and nose skin; riveted main (side) ribs together; riveted counterweight to nose skin; riveted main ribs to spar
- riveted trailing edge, and located hardware to mount (once wing assembly is placed on stand)
attached aileron to right wing (and attached flap to right wing; just put time here)


Attached aileron trim tab to access plate and screwed in place (pushrods are all in neutral position when final installed!):

OP38 - Aileron Trim (completed); 20 - Bottom Skins (almost finished riveting); 22 - Ailerons (nearly finished left; midway through right)

Lots accomplished this past week on the aileron trim for the right wing, bottom skins (right) and ailerons (left and right).  Specifically, the following were performed:

- attached aileron trim springs to pushrod, using inboard skin as a guide - it was somewhat difficult to get perfect "neutral" position of pushrod
- deburred edges of inboard bottom skin; deburred, dimpled and riveted flap gap and aileron gap fairings; tried to attach pins on micro-molex (got 3 good ones, 2 crappy ones that have to be redone - ordered more micro-molex pins and redo)
- deburred edges and holes of outboard and inboard bottom skins; final-drilled #19 holes; filed down and primed forward overlap of inboard/outboard skins
- attached springs to servo trim arm; attached 3 of 5 wires (with micro-molex pins) to micro-molex connector body
- riveted inboard bottom skin to wing assembly and riveted all nutplates onto inboard bottom skin; also had visitor (Terrell Y.; also constructing an RV-14A) and showed him how I rivet bottom skins
- riveted 90% of the outboard bottom skin - what a pain in the ass
- finished riveting everything on the bottom skins (including access nutplates), except for 29 rivets near skin junction (need wife to help with these); drilled, deburred and dimpled access plates
- deburred holes (4 skins) and edges (2 of 4 skins) of aileron skins for both wings
- finished deburring last 2 aileron skins; dimpled everything for the left aileron and also for parts of the right aileron (prematurely for trailing edge of skins, but this should still work - might be better; UPDATE - the ailerons are very straight, so I might choose this tactic for the right aileron); clecoed together left aileron assembly; reamed trailing edge @ ~8 deg angle (performed outside trailing edge since I already dimpled the trailing edge portion of the skins); disassembled left aileron
- riveted nose skin to nose ribs, top skin and bottom skin to spar, counterweight to skin, and side ribs to each other

Flap and aileron gap fairings clecoed to right wing assembly:

18 - Fuel Tank (installed final screw); 19 - Wing Systems Routing (completed right wing); 23 - Aileron Actuation (torque tube, pushrod, bellcrank); OP38 - Aileron Trim (fabricated EA-10, checked clearance); OP56 - Garmin AP Servos (installed Roll servo)

Van's charged my credit card for the remainder of the fuselage purchase, so in about 3 weeks, I hope to have that kit in my garage!  Exciting, but the clock is ticking for me to get most of the wing kit completed.

This week saw the attachment of the right fuel tank to the right wing, the start and completion of wiring the right wing (including 25' of RG400 for an eventual Bob Archer antenna in the wingtip), fabrication of all parts of the aileron actuation pushrods, bellcrank and torque tube (all but installing the bellcrank-to-aileron pushrod), installation of the roll servo to the right bellcrank, and fabrication and initial checks of the EA-10 aileron trim motor.  Details follow:

Wired the autopilot servo molex connector, and added a little silicone wrap to reduce stress at the bend:

16 - Top Wing Skins (finished); 17 - Outboard Leading Edge (finished); 18 - Fuel Tank (attached to wing); 22 - Ailerons (started fabricating, up until stiffeners)

I haven't posted in ~2 weeks, because of a little trip to NYC to watch the US Open and eat at a few restaurants that only NYC can provide.  We just beat Dorian, which is now a Cat 2 hurricane and likely to miss our house.  In honor of Dorian, I worked over 6 hrs in the shop today, as well as a bunch the days prior to our vacation on a total of 4 sections:

- riveted skin to all ribs, mounting bracket, splice strip and j-channel; drilled 3/8" hole for tie-down
separated, deburred hinge brackets; deburred, buffed, and dimpled nose rib flanges; countersunk and riveted hinge brackets to nose ribs; riveted nutplates to nose ribs
- separated, deburred, dimpled and riveted main ribs to hinge brackets; deburred spar and nose skin edges; clecoed nose ribs to spar and nose skin; match-drilled 6 holes in the stainless steel counterweight.  THAT by itself took well over 2 hrs, a lot of swearing, some boelube and water as lubricants, and a broken drill bit
- match-drilled #40 the remaining 8 holes in leading edge to SS counterweight; final-drilled #30 all 10 leading-edge holes to SS counterweight; final-drilled #40 holes in skin stiffeners
- Riveted right top skins to 4 ribs, skin overlap, and main spar (my wife used back-riveting bucking bar)
- Riveted top skins to rear spar
- riveted outboard aileron to spar and outboard rib; riveted inboard rib to skin and nutplates
- cut and deburred 32 aileron ribs (for both sides)
- riveted j-channels with my wife; top wing skins done
- attached leading edge skins to right spar (my wife helped buck the top flange); blind-riveted ribs to spar;
- attached right fuel tank to right wing … all nuts final-torqued and screws; except for ONE screw, b/c Van's provided me a nutplate that has no threads - time to order a tapping toolkit and tapping fluid

Riveted the last parts of the right outboard leading edge:

16 - Top Wing Skins (right side riveting started); 17 - Outboard Leading Edge (right side, riveted top skin-to-ribs); 21 - Flaps (Finished right flap)

It is amazing how a major deadline (pending fuselage kit delivery in a few weeks!) can help me focus and knock out tasks on multiple projects.  Lots of small but important tasks were accomplished this past week, in just about every available minute.  The kids and wife saw very little of me, because I completed the following:

- countersunk holes in right rear wing spar corresponding to doublers; deburred edges and holes; shaved wing skin mating areas on forward part of outboard and inboard skins; dimpled all holes in inboard and outboard top skins; primed shaved skin mating areas; clecoed wing walk doublers and inboard and outboard top skins to wing assembly; deburred & dimpled j-stiffeners
- Left and Right flaps: attached trailing edge with 3M VHB tape; clecoed trailing edge and ribs; riveted trailing edge (squeezed); riveted bottom skin to ribs; attached flap to wing (temporary, left side only)
- right leading edge:  7 leading-edge ribs: straightened flanges, fluted flanges, deburred edges and tips, final-drilled #40 and #30 holes; deburred holes in 7 leading-edge ribs; dimpled flange holes; deburred, final drilled and dimpled splice strip; clecoed 7 ribs into the leading edge skin; match-drilled, deburred, dimpled j-stiffener
- Riveted right top skins to 9 ribs (200 rivets, with wife using back-bucking bar)
- Dimpled right leading edge skin; masked and scuffed area for black matte paint (light well/bay)
scuffed, cleaned and primed 7 ribs, mounting bracket for landing light, and mounting wedges for light lens, and skin; primed and painted black all areas visible in landing light bay; riveted nutplates to splice strips, mounting bracket and mounting wedges. Note that Van's doesn't supply enough K1100-08D nutplates, but way too many K1100-08 nutplates ... I guess I just have to dimple the #40 holes in the latter (which I did, and which were not a big issue).
- clecoed 7 ribs and splice strip to leading edge skin (right); riveted all top rivets and aft 3-most bottom rivets on all ribs

Primed shaved skins on inboard top skins (forward overlapped parts):

15 - Rear Spar (completed right side); 16 - Top Wing Skins (doublers, final- and match-drilled)

A decent amount was accomplished this week, including finishing the right rear spar, starting the right top inboard wing skin ... and, taking an EAA Sportair weekend (Sat/Sun) workshop on Fiberglass for RVs, taught by Scott Vanderveen.  This was an excellent class, which gave me the confidence and toolset to tackle the fiberglass parts, including the windscreen transition.

A few details from this week:

- riveted all 14 ribs to spar; installed final 4 sets of bolts and final-torqued and torque-striped
- prepared outboard aileron bracket (oh no!) and primed all 3 pieces
- drilled, countersunk and riveted outboard aileron bracket; prepared inboard aileron bracket; drilled and deburred 3 rear spar doubler plates; drilled aileron pushrod hole in doubler plate; enlarged hole in inboard doubler plate and straightened plate; prepped and straightened rear spar reinforcement fork; clecoed everything to ribs
- final-drilled all #30 holes common to doublers, rear spar and ribs; deburred all parts (edges/holes); primed inboard aileron (service bulletin) and all 5 doublers;machine countersunk #40 holes in spar flanges and #30 holes in W-1007-C inboard doubler; dimpled flanges of rear spar; riveted inboard aileron and doublers to rear spar
- reamed 3/8" inboard hole in rear spar doublers; riveted rear spar onto ribs; done.
- clecoed wing walk doublers and top skin to wing assembly; match drilled holes for nutplates; final drilled all holes common to skin, doublers and ribs; final drilled nutplate holes to #19; dimpled aft nutplate for #8 screw

Flap hinge brackets primed and attached to the 3rd and 8th rib (starting inboard):

Section 21 - Flaps (nearly finished right flap); Section 13 - Main Spar (finished right main spar); Section 14 - Wing Ribs (right wing ribs well underway)

Good progress was made this past week, even with taking a few days for a nice vacation and birthday celebration with my in-laws. A few details below (this post is short due to time constraints):

Riveted top skin to spar and ribs (right flap):

Section 21 - Flaps (almost finished left flap; midway through right flap)

It was all flaps, all week long. I nearly finished the left flap (waiting for a squeezer set from Cleaveland Tool for the trailing edge) and am midway through the right flap.  The hardest part of the flaps is riveting the bottom skin to the spar, but after I figured out how to position the tungsten bucking bar, it wasn't too bad. I checked and confirmed that the twist between the two brackets was <0.1deg using an iPhone digital leveling app.  If Paul Dye uses an iPhone to level parts, I figured it would be a safe way to do it.

Countersunk the inboard and outboard trailing edges for the left flap:

Section 20 - Bottom Wing Skins (finished left outboard skin); Section 23 - Aileron Actuation (torque tube install; pushrod install)

If I haven't yet mentioned how much I dislike riveting bottom wing skins, let me mention it here:  it sucks, bigly. But, they are now done, with some help from my wife on areas that I simply couldn't stretch to rivet (about 80 rivets in two bays). I departed from Van's instructions, and just riveted everything that I could reach at the point I could best reach the rivets.  This generally meant going from inboard to outboard (thanks Ken B. for this suggestion!) and aft to forward where possible. For parts that I could not rivet on my own, my wife manned the rivet gun and I streeeeetched to reach rivets in unsightly places. Once the skins were done, I then attached the torque tube (didn't need any extra washers for spacing) and final-installed the torque tube-to-bellcrank pushrod. I noticed that the pushrod is right in the area where my nice pitot/AOA tubing needs to go; when I final-install the Garmin GAP-26, I'll have to bend the tubing around the pushrod a bit.  The left wing went back in the wing stand, the right main spar came out of the crate, and the crate was ejected from the workshop.  Progress!

Oh, and I helped Ken B. move his RV-14A wings to a hangar, as well as mount an engine!  There are certain tasks like these that require a village ... or at least a couple extra hands.

Early on in riveting the left outboard lower skin - those 8 rivets around the flap bracket are a real chore:

Section 20 - Bottom Wing Skins (riveted inboard lower skin); Section 21 - Flaps (prepped skins; drilled wedge, nose ribs, hinge brackets); Section 23 - Aileron Actuation (finished torque tube and pushrods)

Good progress this week, especially considering I spent much of it slowly riveting the inboard lower skin to the wing (and did that entire skin without assistance from a bucking partner). I bought a new 1.5lb tungsten bar that fits in tight spaces far better than my larger tungsten bar, which aided the process considerably.  Of course, there was a learning curve - for example, if the bucking bar doesn't feel right, don't just pull the trigger (i.e., I made a couple slight dings). Likewise, I started this process with the gun air pressure way too high, and soon dialed it back down after a few rivets. Overall, the lower skins are a real pain in the ass - you work for every rivet by stretching, figuring out how to bend the skin some (but not too much) in order to reach ... not a fun process, but a decent learning experience.  The rest of the week included finishing the left torque tube, the left bellcrank-to-aileron pushrod, and making good progress on the left flap. Details follow:

Riveted the threaded rod end to the internally primed steel tube by sloooowly squeezing the -11 (!) rivets with the Cleaveland Tool Main Squeeze manual squeezer.  These long rivets wanted to lean over, so I had to adjust the angle several times:

Section 20 - Bottom Wing Skins (prepped lower skins; wired/plumbed pitot/AOA); Section 21 - Flaps (both skeletons/assemblies); Section 23 - Aileron Actuation (2 pushrods, left bellcrank, torque tube subs)

I got a ton accomplished this past ~week:

1) riveted nutplates to Gretz mount; started and finished tubing and wiring Garmin GAP-26 heated Pitot/AOA (had to enlarge 8 holes to fit SB500-6 snap bushings)
2) Fabricated left torque tube to bellcrank pushrod; installed left aileron bellcrank upside down)
3) reinstalled left aileron bellcrank correctly; fabricated torque tube subassemblies (CS-00009 and WD-1014)
4) BOTH sides - fabricated flap/aileron cradle; drilled hinge brackets; rod-end rib subassembly (drilled, deburred); hinge pair rib subassembly (drilled, deburred); cut tabs on ribs
5) BOTH sides - deburred all ribs (edges/holes); deburred spars; attached main and nose ribs and hinge assemblies to spars; fabricated trailing edge wedges (VA-140); assembled flap skeletons
6) used new die grinder and cutoff wheel to cut aileron to bellcrank pushrod and torque tube collar; drilled pushrod, match-drilled threaded rod ends, deburred pushrod and rod ends, primed inside of pushrod.

Importantly, Ken B., a fellow RV-14A builder and experienced RV mentor, was kind enough to drive an hour each way to visit my project and check my work ... and (as always) he let me ask him a bunch of questions.  Thanks again, Ken!!!  It's nice to know that I can "build on" rather than have to redo anything major :)

Finished fabricating the Gretz pitot mount (riveted nutplates, and checked install on wing):

Section 18 - Fuel Tank (finished and leak-tested right fuel tank); Section 20 - Bottom Wing Skins (ADAHRS bracket/harness; lower skins finished; Gretz Pitot mount)

Had to attend a 5 day work conference this past week, so I did not get to do as much on the build as I would have liked - nevertheless, the major milestone of finishing and leak-testing the right fuel tank was completed this week ... and good news, I now have two leak-free tanks! Well, leak-free with air - not oozing 100LL is a different matter, and that won't be tested until I move everything to a hangar.

The following was also completed this week (from this point forward, I will cut/paste detailed tasks from my MS Excel log sheet, to make posting on this blog a little easier):  riveted right tank baffle, installed fuel finger strainer and plug, and, installed fuel drain CAV-110 (all with Permatex #2); installed fuel cap; deburred long and short j-channels - lower; deburred holes in ADAHRS mounting bracket; dimpled j-stiffeners/channels; drilled and deburred nutplate attach holes; deburred edges of both lower skins; deburred holes in inboard and outboard lower skin; finished fabricating GMU-22 9pin ADAHRS connector; tapered and primed overlapping corners on forward part of lower skins; dimpled inboard and outboard lower skins; worked on Gretz pitot mount (made hole in skin, drilled skin, final holes drilled, dimpled, primed); riveted ADAHRS mount assembly together and to the j-stiffener.

Right fuel tank, nearly completed:

Section 18 - Fuel Tank (left tank attach; right tank near-completion); Section 19 - Wing Systems Routing (Gretz mount for pitot/AOA); Section 20 - Bottom Wing Skins (finished gap fairings; started ADAHRS bracket)

I worked on 3 different sections in the wing kit this week, and got a lot accomplished:  Fuel tank, wing systems routing, and bottom wing skins.  Specifically, I did the following:  riveted j-stiffener and attach bracket; Prosealed (4th cartridge) inboard aft rib and bulkhead union and nut, encapsulated shop heads of rivets in j-channel and attach bracket; finished attaching left fuel tank (screws and final-torqued bolts and applied torque seal); worked on Gretz mount for Garmin AOA/Pitot - planned, cut, drilled, deburred.  Fabricated L-bracket (Gretz mount), drilled, deburred, and it is ready for priming and installation on rib; riveted inboard aft rib to skin, attach bracket, and inboard forward rib; installed and tightened fuel vent line; installed fuel float; Prosealed (5th cartridge) fuel level sender, checked continuity; prosealed & clecoed baffle and z-brackets to tank; wet-installed pop-rivets; finished and installed flap gap and aileron gap fairings to top skin and rear spar; and, match-drilled ADAHRS mounting plate to lower j-stiffener - short.

Riveted attach bracket to right skin:

Section 18 - Fuel Tank (Riveted ribs; prosealed attach bracket, j-stiffener, shop heads; leak tested left tank; left tank mounting); Section 19 - Wing Systems Routing (ran WH-00011 and WH-00012 harnesses)

This week, I took a little time away from my project to help a friend, Ken B., attach the main gear and nose gear to his RV-14A; it was an all-day experience, but well worth the effort (see pics below). It was motivating to see what is nearly the end of his project, and thus when I returned home last week, I continued working on my wing kit with renewed gusto:

Riveted 7 ribs to skin, prosealed (3rd cartridge) j-stiffener, attach bracket, 11 stiffener shop heads, 5 internal rib shop heads - just enough to cover everything; prepared, scuffed and dimpled baffle; scuffed z-brackets; marked places where proseal is needed on shop heads (mostly stiffeners); cut and flared vent tubing; and, final leak-tested LEFT tank (no leaks!), and partially installed the left tank onto left wing.  I also had some time to run the WH-00011 harness (lights) and the WH-00012 harness (ADAHRS), and crimped and installed the wire to stall horn switch prior to installing the fuel tank (easier access to stall horn switch).

Pics from Ken's gear-attach party:

Section 18 - Fuel Tank (left leak test; right ribs etc. prep)

Completed the first-pass leak test for the left tank, as well as a number of odds-and-ends on the right tank.  A couple hours each day can get a lot accomplished ... even when my 80 year old mother visited (her nap time was a great chance to go back into the shop).

Prepped parts for first Proseal event for right tank:

Section 18 - Fuel Tank (finished left tank; started right tank)

Finished the left tank yesterday, after riveting the baffle and installing the fuel finger strainer and plug (with permatex #2 thread sealant) - it needs to cure for several more days prior to leak testing under <1psi pressure. Also, I made substantial progress over the weekend on the right tank. Since the steps are the same as the left tank, most of the posts on the right tank will be shorter.

Here we go again!  7 RIGHT tank ribs, straightened and ready for fluting:

Section 18 - Fuel Tank (j-stiffener; inboard aft rib; vent line; fuel level sender; proseal baffle & z-brackets)

Finished sealing the fuel tank this week!  First, I riveted the j-channel and attach bracket to skin, and then Prosealed (5th cartridge) the inboard aft rib, bulkhead union fitting and nut, and encapsulated shop heads of rivets in j-channel and attach bracket.  Then I fabricated left fuel level sender (most of time was to bend wire - first one broke, used wire from right sender; had to order another sender [$29] since Van's nor vendor sells just the wire). Finally, I torqued the bulkhead union nut (55-60in-lb) with a crowfoot wrench attachment for a torque wrench, and then Prosealed (6th cartridge) the fuel level sender (checked continuity after sealing), and prosealed & clecoed the baffle and z-brackets to tank, as well as wet-installed pop-rivets in the baffle/z-brackets. Images are a bit out of order:

 Encapsulated shop heads on j-stiffener:

Section 18 - Fuel Tank (riveted ribs, prosealed j-stiffener and attach bracket, encapsulated shop heads, prepped baffle)

I'm slowly progressing through the left fuel tank, trying to take my time and be methodical so that I don't screw up something vital. This week, the primary tasks were to rivet the 7 ribs, proseal the j-stiffener and attach bracket, encapsulate shop heads of the internal ribs, put a belt-and-suspenders fillet seal on the inside of the outer ribs, prep the inboard aft rib, and prep the baffle.

I moved the left wing assembly to the wing cradle, to be able to utilize the 4'x8' table for construction.  It helped to lay the fuel tank on the table (bottom down) to insert the j-channel; when gobbed with proseal, it's a PITA to feed through the holes in the ribs.

Section 18 - Fuel Tank (riveting stiffeners, et al.; next two Prosealing sessions)

Slowly, but surely, the left tank is coming together ... and the gooey Proseal is getting a little easier to manipulate. During these sessions, I first back-riveted the stiffeners and fuel filler flange to the skin, riveted the drain plug, and riveted various fuel and vent ports on the inboard aft rib. The second Proseal session included encapsulating rivet shop heads, while the third Proseal session involved sealing 7 ribs to the skin.  The latter took a lot of planning and testing to ensure that the ribs would hang without smearing Proseal all over the skin.  Details of that process are provided, below.

Riveted and Proseal-encapsulated the vents/ports on the inboard aft rib:

Section 18 - Fuel Tank (final prep; first Proseal session)

A few last-minute prep chores were completed prior to the dreaded first Proseal session.  These tasks consisted of countersinking the fuel cap flange, fabricating the attach bracket assembly, scuffing the hell out of all mating surfaces with scotchbrite pads (that took hours), and cleaning with Acetone and a final wipe or two with MEK. I then Prosealed using the fay-seal-and-forget method, as recommended by Rick on VAF:  fully cleco the mating surfaces that have Proseal slathered on them, try to work a fillet seal around the edges, and let it cure overnight or over a couple/few days. At that point, I'll wet-install the rivets (swirl Proseal in the dimple, stick rivet in hole, and bang n' buck).  Even using a Semco sealant gun with pre-filled cartridges from Aircraft Spruce, the process was messy.  But mess favors the prepared mind ... and workspace.  Have a plan, lots of wipes, double glove, and don't turn up the pressure too high on the sealant gun (40psi on mine works well ... 90psi is like a noodle-maker), and it is manageable. Thanks, Ken B., for recommending the Semco gun and pre-filled cartridges - I can't imagine doing it any other way!

Countersunk the fuel cap flange:

Section 18 - Fuel Tank (ribs, stiffeners, zee-brackets, skin)

Lots of little tasks were completed on the left fuel tank:  deburred the tank ribs (edges and holes); dimpled the rib flanges; cut, deburred and dimpled stiffeners; cut, deburred, countersunk and riveted nutplates to zee-brackets; deburred edges and holes of tank skin; cut, drilled, deburred and dimpled j-channel stiffener; and, dimpled tank skin.  NOTE that all internal structures (e.g. ribs) were dimpled using Cleaveland Aircraft Tool tank dimple dies, which dimple slightly deeper to accommodate a thicker layer of Proseal - not sure if this matters, but since I bought those dimple dies, damnit I'm using them! Any task that did NOT involve proseal was welcomed (I'm dreading the mess, and time constraints; thus, I'm still finalizing the plan of attack).

Tank ribs, completed - I didn't feel like spreading them out (again) to photograph ... but, they're done:

Section 17 - Outboard Leading Edge (fabricated wing stand/cradle)

Fabricated a wing stand from an RV-10 drawing from Mouser's website (http://mouser.org/projects/rv-10/wingassembly.html).  I changed a few dimensions to fit the RV-14A, including shortening the length to 8' (like Shawn did here: https://myrv14build.blogspot.com/p/wing-cradle-coming-soon.html), using a slightly different method to bolster the center posts that hold the carpet, and making those posts 18" long (instead of 16") to better hold a 20" carpet width with a 1" overlap at each end.  After a few days, and a total of about 5.5hrs, this stand is (mostly) ready to hold the wings.  Original drawing from Mouser:

Sections 17 & 18 - Outb.Lead.Edge & Fuel Tank (riveted leading edge to spar; light lens; started fuel tank)

It's been 2.5 weeks since I last updated the blog ... but, I've accomplished a few tasks during that time, as well as did a few non-build items (Sun 'n Fun; work retreat; kids' activities; etc. etc.) that took more time than usual away from the RV-14A.

I finished the outboard leading edge, which involved a lot of new skills when working with the plexiglass light lens. From reading the forums, many builders have had to repeat this step due to lens cracking, mostly at the drilled holes.  It involves using #30 and #27 plexi-bits (60deg point), and drilling VERY slowly.  The pneumatic drill is too fast, so I used my Dewalt cordless drill on the slow setting. Cutting the edges was a dilemma that I researched for quite some time - do I saw, route, melt? A 1.5" diameter plastic-specific cutoff wheel for my Dremel seemed to work well, and was what some folks use (others use different cutoff wheels).  Plastic EVERYWHERE, including a small, hot piece that went into my eye (even with eye protection over my regular glasses) - that was my fault; I was looking right over the work and my eye protection was slipping.  Lesson learned.

Used pneumatic squeezer to rivet bottom aft rivets on outboard leading edge to main spar:

Section 16 - Top Wing Skins (j-channel; aileron hinge bracket attach)

The final parts of Section 16 have been completed, including riveting the spars, riveting the long and short j-channels, and attaching the outboard aileron hinge bracket:

Everything riveted on the top skin, except the j-channel in this pic:

Section 17 - Outboard Leading Edge (J-channel; stall horn switch)

A few final touches on the outboard leading edge, before attaching it to the main spar assembly.

Drilled tie-down hole:

Section 17 - Outboard Leading Edge (Riveted 7 ribs, splice strip, mount bracket)

I also had time this weekend to rivet the 7 ribs, splice strip and mount bracket to the left outboard leading edge skin.

Looking through a lightening hole at the aft portion of the light bay - black part faces forward, thus why black paint is only on one side:

Section 16 - Top Wing Skins (Outboard Aileron Hinge Bracket success!; more top skin riveting)

After much effort, sweat, worry, and suggestions from a fellow RV-14A builder (thanks again, Ken B.!), I was able to rivet the left outboard aileron hinge bracket without having the bearing stick.  This took me THREE tries, and needless to say, I was getting worried I was just a crappy builder.  Although that may be true, it turns out there is a slight imperfection in how these hinge brackets were made at the factory.  If you line up the rivet holes, which line up well to one another (and like I did the first two tries), then the recesses for the bearing do not align well.  That probably imparts extra force on the races, making the bearing either tight or stuck. This time, I switched the order from what is written in the instructions as well as added a few steps:

- deburr edges and enlarge all bearing holes/recesses a tiny bit (little file, 400 grit sandpaper, scotchbrite pad)
- straighten all three pieces, especially W-1013A
- buff with scotchbrite pad
- clean with acetone, SEM Solve, and then prime with SEM primer; let dry/cure overnight.  When priming, mask off the bearing recesses
- press bearing gently into W-1013A using 11mm and 15mm sockets (NOT the 14mm per instructions, since it is too small)
- make sure the bearing recesses in W-1013C-LX and W-1013C-R fit loosely over the bearing portion that sticks out of both sides of W-1013A.  This is important, since if the bearing fits well within all three of these pieces, the rivet holes do NOT all align!  And, neither do the edges of the three pieces - they look a little "off" but this is perfectly fine
- find a couple holes that are aligned close-enough to cleco
- use a cleco clamp to clamp the area just forward of the bearing (shown below)
- ream and cleco one hole at a time in a semi-random pattern
- deburr and rivet one hole at a time using pneumatic squeezer - start with a couple AN470s
- countersink one of the three top aft holes, and then rivet
- rivet other AD470s and/or countersink and then rivet the AD426s in a random pattern, making sure to leave the aft-most 3 countersunk holes until the end.
- as the bearing gets in the way of the microstop countersink cage, countersink those three aft holes manually, checking with a rivet as you go
- finish riveting with AD426s, starting with the center of the 3 aft-most holes

After this procedure, the bearing moves Like Buttah!  No binding of the bearing whatsoever.  Not sure if I should post to VAF, or send to Van's tech support for their input.

Parts after priming:

Section 17 - Outboard Leading Edge (deburred, dimpled, primed, painted, started riveting)

All steps for the left outboard leading edge have been completed, right up to the point of riveting the skin to the ribs.

Constructed cradles, which can be used for the leading edges and the fuel tanks:

Section 16 - Top Wing Skins (riveting inboard skin to ribs)

We started riveting the top wing skins to the left wing assembly (skin to ribs at this point) starting from the center of the inboard skin.  My wife bucked all but the two inboard ribs.  We started by using a flush rivet set on the outside and a tungsten bucking bar on the inside (shop head), but noticed that this method depressed the skin slightly at the rib line.  We next used a back-riveting bucking bar (large diameter flat head) covered with packing tape on the outside, with an extended back riveting set on the shop head.  This method worked great for the ribs and lessened the slight depression in the skin at the rib line.  However, we had to resort to the former method for areas of the skin overlying the wing-walk doublers, largely because those rivets are seated between 0.003-0.005 inches "proud" (i.e., manufactured heads sit slightly above the skin) as recommended by Van's to avoid over-countersinking the top skin. That area will be covered with a wing-walk pad after painting.

My riveting partner (and wife), checking our work:

Section 16 - Top Wing Skins (drilled, dimpled, countersunk, clecoed)

Final drilled wing walk doublers and inboard top wing skin to wing assembly, then countersunk holes in the top wing skin since this area won't be dimpled.  Dimpled the remaining top flanges of the rest of the ribs that do not contact the wing walk doublers, and dimpled all the remaining holes in the inboard and outboard top wing skins.

Inboard wing skin prior to countersinking:

Section 15 - Rear Spar (Completed, left side)

Finished the rear spar for the left wing; I'm spending more time in the shop than updating the blog, so this post will be brief.

Primed doublers and fork:

Section 15 - Rear Spar (aileron hinge bracket assemblies; spar doublers)

Started the Rear Spar (left side only) by spending an inordinate amount of time prepping the aileron brackets, and trying to figure out which parts of the service bulletin (SB) pertain to folks like me, who are starting the build process (and don't already have a flying airplane that needs the fix).

Parts for both the inboard (shown on the left; i.e., the SB) and outboard (right) were cut/trimmed as necessary, match-drilled, deburred, and primed:

Section 14 - Wing Ribs (Left side completed)

Made up some of the "lost" time this week by starting and finishing the Wing Ribs section (left side, only), and then completed about half of the Rear Spar section (next post).  My wife was extra-supportive this week, taking up all the slack around the house.

Bent flanges so they were all 90deg to the web of each of the 14 ribs:

Section 13 - Main Spar (Left side completed)

Lots accomplished during the first weekend after receiving the wing kit, including finished this section (left wing only, since I'm building one wing at a time), and starting Section 14 Wing ribs (mostly straightening ribs and deburring holes and edges).

Match-drilled long and short j-channels using pilot holes from main spar flanges:

Section 13 - Main Spar (Wing Kit Delivery and Inventory)

Finally, after waiting far too long (my fault, entirely), I received the RV-14A Wing Kit.  As was the case for the empennage kit, the outside of each crate was damaged ... but none of the parts were affected.  This is a true testament to Van's crating department!  Below are just a few shots of the nearly 8.5 hrs it took to open the crates, inventory all the parts, and put everything in their proper predetermined places. My guess is that this kit will be about twice the amount of work, as compared to the empennage kit.  Holy crap, there are a lot of parts.

Section 10 - Aft Fuselage (waiting....)

I'm still alive - barely hanging on - waiting for my wing kit.  As of tonight, it's somewhere near Omaha.  The delivery date moved from 2/15 to 2/22 today - argh.  To beat back my pseudo-depression, I cleaned and reorganized the workshop, and put away most of the tail feathers and tucked the aft fuselage in the corner of the workshop. All tools are finally put away in their proper homes.  There's nothing left to do but wait.  That's not my forte.

In the interim, I hung the horizontal stabilizer on the garage/workshop wall - it's still hanging a week later, so that's good.  My wife heard a loud CRASH in the garage last week, and thought it was this part falling to the ground.  Thankfully, it was just a spring that broke on our other garage door.

Section 10 - Aft Fuselage (Section Complete! Right Top Side skin; Top skin; Aft Access Panels)

We finally finished Section 10 this weekend; and, I say "we" because my wife helped with a lot of the riveting for the last three large skins:  Left Top Side Skin (last post); Right Top Side Skin (this post) and Top Skin (this post).  The top skin required her to climb into the aft fuselage on stacks of towels, lay on her back, and buck about 60 rivets. I could manage the most forward and most aft rivets for the top skin by myself, but those center ones required a helper.

Here she is checking rivet shop heads on the right top side skin (fuselage was placed on the right side to ease bucking):

Section 10 - Aft Fuselage (Top side skins - riveting Left side)

I visited a friend in the RV community last week to help him attach the forward fuselage to the aft fuselage of his RV-14A, and afterward he gave me a few pointers about riveting (thanks, Ken!).  First, he recommended that I switch to the larger flush set with an articulating head and rubber sleeve.  I purchased this rivet set about 6mo. ago from Cleaveland Tools, but have been reticent to use it since I didn't know how to use it properly.  It takes at least ~20lbs of force to compress the rubber and thus have the set sit flush on the skin with no gaps - ah, that makes sense now. Second, he recommended that I switch to a 3x rivet gun (instead of a 2x) to get a more powerful strike. I have both guns, so no problem there.  Third, he recommended increasing the air pressure a little, to not work-harden the rivets. There is a sweet spot for the air pressure - too low, and too many strikes equates to more scuffing and premature work hardening.  On the other end of the spectrum, too high and there is a tendency to overstrike and thus overly compress the skin in areas that are thinner (e.g. skin-to-bulkhead zones, in which the bulkhead flanges are very thin and thus easily compressed). After playing around with the air pressure, the rivets we set today were some of the best driven rivets to-date ... and, the skin-scuffing around the rivets is at a minimum. I'll continue to play around with the pressure settings ... but, this was a big step in the right direction and I really appreciate the tips!

My wife had some free time today, and we were able to rivet the top left side skin to the aft fuselage assembly.  Here, she is checking a rivet she just bucked:

Section 10 - Aft Fuselage (top skins - deburr, dimple, cleco)

After taking a couple weeks off from building (including a nice trip to see my mother in Virginia), I was back to work on the last few pages of Section 10.  I'm still not in a rush, because my wing kit isn't due to be CRATED until the end of this month, and thus delivery won't happen until 4-6 weeks from today.  I'm still kicking myself for not ordering the kit at least a month earlier.  Back to the top skins:  First step included deburring the edges and holes of the two top skins, then dimpling, and finally clecoing the left top skin, ready for my wife to help buck some rivets.

Checking the fit of the left top skin, prior to dimpling - enlisted my daughter to help raise and cleco the ~8' long skin