cracked ribs, deburring HStab, ASTs, 10 hours, 41 total so far

This weekend was spent deburring and priming parts for the stabilator and the ASTs
not much to take photos of really, however :

Vans released a service bulletin to check for cracks in the nose ribs of the stabilator.
My kit was one of those affected, so I checked them all and found one that had 3 cracks.
Vans recommends stop-drilling but I think I'd rather replace that part.
I'm going to call them Monday and see what they say.

Section 07 (Rudder) completed, started work on AST tabs, 10 hours, 31 total

It didn't take long to pull the last rivets on the rudder and that's another section complete.

So then I started work on the ASTs.
The way the AST (Anti-Servo Tabs) work is very interesting, (if you are interested do a search on Wikipedia) but simply put the tabs work to create an opposite force to the horizontal stabilator in order to increase the force the pilot must use as deflection increases.
This makes the controls feel correct and act nice and balanced.
When completed and assembled to the horizontal stabilator you can see how the tab moves in the opposite direction as the stabilator changes angle of attack.
the ASTs are also connected to an electric motor to provide pitch trim during flight.
But all that comes later, first they have to be built.

Here are all the parts

And here is a test fit of the assembled left AST (there are 2, left and right, but they actually just work as one long unit)

And then came the second big mess up of the project:
The control horns require countersinking, which should have been no problem, but I decided to use the machine countersink cage on my drill, (previously I had been doing the countersinks using the hand tool).
Anyway, I tried it out on some scrap and got the depth just right using an AN426AD3-3.5 to test the fit.
Then moved on to the real piece and it worked great for 3 holes, and on the 4th it gouged a huge hole for no apparent reason !

The 5th hole worked fine, I have no idea what I did wrong with that 4th hole, but either way this is now a ruined piece grrrrrr.
I ordered another from Vans, and did the other side by hand, which worked out fine.
I really need to figure out what went wrong, because countersinking all the holes to come by hand is going to be too much I think.

So I pushed on and got everything deburred, cleaned, scotchbrite scuffed and ready for primer.
I didn't actual start the priming because of the wind outside and anyway it was mothers day and we had family stuff to do.

I'll get the parts primed and assembled, (except for the damaged horn) next week.

section 06 completed, section 07 nearly complete, 12 hours this weekend, total 21 hours

Had a very busy weekend, I managed to do some work in the garden (new planting area for vegetables) and fixed up some loose steps on the deck.
Despite that I managed to get a few hours in each day Saturday and Sunday working on the plane.
I also had help from my good friend Philippe and his son Alec.
Things really worked out well this weekend, I even got my old compressor fixed (for free !) I thought it was gonner and was told just to "buy a new one it will be cheaper" by most people I asked, but it turns out to have been just a stuck valve !, a local hardware store that I really like has very knowledgeable people, a nice family run business a quick trip down there and they guy had my compressor fixed in 5 minutes, no charge, great service !
So Saturday morning was spent doing the aforementioned random tasks, and I got started late in the afternoon with finishing the VS.
I decided to prime all parts that will be closed up and never seen again.
I'm using duplicolor self etching primer rattle cans, it seems to be working out ok, it's not something I would do for areas that will be seen in the final product, but for all the internals, it covers nicely if not altogether as neat as a professional job.
I put to use an old temporary closet that we have had stored under the house for 16 years, it's one of those $15 things from target that we got way back before we owned a home just as a temporary solution.
Anyway, it works great as a spray booth

I tried it first on the rudder hinges

then riveted them which was my first squeezed rivets of this size, it took a while to figure out the pneumatic squeezer to get the pressure to set them properly, it's quite a fiddly job, not sure if all tools work the same, but for mine I have to unwind the adjustment just wide enough to get the length of the rivet in the gap, then with the universal head in the indentation adjust the setting until it closes completely on the length of the rivet, then when I trigger the squeezer it has _just_ enough force to correctly set the rivet, this means opening the adjustment and closing it on every rivet, very time consuming, I'm wondering if there's something I'm doing wrong?
Anyway, it does set the rivets properly (checked with a rivet gauge) and I've not had any bad ones yet (not that I've done many!)

The VS spar gets riveted where the hinge attaches

Priming isn't taking too long really, I wash with acetone and lightly Scotchbrite the surface, then put the parts in the spray booth and a spray on a couple of light coats. It covers nice and thin and light.
I debur edges and holes of other parts while the primer dries, so it's not wasted time.
Assembly of the VS skeleton was very fast, the blind rivets are extremely easy and quick to do.
I think nearly all the time building this plane will be deburring, the rest of it seems very quick and easy, and the actual riveting of the assemblies together takes hardly any time, like all good jobs, it's all in the preparation.

Finished VS Skeleton

While the primer dryed on the VS skin I started section 07 - the rudder

Once I had deburred all those parts, the VS skin was ready to rivet onto the VS skeleton.
Phil and Alec helped with all the cleco insertion and removal and cleared away the rivet mandrels as I went down the rows.
Here is the finished VS, the blue plastic looks a mess, but I decided to leave it on for now to avoid scratches

Phil and Alec

My first completed airframe part !

Test fitting the rudder hinge

Time caught up with me on Sunday and I didn't get to finish the rudder, but it's almost done, the first rivets in the skin have been set, I just need to finish this side and rivet the other side, maybe I'll get a hour after work one day this week...