Did not work on the project on Saturday or Sunday, but, got my fill of the NFL.
Update: I did NOT break the edges of the skins at this time. Waited until just prior to installation. See my subsequent posts on how I broke the edges using the Cleaveland tool. It works very well. Other posts complain of waviness....This tool produces a perfectly flat edge.
Spent the last 2 days preparing all of the parts for tailcone assembly. Spent quite a bit of time deburring and removing all machining marks from the fuselage/tailcone frames. I did not have a problem with the fuselage frame cracks referenced in the Van's service bulletin, but, wanted to ensure all of the metal was contoured and every machining mark in the area of the inner frame radii was removed. Fluted the frame angle and riveted the fuselage frames together, attaching the wear plate.
On Page 10-02, Step 10, had a bear of a time squeezing the AN470 rivets that attach the F-1210 frame, angle and plate together. The yoke on the squeezer just plain interfered with the pieces, no matter the dies chosen. Finally got it done BUT there must be an easier way. The next day, I again looked at the parts. I am wondering why I tried to rivet the parts by placing the squeezer over the outside flange of the frame then over the two angles. If I had placed the squeezer over the inner flange of the frame there would not have been any problem. The 3" yoke would have worked just fine.
JUST was NOT thinking!!!!! I feel so stupid...... Must be the primer fumes.
Machined the tail skid bracket using the supplied template. The template worked like a charm. Cut the threads using the drill press as I did during wing assembly. See the earlier wing assembly post in my blog for an explanation of this process.
Countersunk the holes in the bulkhead doubler. Then separated most of the parts required for tailcone assembly and deburred all of the edges removing all of the machining marks.
Completed the day by priming all of mating surfaces. Primed the F-1210 fuselage frame in the areas where I scratched the alclad surface due to my riveting issue.
I have Revision 0 of the plans. F-1284-L and F-1284-R do appear to be reversed, as I read forward in the plans. Thanks to the post on VAF for the heads up.
Six hours on Monday and 6 hours today, Tuesday. Time to start tailcone assembly!!
Time - 12 hours
