April 23, 2020
These went easier than the elevators since the skin is thinner and we had a process developed, no photos today but it looks the same as bending the elevator leading edges.
I ended up trying to use the seaming pliers again to get the lip bent a little further than the edge roller had managed. Of course I slipped and put 2 small dings in the leading edge. They’re small and will be covered with paint. No one will really see them, but I know they’re there and I know it’s damaged.
After putting all the rivets in, we didn’t like the way that a few of them sat, so we drilled out 4 in total and reinstalled them. They sat much better the 2nd time around. Pop rivets are a little tricker to drill out than solid rivets, but not impossible. Just make sure you knock the anvil out of pop rivets before you drill them, and use a super oversized drill bit. As you go through slowly, the head should pop off and the rear of the rivet can be easily knocked out of hole. If you keep the pressure light it’ll lessen the chances of the rivet spinning, which is what you need to avoid.
-Paul
(Total Build Time: 154.5)