Tonight I spent some time surface prepping and priming all the elevator skeleton parts. Not too long but quality time priming everything.  

 

 Here’s both the left and right skeleton parts prepped and primed. I also spent a significant amount of time trying to cut down the right elevator counterbalance lead weight. I still have some work to go before it’s ready.  Next step is to rivet the right elevator 

Today I spent a couple hours prepping all the holes for riveting the elevators. I started out with countersinking the required parts for flush rivets, the spars and the left elevator rear spar.  I also countersunk the two counterweights. 

 
Here’s the rear spar countersunk. 

After I finished countersinking I dimpled the rest of the holes of the skeleton and skins in prep for priming. Spent about 2 hours total tonight. 

Tonight I had my local tech counselor Jason Beaver come checkout my build progress. He built his own RV-7 and knows a lot about what good quality looks like. He pointed out a few things that I need to take care of, but in the end everything is looking good and I am clear to continue working. I should be closing up the elevators soon and then I’ll have just over a month for some fiberglass work to keep me occupied before the fuse and wings arrive. 

Today I swung by Home Depot and picked up a 2×8 to build a bending brake.  

 
Here I’m bending the trailing edge on the right skin. The left skin didn’t require as much force but it took basically my whole weight pressing down on it. 

 
Here are both skins bent and clecoed to the skeleton. I also drilled all the holes to final size in prep for disassembly. 

All in all I put in a good 2 hours tonight.  

 

Yesterday I put in a few hours on the skeleton.  

 
Here are all the parts laid out before edge finishing and deburring. The end ribs and counterbalance ribs on the left have already been fluted.  

 
In this photo, all the parts have been edge finished and deburred.  

 
Here is the skeleton laid out in the left elevator skin,  I’ve already drilled and prepped both elevator counterbalance weights and have set them aside. Next step is to bend the trailing edges of the skins so I can match drill the skins to the under structure.  

 
Here’s a close up of the counterbalance rib and elevator tip rib attached to the spar.