Continuing the rudder build
3h
June 6, 2022
So I got okayed on my plan to upsize rivets to #30.
The answer was that upsizing is okay, but I should not expect to get away with that type of work in the future. I'll try to remember that lesson. So I drilled the whole row to #30, removed the clecoes, and...
...all the holes look good! They are round, and the edge distances are good also.
Then I moved to the counterbalance weight. I drilled the hole for the screw (using a #12 drill bit), then dimpled the counterbalance rib and counter-sunk the lead weight. I used a manual deburring tool with the countersinking bit installed. The lead is so soft that a couple of turns is all you need. I counter-sunk until the weight sits flat to the rib.
I will use a fuel tank sealant ("Pro-Seal") to attach the lead to the rib.
Then I dimpled the skins since I had primed them already.
Also, while I had some time, I started deburring the elevators stiffeners on my Scotch-Brite wheel. There is something aesthetically pleasing about turning all those ugly edges into nice, smooth ones.
![The whole row is upsized to #30.](/_app/immutable/assets/0-holes-upsized.Fcw9LR_T.jpeg?nf_resize=smartcrop&w=180&h=180)
![Holes in the rudder horn look good.](/_app/immutable/assets/1-holes-rudder-horn.RU_ievp1.jpeg?nf_resize=smartcrop&w=180&h=180)
![Holes in the bottom rib are also good.](/_app/immutable/assets/2-holes-bottom-rib.D-7OuRZi.jpeg?nf_resize=smartcrop&w=180&h=180)
![Holes in the skins are fine as well.](/_app/immutable/assets/3-holes-skin.D5QGB8vZ.jpeg?nf_resize=smartcrop&w=180&h=180)
![Counterbalance countersinked.](/_app/immutable/assets/4-counterbalance-countersinked.Dcl34Axw.jpeg?nf_resize=smartcrop&w=180&h=180)
![The skins are fully dimpled.](/_app/immutable/assets/5-skins-dimpled.D8Rjmr8t.jpeg?nf_resize=smartcrop&w=180&h=180)
![-H stiffeners are smoothed.](/_app/immutable/assets/6-smoothed-stiffeners.DQV4V6wM.jpeg?nf_resize=smartcrop&w=180&h=180)