adamsrv10

Posting a couple of additional pictures of the progress. I’m at the point where I have all prep steps done and I’m ready to prep and prime the internal surfaces in preparation for final assembly (with rivets).

I’ve decided to use Stewart Systems EkoPrime for my primer solution. It is a water-based and non hazardous /toxic paint. It isn’t the best solution, but I’m of the mindset that putting some sort of primer on the interior surfaces is better than nothing. Most of the aluminum being used is alclad, meaning that it already has some degree of corrosion protection on it. Some people, and several certified airplanes, don’t use any primer on interior surfaces and are perfectly fine for 30 or more years. I’m also spraying this in my house, so I’d like to keep the fumes and dealing with toxic chemical disposal to a minimum. Also cleanup is a breeze compared to using an epoxy-based primer.

I’m also planning on using a household cleaner similar to Ajax or Comet called Bon Ami for surface prep. Once again, this is all natural and has no harsh/toxic chemicals. Plan is to sprinkle this power-based cleanser on a scotchbrite pad, wet it, and scrub the surface clean. This is followed by a rinse and drying time. Then I’ll have a few hour window to spray the primer.

I also asked for, and got a few new neat tools for my birthday coming up next week. Deburring all the holes after drilling is one of many time-consuming tasks. especially having to hit each hole drilled twice, once on each side. I found out about Ezburr bits that are designed to deburr a hole on both sides with a single pass. It deburrs the front of the hole when the bit is passed into the hole, and the back-side of the hole on the way out. Saving lots of time.

The other tool I got was a pneumatic cleco tool. Using the manual set of pliers takes a toll on the forearms. Lots of repetitive motions putting cleos in and taking them out. This tool seems to help a tremendous amount to remedy that.