July 29, 2004 HOME

My first try at fitting the lower rudder tip wasn't perfect.  In fact, it was off by about a quarter inch horizontally and a sixteenth vertically.  That's not awful, but I thought I had measured closely and expected it to be a perfect fit, first time.  Nah, I wanted it too much so I had to dink with it for more time than it was worth.

Here I am dinking with it.  I marked it, took it off, cut a little and put it on about 3 times before I was satisfied.  I also decided that I will glass over the seam and dress it up a little.  I don't expect to be taking it off in the near future.  I just won't get to that today.

   

Wow!  What a mess my little shop got into in just a couple days!  I'll have to spend tomorrow cleaning it up before I get any work done.  Oh, tomorrow I'm busy and may not get much done (like today) and the next day I have lunch plans and then diner with Janice and Don for their anniversary.  It's amazing to see how many things can get in the way of building airplanes.  What got in the way today was a little flying in the morning.  The weather was a little cooler today and the morning air was so inviting that I had to spread my wings.  I took the little Tomahawk out to see the morning sun fall on the peaks of the Sierras.

OK, back in the shop, I used a cutter bit to grind out the fiberglass recess in needed to fit the bottom rudder tip.  I thought the fiberglass would dull these bits, but so far they have remained sharp.  Tungsten is pretty hard stuff.

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