Stjohn's RV-7

1.5 hours.
This could have gone badly. But it didn’t. First thing that happened was that I noticed a mistake. I countersunk the bottom of the left elevator trim tab spar and dimpled the top. It’s supposed to be the other way round, because the trim tab hinge is supposed to lie flat against the inner top edge of the spar and the dimpled skin is supposed to go into the countersunk holes on the outer top. After posting a question on VAF and getting no response in the short time I waited for one (patience has never been one of my stronger qualities), I decided to match-drill the hinge and dimple it. The only answer was from an older post about flap hinges, and supposedly, countersinking, doubling, and dimpling are all acceptable options. The only drawback of dimpling the hinge is that it distorts the metal and makes it harder to get the hinge pin through the eyes. Mine became a little bit stiff, but not that much, and the hinge travels freely. I’m going to call it OK. I still have to trim off the excess hinge to bring it into line with the inboard edge of the elevator and trim tab, but that’s a no brainer. Once I get that together, I have to do the trim access plate and the trim tab horn, and we’ll be ready for deburr/dimple/prime on all the left elevator bits. Right elevator skin needs to be deburred/dimpled, and all the skeleton parts are ready for prime.