Step 1a.   Rivet the rear spar (E-1007) to the E-1001B bottom skin on the RIGHT elevator.  Start with that part of the skin that stops at the spar.  Do the other part of the skin that overlaps the spar afterwards.  Use 3-3.5 rivets and squeezer, with a standard yoke.  Rest the piece on the edge of the workbench, using the front rib flanges as supports.  Works well. 

03/18/07  -  30 minutes

Step 1b.   Turn the elevator over, as discussed in the plans.  Line up the edge of the rear spar flange along the workbench (It helps to have a platform, like the one shown above, to raise the work higher.  This makes it easier to peak underneath to see what's going on.) and clamp it down.  Spring clamps work well.  Just make sure to not only have the elevator secure, but also that your rivet set is securely in your gun.  (!) 

Using the long bucking bar that you have either purchased by now (which I did) or have made in Step 3, below, or some other bucking bar that can get inside the flanges of the rear spar without pushing the rivet out, begin riveting, starting at the inner most rivet, working out. 

It's important that you have the rivet gun "dialed in," if you will.  That is, play around with the force of the gun until you can consistently, with one burst, set the rivet.  Start by turning it down to about the same place you have it for back riveting, then work up the scale of force from there.  Once it's dialed in, the riveting goes very quickly and is easy to do.  

03/21/07  -  1 hour (but I was playing around with different rivet sets, psi, etc.)

Step 2.   For the right bottom elevator skin, you should have rivets the entire length of the rear spar flange.  This will not be the case for the left elevator.   Because, for the left elevator, you will be working with the top skin, and the cut out for the trim tab must be left rivet-less in anticipation of the trim tab hinge to be added later.  So, no squeezed rivets holding the skin to the rear spar along the trim tab cut out.  Using the long bucking bar, rivet as you did in Step 1b, from the rivet closest to the trim tab cut out, working your way to the outside edge of the piece. 

03/21/07  -  30 minutes

Step 3.   I bought an avery bucking bar, so did not manufacture my own.  What I like about the bucking bar that they produced is that its tapered at both ends, one end tapered upward, as in the plans, but at the other end there is a gentle down slope taper. This is what I used for the steps above and it worked very well.  Note the masking tape.  Helps to keep the scratching to a minimum. 

Step 4.   Put the second skins in place for both elevators.  Be careful that the rib halves are positioned correctly.  They seem to want to defy your best efforts.  Cleco them into position.  

03/21/07  -  30 minutes

Step 5.   Starting with the left elevator, rivet the second flange of the rear spar to the bottom skin using the long bucking bar made or purchased.  If you follow the recommended proceedure, you will find this step very simple.  Do both elevators.   

03/21/07  -  2 hours

Step 6.   Rivet the rib halves together with the blind rivets indicated.  For me it was easier to do the two "outside" rivets first, then move to the inside two.  Be careful that the rib halves, once you uncleco them, stay put in the position indicated.  I had one misbehave and didn't catch it before starting to pull the rivet.  I was able to tap it out, but just.  Be careful.  It would be hard to drill out these blind rivets, especially if one is towards the "inside." 

03/22/07  -  1 1/2 hours