Rudder & Anti-Servo Tab Assembly

Rudder skeleton slides into its skin for the first and final time...pre-punched technology is pretty amazing to experience.

The Cleco and blind rivet process proceeds.

The Harbor Freight 1/4" pneumatic rivet pulls the LP4-3 blind rivets in one quick and easy squeeze of the trigger.

The completed rudder.

Onto the AST (anti-servo tab) as Van's refers to it.  Deburring small parts with the 3M Cut & Polish Wheel.

Lots of hole deburring.  I use a small Black & Decker pistol driver that has an amazing amount of torque for such a small form factor.  It has really saved my wrist.

More PreKoting on the horizon as the AST and a few stabilator parts are gathered for the process.  These parts went to the paint booth later that day

Speaking of paint, in a follow up to my post of June26, I mentioned the use of Bloxygen as a potential preservative for the Deft 2-part epoxy primer.  As of yesterday July 7th, the paint and catalyst appear to be as fresh as the day they were opened...and I believe this was the 3rd of 4th batch of mixed primer.  So it would seem that the Bloxygen is doing its job!  It is quite a relief to think that the $165 per gallon primer might just last for the duration of the priming.

And after the second bath of parts receive paint...

...they are laid out on the workbench and assembly begins on the anti-servo tab.  Slide the skeleton into the skin, align holes, cleco, rivet.

More clecos are removed and blind rivets added and pulled.

Before too long, there are two completed anti-servo tabs.

The tabs will be joined end to end where the two horns meet.

Close up of the tabs/horns.