Bulkhead primer prep, part one
Hours: 4.4 | Posted in BulkheadsBegan the process of disassembling and deburring all the bulkheads in preparation for etch & primer. There are plenty of tabs and notches to deburr with small files, but the scotchbrite wheel still works well for the accessible edges. It’s a time-consuming process that results in a big pile of parts, all of which will still need to be scuffed with the etch solution, rinsed, dried, and then primed; some will also get sprayed with the interior color paint. I got through all the easy parts (translate as “straight things with no little tabs”) and all the one-piece aft bulkheads, leaving the parts of three bulkheads, plus the bars from the 711 bulkhead (which still need to be tapered) for next time.
Before priming can happen, I need to build a booth of some sort in the shop to contain the overspray, and figure out how to taper those bars. I managed the shorter tapers from the rear spar bars with a hacksaw and disc sander, but these tapers are 4″ longer. Also need to pick up some new sanding discs, as the abrasive is about 80% gone from the one I have now.
The current pie-in-the-sky goal would be to have the tailcone done by the beginning of February, but we’ll see how partical that turns out to be. The next few weeks are insanely busy at multiple jobs, and the holidays are always nuts, too, with travel and other obligations. Perhaps life will lighten up a bit in January.
