Popeye Forearms HOBBS 771.0 hrs

It was a productive weekend in the shop...logged 11 hrs. I dismantled the fuse to get it ready for prep, deburr, primer. After getting everything taken apart, I had to tackle the task of machine countersinking all the holes in the longerons. Holy moly, that was a lot of holes...someone on another blog said he thought there was about 200 holes per longeron...not sure? but let me tell you there is a lot of them! By the time I was done, I felt like I had popeye forearms! :) Once that task was complete, along with general edge debur and scuffing of parts I was ready to paint. I primed a big batch of parts, including the longerons.

I then set about fabricating a couple of fuselage stands. I didn't spend a whole lot of time on this. As I've become a more seasoned builder, my philosophy has changed. I used to put a lot of time, money and effort into these stands. Now, I just do the minimum necessary to get the job done. The airplane is the focus, not the elaborate stands. Spend the time on the airplane.

Finally, I started to reassemble the fuse for the final time. Soon, it will be riveted in place...I'm excited to tackle that step.

Filing edges...at this point in the project, you should have your edge deburr process down to a science. I've spent many hours doing this.

My very basic fuse stand...throw on a little foam for protection...I also added a couple gussets for strength later. This was leftover lumber from my wing stands.