Stabilator Skin Dimpling Completed

The remaining few holes in the right stabilator skin that could not be dimpled with the C-frame were finished off first thing today ...  then work began on dimpling both sides of the left stabilator skin. Each skin required a little over two hours … Admittedly, it is a time consuming labor of love, but the end product makes all the extra effort worth while. One of the main reasons the dimpling took so long is because the C- frame had to be moved for every hole. Usually you keep the C-frame stationary and move the skins, but because the stabilator’s skins are made from one pre-bent big piece of aluminum, it was safer to keep the skin propped up on pool noodles and move the C-frame so it took quite a bit of extra time positioning the C-frame for every hole.

                                            Dimpling the last hole in the stabilator’s left skin using the hand pop
                                            rivet puller and the dies that have a hole in them for a nail.

                                    Finished  right and left stabilator skins … all dimpled and waiting for primer.