Spent some time clearing the holes at the bottom of the rudder to mount the tailwheel connector chains. Ray rebuilt the rudder many years ago and did a beautiful job on this area. Unfortunately it seemed that some epoxy or varnish got into the threads of the nut plates for the tailwheel control horn. Had to use a tap to clear the threads to bolt the control horn on. Like everything else, it took longer than one would expect.
Had only two of the original stabilizer phenolic mounting blocks. Had to manufacture two more out of a block of phenolic that was 1-1/4" thick. Started by cutting the block down into a single smaller block. Cutting phenolic is very slow and it dulls tools quickly. Even with a band saw, the 15 cm of cutting took about 20-30 minutes. The rate of cutting slowed down as the blade dulled...
Since these blocks need to fit on the upper longerons like a saddle, it was simplest to drill the length of the block and then cut it into the two pieces. Drilling the block was done in stages, starting with a 1/8" drill bit, then working my way up to a 1/4" bit. Once the 1/4" hole was created, I used a step bit to get to a larger hole. My first step bit goes to 3/4". I needed to get to 7/8". My larger step bit goes to 1". Since I didn't need to go that large and I needed the bit to plunge the full depth, I used the grinder to remove the 1" step. This left me with a bit with a 7/8" max diameter. The process worked and I eventually had a block with a 7/8" bore down the length of it. Cutting it in two didn't take too long since most of the cross section was removed by the hole. From there, the mounting hole was drilled and some work was done to finish the shaping and get the proper thickness and taper to match the existing blocks. It took a while with the dremel and the belt sander but I was pleased with the results.
With the blocks in place on the upper longerons, I reinstalled the stabilizer and checked it for level. It was. I then measured the length of the AN5 bolts required to secure the stabilizer to the fuselage. The forward ones require a 6-3/8" grip and the rearward ones require a 6-3/4" grip. I'm going to have to order them from a dedicated aircraft bolt supply company just like I had to do on the wing spars. I'm sure they'll be pricy bolts.
Installed some interior pieces that I recently re-discovered. As parts and pieces are being used up, other parts are being found and identified.