New holes drilled in the LE skin and supplies coming from ACS

As a birthday present for myself I ordered a bunch of stuff from Aircraft Spruce the other day. Among the items is a composite practice kit and some bags of cabosil, flox, and micro, so I can start working on some fiberglass stuff. I also ordered a Bob Archer nav antenna for the left wing tip (Model 1), and some 1/4 inch long countersunk head cadmium plated 6/32 screws for the pitot tube/mast assembly. (Used to be tagged as AN 507, now has some mil spec number associated with it). I had some AN507 6R6 (3/8 inch) screws, but I think those are the ones needed for the electric trim mounting/service plate in the elevator, so I left them alone.

In the past couple of days I managed to mount and re-secure the left wing LE assembly to the Left wing spar. Before I could drill the new holes in the LE skin, the subskin, and the 408 rib, I needed to make sure that the entire LE assembly was attached just as it would be riveted to the wing, to ensure that the new holes end up in the correct location on the subskin and the 408 rib flange. Getting that beast secured onto the wing spar was no easy task. Lots of holes to line up and cleco in place, and needed to apply some added "pressure" here and there to get the holes to line up.

Then I did the deed. Marked each location with my hole punch and drilled two new #40 holes in the LE skin. Exciting stuff-not, I know, but much needed progress for me.

Each holes seemed to line up with the others OK - but the only time I will know for certain is when I actually rivet everything together. I seem to have this strange problem with keeping things in a straight line, even after I have measured and marked everything correctly. Must be a perception thing with my lovely progressive lense glasses. Anyway, the above pics are the top side adn bottom side holes.

Here is a pic with the LE all clecoed in place. Not shown are the clecoes attaching the rear rib flanges to the wing spar web. I started with those and then attached the LE skin to the wing spar flanges, after positioning the subskin in place and getting that all lined up with the LE rib flanges and the skin. What fun that was for the 12th time.Once its all together it looks pretty good.

I put clecoes in each of the new holes and felt for proper clearance with my fingers inside the "tunnel." Feels like I did everything right, and that the holes are in the right place in all 3 pieces of metal. Since the flanges all face away from the opening, I had to reach inside around the rib web and feel where the edges of the rib flange and the cleco were located. Not that this mattered much, since I knoew I had to remove the whole Le assembly anyway, but I wanted some sort of "immediate" confirmation that I had done this correctly.

Next steps
Leave all ribs, subskin, and LE skin attachements in place
Remove the clecoes holding the LE onto the wing spar
Remove the entire LE assembly, this time with the subskin still attached
Check all hole clearances visually, including the clearance for the shop head of the last hole (where I trimmed the 408 rib flange.
Disassemble the two 408 ribs and debur the new holes in all parts.
Trim any additional rib flange material as needed to ensure that the shop head of the rivet in that last hole will clear it.
Prep the modified 408 rib for primer and prime it.
Rivet on the two rear rib flange extensions to the modified 408 rib. (I could not do this long ago because I needed to prime the rib first - yet another reason why I stopped where I did.)
Re-attach the entire LE assembly to the wing spar (AGAIN!!)
Drill two more holes, this time match drilling the holes in each rear rib flange
Remove the entire LE assembly (AGAIN!)
Debur the two new rear rib flange holes
Disassemble the entire LE, prep and prime all LE parts, EXCEPT the subskin.
Determine precise measurements and locations for the subskin. A lot of the subskin material will be removed since it will not be needed. Only the portion that wraps around the LE and serves as the mounting flange for the modified outer LE skin needs to remain "as is." The rest gets cut away, leaving only about 1.5 inches over the top and bottom rib flanges of both 408 ribs.
Trim the subskin, prep and prime
Rivet the LE assembly together

Do the same madness for the right wing, starting with bending/forming the subskin for that side.
Wash, rinse repeat for the right wing.
Move on to the fuel tanks.

Till next time, KPR.