Finish Kit

Riveting Hinges to Cowls ( 6 hrs )

Completed mach c'sinking and riveting hinges to Top and Bottom Cowls per Steps 1-8 at 45-18.  Re-assembled to Fuse, and ...Ta-Dah !  Good fit...with consistent gaps at seams, too.   Started 45-19 Step 1 trimming LH & RH Inlet Ramps for Top Cowl.

Top Cowl riveting done

Bottom Cowl riveting done, mtd to Fuse

First time mounted via hinge pins all around

side view...pleased with fit

looking good !  Yay!

trimmed Inlet Ramps to scribe lines from molds. 
The diamond encrusted mini-wheels cut fiberglass really well

Finish Kit

Riveting Hinges onto Cowls ( 3 hrs )

Removed hinges, deburred, buffed w/ scotchbrite, cleaned w/ acetone, primed with Napa 7220 self-etching primer, then painted with Rustoleum Engine Enamel (good to 500 deg) per Steps 1-5 at Sect 45-18.  Re-attached w/ clecos in every other hole enabling mach c'sink from flush rivets.  Riveted, then repeated for other holes.  Only done with aft hinges on Top Cowl, but making progress.

flush rivets...!

Finish Kit

Epoxy coating on inside Cowls ( 2 hrs )

Removed hinges from Cowls to deburr.  Coated interior of Cowls w/ thin layer epoxy resin to make impervious to oil and easier to clean...per Step 6 at 45-16.

Squeegee and foam brush worked well to apply even, thin coating epoxy. 
Bottom Cowl is ~ 1/2 done in this pic

Finish Kit

Top and Bottom Cowl  ( 6 hrs )

Inserted Cowl Hinge Pins (horiz upper hinge halves) per Sect 45-14 Step 1-10. Cut clearances for Hinge Pins on LH and RH sides  - but will install Cowl Pin Covers soon instead of finishing for tab mounting. Marked and drilled holes for upper hinge pins on Top Cowl.  Re-installed -- alignment still very good, so match drilled #40 holes per Steps11 at 45-15.   Drilled holes each side Spinner per 45-16, then riveted on 4 nutplates per Steps 1-4 at 45-17.   Used Cowl Pin Cover templates to mark  cut-outs on each side.

marked & drilled Top Cowl  upper hinge

Drilled & cleco'd...

Top Cowl with hinges attached (clecos).

Bottom Cowl w/ hinges attached.  2 holes each side spinner, too

nutplates beside spinner on Bottom Cowl

LH template used to mark for cutout -
Cowl Pin Covers

Finish Kit

Bottom Cowl ( 4 hrs )

Mounted  Bottom Cowl in final position w/o Top Cowl per Steps 13-16 at Sect 45-11.  Clamped vertical hinges then match drilled 19x per side per Steps 1-5 in Sect 45-12.  Checked fit with Top Cowl after 1st holes/cleco - remained A-OK, so proceeded.  Positioned horiz lower hinges,  marked and drilled 31x each side.   Looking great.

vertical hinge drilled for LH side Bottom Cowl

inside view...cleco

horiz hinge lower section clamped, holes marked

checking positioning of Cowl Pins...option I purchased

pleased with fit !

Finish Kit

Bottom Cowl ( 4 hrs )

Trimmed and sanded aft edges of Bottom Cowl to fit fuselage.  Traced lower edge of Top onto upper edge of Bottom Cowl along sides, then trimmed and sanded to fit (several iterations of on & off to mark -sand -mark-sand -- approached cautiously to a final fit).  Marked and drilled aft edge rivets for vertical hinges on Bottom Cowl.   All per Steps 3-12 on Sect 45-11.

Aft edge trimmed.  Top overlapping Bottom
along side, casts a shadow.

More trimming, then sand, then fit...then sand, ...& Repeat.

After final fit Top to Bottom along fore/aft seam.   

Finish Kit

Top and Bottom Cowl mated to Fuselage ( 3 hrs )

Drilled aft holes on Top Cowl, then match drilled into hinges after re-installing onto Fuse.  42 holes filled with clecos per Steps 1-8 at Sect 45-10.  Started 45-1; mounting Bottom Cowl.   Marked aft edges for trimming (less than 1/8") using tool Carl & Rafael showed in their build log.  Stopped early to go flying prior planning meeting at airport for annual Father's Day breakfast/fly-in.

snapped pic inside/under cowl - checking
 locations of holes in hinge.

added Bottom Cowl.  Sawhorse good height to defy gravity.
Horiz line is shadow where Top finished edge
overlaps untrimmed Bottom Cowl,

After checking alignment &, taping in place, I
 marked aft edge of Bottom Cowl for trimming