This one contains some of the many rivets that I will be using.

These are the ubiquitous trays of rivets and other really small parts.

The display case looks like a great place to keep all these little pieces.

Smaller boxes contained a myriad of smaller parts...some of which are on shrink wrapped cards. Others I have loaded into the old 'Carter Lumber Display Case'. Connie's grandfater had a lumber, hardware, and fuel store in tiny Sharon Springs, Kansas. This display case was from his store.

Off with the top...hmm more boxes. These long boxes contain some of the skins.

Turns out, all I had to do was lower the tail gate...and get the hand truck under the back to ease it back far enough so the end of the box was on the ground. The Connie drove the car and trailer out while I hung on to the crate which slid easily down the tail gate. Oh...we stopped at a nursery while we were in Arlington for some green things. (Note to prospective builders: keeping your wife happy through this long process is a constant challenge...these things help.)

Back at home...this crate weighs 400 lbs. Hope I can get it out ok.

Here's Harry, his daughter Lindsey, their trusted watch dog...and me. Notice the crate is sticking out of the back of the trailer...but tied in...hopefully it won't slide out the back going back over the mountains...(it didn't).

The crate is longer than the trailer, but it looks like we can squeeze it in somehow.

Wing Pick-up Day!! (Actually 5/28/05). Connie and I drove over to Arlington (3 hours) to pick up the wings. Trusty Harry DeLong was there to meet us. Here he demonstrates his newly acquired fork lift driving skills...positioning the crate behind the trailer.

I''m waiting for the wings to arrive. I've been cleaning up the shop...got the table ready for the wings by adding a vertical 4x4 at each end. Hopefully, the wings will be here in the next couple of weeks. Watch this spot.

It's all done!!! And there is still no twist!!! Now I just have to attache the elevator and the trim tab, insert the electric trim servo...and I'll be ready for the wings.

This is the part of the skin to rivet on the h.s.

The one thing you do more than anything else when you build an airplane is walk around the table. You walk to the other side to set a rivet...wait, where are the Cleco pliers?...at the end...set the rivet...oh, the bucking bar I want is on the other side...where the hell is my coffee (take rivets out of mouth before drinking coffee), how does it look from the other side...I'm wearing a groove into the floor.

There are a lot of rivets on the h.s. You can't keep going back to the rivet tray each time you want another rivet. This is the only way to do it...Good, and so good for you. Gulp.

The skin on the other side has already been riveted. To do this side is a little trickier because you have to reach inside with the bucking bar. Not too bad here, but when you move up the ribs, there is less and less room for you to squeeze your hand inside. The rivet gun is loud...hence the ear protectors. The country music on the old iPod is turned up real loud so I can hear it over the racket. The neighbors seem to enjoy it also.

Time to put the horizontal stabilizer back together for the last time. It's pretty easy to set the rivets singlehandedly when the h.s. is in this position.