Brief Description: Finish Horizontal Stabilizer Pilot Holes
Finished drilling all the pilot holes in the horizontal stabilizer today.
I had some trouble at the beginning due to a dull drill bit. I found a great "deal" on 3/32 drill bits. Well, it was taking a full 20 seconds to drill through the sheet metal, with considerable pressure. By the time I was finished with some of the holes, the hole in the skin was no longer round. I put up with this for 4 or 5 holes, and finally got one of my better #40 drill bits. I also got started using some cutting fluid. Wow what a difference. The average pilot hole now takes about 3 seconds with light pressure, and the hole stays nice and round.
I'm not sure how much the cutting fluid helped, but if it keeps the bit sharp, that alone is worth the trouble.
In my next session I plan to start practicing dimpling and riveting on some scrap metal.
