The big take away here is I was doing too much by myself when it was completely uneccessary. My other big regret (long before this happened) is that I didn't buy a better C-frame. Here is a link to the superior one at Cleaveland Tool ( I know its not a link, I can't help that. Copy and paste):
I didn't know about this tool til I saw it on another build log. With this tool, it is almost impossible to do what I did. No hammer, you use the handle to make every dimple like a squeezer. It is also more or less silent, so you can use it at any hour. It costs about $150 more, but I'll blow through that in parts and shipping on this little mishap.
I won't be dimpling any more stiffeners for the left elevator until the skin is dimpled. I'm guessing I'll have to replace the stiffeners since they are dimpled. I think I could have match drilled them to the new skin otherwise. We'll see what Van's says.
On the plus side, I'm getting pretty good at hammering dimples. I'll also go ahead and back rivet the stiffeners (if I can't use them on the new skin) to the skin and then I can practice bending the skin trailing edge before doing the others. It looks a little daunting.
