In order to cleco the stiffeners onto the elevator skins, I had to make a jig by clamping a few 2x4s to the back of the table to provide a clamping point for one side of the elevator skin. The skins are preformed and closed up like a clamshell. I was concerned that forcing them open to about 90 degrees would cause damage and change the curvature of the leading edge. I called Van's and briefly spoke to a tech who told me it would be ok to open the skin that far. With the jig and some weights, I opened the skin, clecoed the stiffeners, matched drilled and deburred with no damage or distortion to the round, preformed leading edge. I will use the same setup to do the backriveting.
