It took a few hours but I finally made the bends in the sides of the trim tab and did not wreck the part. The only think I am unhappy with is the sides of the tab are not exactly 90 degree to the main skin, the DWG actually call for 89 degrees on one side and 90 degrees on the other. I am not sure I could tell one from the other. I am not sure it will make much of a difference; I will have to ask Van’s or the gang on VAF. I would not be the first to redo the trim tab. You can see in the last photo the tools I used. I made a wood jig like the plans call for but I added strips of 1/8” aluminum bar. The bar makes for a nice crisp edge. I start the bend with a scrap of wood, and then roll it with the seam roller a bit. I could not roll it all the way flat because the narrow end of the bend just would not roll over, it was easier to lay some aluminum bar on the tab and then hit is with the flush rivet set. As you can see there are no dings in the metal and the edge is nice and crisp. I held the tab up to the elevator and it looks like I will have the clearance required between the trim tab and elevator skin, I still have to do the elevator tabs.
I don’t think I want to risk wrecking the elevator skin by bending over those tabs, but I may try it and if it does not go well I will just fabricate a rib for that area. I have a scrap E-703 rib, but I think the end might be too fat for this area. I did the Van’s training project and the ribs on that are perfect, I would just have to drill them out and remove them from the training project or see if I can just order one from Van’s.
I have stewed about doing these bends like many others before me, and I am glad it is finally done. Now that I have the cast off, I can get to the task of rolling the leading edges on everything. I may need to wait for a couple of weeks of physical therapy before I try it. I will have the rudder and both elevators to roll once I am strong enough. Of course I still need to rivet the left elevator together.
