Where to begin? Friday was a day of sanding. The bottom cowling needed sanding after the last epoxy application. So the entire day was spent working on getting the cowling close to an application of primer filler. I did not get finished. There are still areas around the air intake in the lower area of the cowling that need work. That was Friday.
Saturday started with more sanding. After working on bottom of the cowling for about an hour it was time to move on. It still needs more work but I needed a break from non-stop sanding. I decided to get the Skybolts into the lower cowling. That took the rest of the day.
The first step involved getting the lower cowling cut along the horizontal line dividing the upper and lower cowling. I used my trusty Dremel to cut both edges and then sanded (yes, more sanding) both edges. I had glued 80 grit sandpaper to a long board and used it to get a nice straight line (see images one and two.) It was a long process of sanding, mount the cowling, check fit, remove the cowling...repeat. After several iterations I believe I have reached the fit and finish I want. Next was to install the Skybolts down the aft edge of the lower cowling. You can see the results in image one. In twenty-eight Skybolts only one was off-set about 1/8" too high. I will work on it tomorrow and I may need to fiberglass over that hole and re-drill it.
