The engine, gear, center section and tail surfaces were removed to get the plane in the basement. The next task was to remove everything and tag it all for future repair and re-installation. Lots of pictures will help you remember how and where everything goes when putting it back together.
All of the steel fittings were sand blasted and repainted with Zinc-Chromate and Enamel. Most of the bolts were very rusty and all were replaced with new.
When we built the plane Epoxy varnish did not exist. Regular Spar varnish is destroyed by the solvents in dope, etc. The Spar varnish on things like rib cap strips can be protected by applying cellophane tape. Larger areas were just not varnished. They were coated with dope but it does not protect like varnish. The plywood on the small sub-fin, where the tail wheel spring is mounted, was badly water damaged and needed replacement. Otherwise the wood was all in good shape. All the wood got re-varnished with Epoxy varnish used anywhere the fabric would touch.
All of the aluminum leading edges were again in sad condition despite using harder aluminum. I decided to use an idea which was used on the Biplane leading edge tips, i.e. Styrofoam.
I made cardboard patterns to fit in each lead edge bay. The patterns were transferred to the 1" Styrofoam sheet with some extra, double line, to allow for the leading edge wood strip in front of the pattern.
The blocks were trimmed a little to start shaping the leading edge and then glued in place with construction glue for Styrofoam. Some glue will dissolve the stuff.
The fuselage was then turned upside down and covered to control the dust while sanding the foam to shape. It's easy to work with you just need a respirator, lots of dust.
The same process was done for each of the stabilizers using 2" Styrofoam.
The foam was varnished with Spar varnish and then Epoxy varnish. The Epoxy varnish will melt the foam, the Spar varnish does not. I thought the Epoxy varnish would protect the foam. It does not. I found, after I took these pictures, that I needed a better vapor barrier. I used aluminum duct tape, not the cheap cloth stuff. Just overlap the strips 1/4" - 1/2" and it works great. The result is much less fragile than aluminum.
With all the fittings back in the fuselage and the hinges reinstalled on the tail surfaces everything is ready for fabric,
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