Left elevator (cont.)

With the stiffeners in place and the skeleton riveted together, it was time to bend the trailing edge.  This process is much easier the second time, as you're not as concerned about messing it up.  I made the bend with my wood bending brake, and the skin rests nicely on the skeleton with no clecos installed.  With the trailing edge finished, I was able to bend the tabs on the elevator for the trim tab opening.  After a little practice, I placed a wedge inside the skin with another wedge on top of the skin, clamped the whole assembly to the workbench, and made the first bend of the lower tab.  Then the top tab was bent, and the remaining rivets were squeezed. 

After trailing edge is bent, the skin rests on the front spar

Practice bend on piece of scrap aluminum

First tab bend (bottom) on elevator

Top and bottom bends finished - ready for rivets

Ready to squeeze perimeter rivets

Squeezing outboard rivets

Counterbalance weight attached

Left elevator main structure complete

Left and right elevators side by side for the first time - very cool !