Jason,
Your progress looks great. Your photos are inspiring and helpful for my project. I need to get back out to my 108-1 project again. I will be doing my electrical wiring soon and putting the firewall on again.

Don

I finally get to post some progress in my project thread!

This past week a crate arrived from Earl with a replacement rudder, vertical stab, and pitot tube. Earl is great, awesome prices, quality parts, great crating, and all kinds of accessory hardware included.

I got the rudder stripped today. I want to do a bit more detail cleaning in some spots yet. Then it's off to etch / prime it this coming week.





I need to get a part from Univair that I overlooked for the vert. This replacement vert has the antenna installed in the tip assembly, mine were relocated to the wing fairings years ago. So I need to drill off the old tip and put a new one on. Luckily, it's actually a cheap part from Univair and I work 20min from them, so I'll go grab it this week and take care of that. Then to clean / scuff it up for priming this coming week as well.

You must be talking about Earl Allen? Great guy although I've never met him, I did talk to him on the phone though. I picked up a nose bowl from him a couple years ago for my dad's Stinson. Earl said he wasn't going to be home but told me to pick out whatever nose bowl I wanted and just leave a check. So I landed at his private strip, walked into his hangar, picked the best looking nose bowl and left a check to pay for it. You gotta love the type of people you deal with in the aviation world, who else would do that?

robw56 wrote:You must be talking about Earl Allen? Great guy although I've never met him, I did talk to him on the phone though. I picked up a nose bowl from him a couple years ago for my dad's Stinson. Earl said he wasn't going to be home but told me to pick out whatever nose bowl I wanted and just leave a check. So I landed at his private strip, walked into his hangar, picked the best looking nose bowl and left a check to pay for it. You gotta love the type of people you deal with in the aviation world, who else would do that?

This has been my 2nd order from him for this Stinson. He crates it all up, sends it, and says if you like it, send him a check, if not...send it back. I've not been disappointed yet. For this purchase he gave me great prices for the vert and rudder and tossed in the pitot tube for free.

First order was a firewall. I actually had bought a sheet of SS to fabricate one, but decided I'd call and ask a price....I should've done that first. Saved a ton of time and didn't cost me much at all.

A friend was borrowing a paint booth this week / weekend to do some work for a customer and to work on his own plane so I went up Saturday with the vert / rudder and etched the rudder and dropped off the primer. He sprayed them yesterday, I'll go pick them up later today. Depending on my work project I'll get the vertical installed by the end of the month.

This past week a crate arrived from Earl with a replacement rudder, vertical stab, and pitot tube. Earl is great, awesome prices, quality parts, great crating, and all kinds of accessory hardware included.

I got the rudder stripped today. I want to do a bit more detail cleaning in some spots yet. Then it's off to etch / prime it this coming week.

Jason:
What kind of paint stripper do you use? I've been to Earl's place a few times. He is an amazing guy and always has lots of advice and help on Stinson projects. I've got lots of stuff from him for my project.

Speaking of that, I am currently taking classes for my A&P and also got a part-time job at an FBO at Palo Alto airport. I've been so busy I haven't had much time for my own project, but I'm learning so much it's not becoming such a mental task to complete. Just have to find time to get out in the shop and work on it. Still working on the headliner.

Trooperdad wrote:Jason:
What kind of paint stripper do you use? I've been to Earl's place a few times. He is an amazing guy and always has lots of advice and help on Stinson projects. I've got lots of stuff from him for my project.

Speaking of that, I am currently taking classes for my A&P and also got a part-time job at an FBO at Palo Alto airport. I've been so busy I haven't had much time for my own project, but I'm learning so much it's not becoming such a mental task to complete. Just have to find time to get out in the shop and work on it. Still working on the headliner.

I'll have to go see what exact one it is. It's just a can of stuff called Aircraft Stripper or something. It's a nasty green goop that I brushed on, worked quite well.

Good luck on the A&P!

Primed! Gathering up some new hardware and I'll get the vert installed. Going to hang the rudder just to keep it up somewhere safe.

I need a kick in the pants...

*kick*

It seems like much of the big stuff is done, what do you have left prior to recovering the wings?

Time to get the old girl skyward (*kick*).

mountainmatt wrote:It seems like much of the big stuff is done, what do you have left prior to recovering the wings?

Time to get the old girl skyward (*kick*).

The wings is were I have most of the work left, luckily, it's not hard work. I finally got the garage "shop" organized and picked up an air compressor for the house. First up this today / tomorrow is riveting on the tip to the vert (that was ready to be done 2 months ago); then I can finish opening up the wings and start replacing the bent parts. I head back to my office in Long Beach Sunday morning for my monthly week-long trip out there, so a great week of weather here will be missed.

Alright, some kicks worked...along with some clear life focus....so....

Today we finally got the "shop" half of the garage cleaned up (long story that would involve finger pointing at my wife) and put the left wing on saw horses. I pulled the aileron and flap and started opening it up.

Finally seeing the damage. Gotta finish the demo and I'll start compiling a list of replacement parts needed. I'll probably swap to the other wing and do the same, and source all the parts at once. The right wing looks brand new compared to this one though.

Damage to the left wing tip, where the Madras droop tip installs. I have most of these custom replacement parts made already.





Looking down the wing from the tip to the root across the top.





and the other way...

Dang man, those are beat UP!

Think it'll be much work to replace the bent parts?

CamTom12 wrote:Dang man, those are beat UP!

Think it'll be much work to replace the bent parts?

Nah. They're not to hard on the Stinson. Just drill out and rivet in a new one. Have someone that probably has all the parts I need from some extra wings he has. If not, Univair is just up the road. Bought from there on my last Stinson project, but that's pretty pricey.

Well hopefully you can get the parts from that other guy then.

What's left to repair after the wings?

CamTom12 wrote:Well hopefully you can get the parts from that other guy then.

What's left to repair after the wings?

Still need to install the replacement vertical stab and patch the fabric around it / paint; install dual brakes; finish engine installation; fab / replace boot cowls; repair other cowlings and fairings; get prop replaced / OH.

Today I finished with the left wing. I noted all the parts to be replaced (long list) and swapped it with the right wing. I opened up the top before I called it a day. I was determined to see how bad it was. Good news! Only 2 center ribs need to be replaced!







These are the two bad parts, nothing compared to the left wings damage.

Sweet!

Dumb Question: In the last pic of your post, the #9 rib looks buckled in the middle - Is that one going to be replaced; or can it be fixed?

Great work!