To begin with, I'd like to talk a bit about some of the tools and techniques we're using as we proceed on the wing assembly.

One of our most valued tools is this BossTool riveter

This tool is the lightest and most powerful riveter I've ever owned. And, more than that, it only costs about $90.00.

My strongest recommendation is, "Get One".

All of the wing skins come from the factory with protective plastic coating on both sides.

Removing it with your fingers is a royal pain. So, here's what we did.

Just get a common pipe or broom handle and get the first inch or so of the plastic loose.

Wrap it up, onto the pipe, and start rolling.

Believe me, folks, this is a lot less hassle.

Mark sends out some two part epoxy with the Odyssey kits. However, we decided to use the West System epoxies.

*** However, YOU SHOULD USE MARK'S GLUE. Mark told us West Systems would be okay. But others must have asked him about it. Mark now says the glue he sends is more flexible and he believes better for this application. So now that we know that, we recommend you us MARK's GLUE. (added later) ***

This product line has been around since the Romans and is both widely used and respected throughout industry.

The product is readily available at most boat shops and the major experimental aircraft catalog sites.

Benefits:

• Different hardening speeds are available
• Multiple Fillers are available so that you can adjust the viscosity of your mix
• Inexpensive dispensing pumps make mixing a batch easy and mess free

Many different fillers are available for the system.

We use the type 406. You can learn more about this at the West System site.

The epoxy without fillers has the consistency of common paint. When you're working on vertical surfaces, or in a situation where gap filling is important, adding some filler, dramatically, reduces the amount of epoxy drip.

Saving the best for last.

West Systems makes some inexpensive, calibrated dispensing pumps. You just do one push of part A and one push of part B and away you go.

What's more, the pumps can be left on the cans until they're used up. There's no need to remove them between gluing sessions.

Ask anyone who's had to work with epoxy. This is a BIG deal.

All of the rivet lines for both stiffeners and ribs have to be roughed up with 220 grit sandpaper so that the epoxy has something to bite on.

However, you definitely need to avoid, needlessly, roughing up the Al_Clad where gluing isn't needed.

I made these simple aids to assist in this process.

1. Sanding Block with a piece of weatherstripping felt, stapled, on one side.
2. One inch, Aluminumn angle "iron" as a sanding guide. The corners of the angle iron are sanded completely smooth so that they can not scratch the sheet.
3. A tarp covered, wooden surface to attach the wing skin to.

Here's the process in action.

• Attach the sheet to your table with a few clecoes
• Dip your sanding block into some water.
• Line up your aluminum angle iron so that the contact patch of the sandpaper covers the rivet line you want to prepare.
• Sand away with the angle iron as your guide.

Granted, the aluminum angle iron will gradually be worn away. What's more, the tarp will be full of clecoe holes. But, you'll be done with your Odyssey long before the aluminum angle iron wears out. And, the cheapo tarps are available for a buck-two ninety eight.