After drilling and clecoing the top of the flap, I proceeded to turn the flap over to complete the bottom. My concern was that I wanted to make sure the flap structure remained flat, but the clecoes in the top held it off the table. Blocking up the tip of the back ribs was easy with a thick straightedge underneath and held with a board and shot bags on top. I looked around the shop for appropriately sized boards to place under the nose skin but found none. It was late at night and way too late to fire up the planer to make what I needed.

I looked around for anything that would work.

I looked some more.

I looked in desperation.

I looked in my soul... and finally found what I had been so desperately searching for.....

BEER BOTTLES!

One of the few times I have ever found a use for an empty beer bottle.

By removing a couple of clecoes the bottles held the flap nose off the table the perfect amount.

Now, don’t think I just did this with no thought to exactness. I measured the diameter of bottles until I had three with the same diameter, and yes they are set aside to complete the second flap.

A closeup of the advanced techniques used that you will not learn at Sun-N-Fun, Osh, or even from the Tinman.

With everything now drilled and clecoed, I cut out the rough opening for the hinges and marked the final opening cut lines.

Disassembled for the final trimming and the joys of deburring.

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