February 27, 2005 - Right Wing
The join plate that connects the fuel tank with the leading edge takes a surprisingly long time to fashion.  Here I'm getting things ready for the nutplates: countersinking and dimpling. 
After riveting nutplates on the join plate, it's time to install nutplates on the fuel tank Z-brackets.  This is really the only significant thing you have to do when you get the pre-built fuel tanks.  I was thinking that the Z-brackets were steel, but they are aluminum.  Much easier to drill!
All done.  Make sure you get the nutplates on the correct side.  Also, you don't install nutplates on the inboard Z-bracket.  For that one, the nutplates is on the wing spar web. 
Next I prepped the doubler plate:  the usual edge smoothing, deburring, and dimpling. 
It's prime time.  The join plate is covered with alcad, but it gets pretty scratched up during match-drilling, so I primed it too. 
 
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