Since I won't progress on the left spar until I talk to Van's about the shavings under the factory rivets, and I can't match drill the large J-stiffener on the right spar since I need more J-stiffener, I decided to skip ahead to Section 14. That section relates to various ribs. One of the first tasks is to straighten the rib flanges to be orthogonal to the webbing. That's important to make sure the skins sit properly. So, I used some hand seamers, which makes for a tedious chore, plus I was convinced I wasn't really doing anything. When I looked at the mound of ribs I had to deal with, I thought surely someone must have devised a better way.
Indeed, an old RVator issue described a rib straightening tool (I can't find any link to the original article). You can read a great thread at VAF. Here is one fellow who made it and another who modified it into his own design. So, I built it with my miter saw. And sure enough, it works great! You can watch how to use it.
The magic is in the 11 degree cuts on where the 2x4 and 2x2 come together. It "overbends" the rib, but when the pressure is released, it returns to an orthogonal position.
When building recommences, it will consist of working on the ribs: Straightening, final drilling and deburring.
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