Engine Baffles

I had a couple items left on the cowling. The big one was the application of a heat shield to the lower cowling. The very thin metallic shielding came in 5 ft rolls with adhesive backing that could be cut with scissors. I applied it in sections and then sealed all edges and overlaps with epoxy resin. Finally it was on to Section 47 in the KAI for engine baffles. The past 2 days have been filled with riveting together smaller pieces into bigger structures that will encase the perimeter of the engine. Thin rubber seals riveted to these structures will fit against the inside of the top cowling and force inlet air through all the cylinders for proper cooling. It was often challenging riveting these baffles together as they are thin metal, awkwardly shaped and difficult to secure properly. Many rivets are accessed with the squeezer, but a fair amount needed to be bucked. This means securing it to a workbench so the structure doesn't move, is accessible and I can use both hands to run the gun and bucking bar. This proved challenging at times. Baffling isn't very sexy but is critical to proper engine cooling.