Shame on the fast-kit builders.  They have avoided the joy of sanding and preparing all the pieces that come together to form the airplane - ribs, skins, spars, bulkheads, joint areas finished with BID, etc.  A pox on those that are comfortable when taking a power sanding device to the airframe surface.

 

I feel so much better after that vent.  I estimate 4000 hours to build, 3000 of which must have been spent sanding.  Some of my best building memories come from the nightmare completion of a sanding task.  For example, the construction manual suggested that it would take 20 minutes to sand a wing - after 3 hours of long-board sawing motions, I would ask myself, "Self, what am I doing wrong?"  Unfortunately I have discarded 10's of all the pristine right hand leather gloves as left hand glove finger tips were consumed by the back side of folded sandpaper (you may have guessed, I am left handed). 

 

On the other hand (no pun intended), the fingerprint-less right hand was gliding across the sensuous curves of the skin, seeking out each undulation to be caressed into submission by the rude interference of coarse paper couched in butter-soft cowhide.  The room was filled with floating sparkles reflected off the low angled rays of sunlight diffused thru sheers loosely covering the windows.   Softly, in the background, a dust covered stereo could be heard spinning out tunes like - Castles in the Sand, Mr. Sandman, Quicksand, Footprints in the Sand, etc. Slowly, ever so slowly her form was taking shape and ................... Ah, the S & M of sanding.  

 

Grayhawk