Tonight, I decided to start mounting the pitot tube mast.  My first task was to find it in all the drawers I have put parts in over the past two years.  I had decided at the start of the project, I would use a Gretz Aero pitot tube mast and a heated pitot.  I had gotten my heated pitot tube before they saw their HUGE increase in price.  Anyway, I found the pitot mast and the mounting instructions.

On the Cherokee, one of the things I am finding out is that the aluminum air structure doesn't seem to be showing any signs of corrosion (and it is a 1966 Cherokee), but the nutplates and clip nuts are all rusting out.  Therefore, I am going to be priming all attaching hardware.  I use the AKZO NOBEL Epoxy Primer, but that is very time intensive to mix up and clean the spray equipment when done.  So for those times when I am not doing a full blown priming session, I bought some self etching rattle can primer.  It makes putting a coat of primer on small parts quick and easy.  This stuff seems to work fairly well.  I got it from Aircraft Spruce although, I know there are other types of primers out there.  This stuff dries in about 15 minutes.

For being a rattle can primer, I am usually able to get a nice coverage of parts.

The first step was to rivet the corner nutplates to the pitot tube mast.

Next, I marked the center of the mounting flange of the reinforcement plate.  That is where I will line up the flange on the wing spar aft set of rivet holes.

Based on the instructions for the pitot mast and other builders web pages, I am placing the pitot tube one bay outboard of the last inspection cover.  This will move it away from the aileron bell crank assembly.   I lined up the Sharpie marker line I made to the centerline of the line of aft rivet holes.  I also verified that the pre-bent offset on the reinforcement plate laid correctly against the spar.

For left to right placement, I just placed the reinforcement plate near the wing rib, but with enough distance that two will not rub and chaffe each other.

Just start drilling......