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Riveting Flap Rib TE rivets?

RudiGreyling

Well Known Member
Hi Guys,

Last night I dimpled the flap outer ribs. I battled to dimple the last two holes on the TE(Trailing Edge), luckily I had the close quaters dimple dies you pull with a pop rivet gun. Even with these dimples I battled to get in there, it is very narrow at the TE.

This started me thinking, how the heck am I going to get in there to rivet those last 2 rivets, it seams very narrow:confused:

Any ideas, tips & photos how you guys did it on your RV7 would be appreciated?

Thanks in advance.

Kind Regards
Rudi
 
Last edited:
flap t.e. rivets

rudi --

the plans call for mk-319-bs blind rivets. (i just started riveting the
flaps together this past weekend.) looks to me like you'll need 5 or
6 for each flap, and i only had 6 total, so i had to order some more.

that is for the inboard rib. for the outboard rib where you have
access (flanges are facing out instead of in), seems to me the choices
are: 1) no-hole, thin-nose yoke (i have high hopes for this, but haven't
done the outboard ribs yet. however, it's worked in other similar spots.)
or 2) use my axehead as a bucking bar -- it's thin enough to get in there.
i've done this before. it's difficult to get a perfectly flat shop head,
but you can get an acceptable one if you're careful.

hth,

john
 
I remember seeing a tip to use a thin bucking bar (Axe?) & back rivet. Use the rivet gun on the bucking bar with the outside skin on a back rivet plate.

Derrell
 
Thanx, some good tips here, Axe as buckling bar, and even the back riveting using the axe. I would have never thought of it, since I'm still inexperienced.
 
If you can borrow a pneumatic squeezer with a no hole yoke, you can get in there. The only problem with that is, once you use a pneumatic squeezer, you'll need to buy one for oyourself!
 
I saw a tip here to back rivet using a wood chisel (with a radiused tip) as the bucking bar. Else use the MK-319BS structural monel shaft pop rivets.
Steve
 
Two weeks later and I started to rivet the flaps together, and I've run into another problem, I want to check with you guys on what you did.

johnp is correct the plans call for MK-319BS rivits for the TE edge, the thing is I only received 10 in total, and you need 6 per flap (3 top 3 bottom) that equals 12. One might be able to buck the most forward one.

Q1) Any case the diameter of the MK-319BS head seems a bit big to fit into the #40 holes. Do you guys enlarge the hole or grind the MK rivet head slightly to a point and force it in?

Q2) How did you guys set the solid rivit beneath the nutplate? With the nutplate installed on the rib there is less than 1/8" bucking space to get on top of that rivet. I tried using a thin chissel as a bucking bar but it just does not have enough weight and deforms the rivet. Maybe I should use a MK-319BS rivet there also?

If I need to order some more MK-319BS rivets it is going to take a 2 weeks and a lot of shipping cost to get 4 rivets to South Africa:( so I hope I find some good tips here...

Thanks in advance,
Kind Regards
Rudi


flaps_rivet.gif
 
My -9 flap has similar construction to your -7. If I remember correctly, I squeezed that rivet using the longeron yoke. It was close.
I was shorted on the MK-319BS rivets on my emp kit. I couldn't locate any locally without having to buy 10,000 or so. Have Vans just put them in an envelope and mail them to you. The hole size is 7/64"
Steve
 
johnp is correct the plans call for MK-319BS rivits for the TE edge, the thing is I only received 10 in total, and you need 6 per flap (3 top 3 bottom) that equals 12. One might be able to buck the most forward one.

yeah, if you'll re-read my first response, you'll see that i had to order some more. [to make matters worse, i had "borrowed" 2 of the mk319bs for some other purpose] -- i ordered 50.

Q1) Any case the diameter of the MK-319BS head seems a bit big to fit into the #40 holes. Do you guys enlarge the hole or grind the MK rivet head slightly to a point and force it in?

i enlarge the hole with a #33 drill after dimpling. works well for me. [if you don't have a #33, then a 7/64 would probably do o.k.] the "manufactured?" head on the mk319bs still fits in what's left of the dimple pretty well.

Q2) How did you guys set the solid rivit beneath the nutplate? With the nutplate installed on the rib there is less than 1/8" bucking space to get on top of that rivet. I tried using a thin chissel as a bucking bar but it just does not have enough weight and deforms the rivet. Maybe I should use a MK-319BS rivet there also?

well, i riveted that before i installed the nutplate. but sure, i think you can use a mk319bs anywhere a 426-3-3.5 is called for, they are structural.

best of luck,

john
 
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