VAF Forums

VAF Forums (https://vansairforce.net/community/index.php)
-   RV General Discussion/News (https://vansairforce.net/community/forumdisplay.php?f=2)
-   -   tight space rivet techniques (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=119561)

diamond 11-13-2014 09:57 AM

tight space rivet techniques
 
Well I'm at that point where I'm trying to figure out how to rivet those final few rivets on the bottom rudder skin-to-rib. The plans say it is acceptable to use pull rivets here, but most of the RVs I see seem to have used flush rivets. How are you guys doing this? I tried to make a thin bucking bar, but when I ground the metal thin enough to fit in that tight space, it bent when I bucked it.

Iluke 11-13-2014 11:09 AM

I used the indirect riveting method. Put a rivet in the hole, tape it down, place the piece face down on a back-rivet plate, take a 3-4 inch piece of thick flat stock or a discarded wood chisel blade, put one end on the tail of the rivet and the other end on the back-rivet plate and then hammer away at it with your flush-set. It works like a lever and will set a 3/32 rivet nicely as long as you turn up the pressure a bit.

John Courte 11-13-2014 11:11 AM

Pneumatic squeezer with the solid, thin-wedge-ended yoke. That's how I did mine. Dimpling them, that was another puzzler. I had to tape one side of the nail-pull dimple set to my ground-off yoke and a 3/32 dimple die in the piston.

Like so:
http://stjohn.openbar.com/airplane/?p=156

I would guess that it's highly unlikely that any bucking bar that thin will have the mass needed behind the rivet to buck effectively, unless it's made of neutronium.

Iluke 11-13-2014 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iluke (Post 932838)
I used the indirect riveting method. Put a rivet in the hole, tape it down, place the piece face down on a back-rivet plate, take a 3-4 inch piece of thick flat stock or a discarded wood chisel blade, put one end on the tail of the rivet and the other end on the back-rivet plate and then hammer away at it with your flush-set. It works like a lever and will set a 3/32 rivet nicely as long as you turn up the pressure a bit.

Here's a photo of the indirect method...

60av8tor 11-13-2014 11:39 AM

I used the same technique as Ivan. You have to turn the pressure up quite a bit, but it works well enough.

aarvig 11-13-2014 11:57 AM

Mark,
Those are frustrating. I did manage to get all of them although the very inner corner is not what I would call perfect?its close but not perfect. I went to some A and P surplus store online and bought this bugger for $10



If you want to borrow it I could bring it down the next time I'm at my sisters house otherwise if you're up this way, you're welcome to it.

Pmerems 11-13-2014 12:16 PM

Similar technique
 
Take a look at the builders tips. Image at the bottom of the screen shows my technique. Works great.

http://www.experimentalaero.com/Builders%20Tips.htm

Doug 11-13-2014 03:20 PM

I used an axe blade as the bucking bar.

scard 11-13-2014 03:34 PM

I do like Ivan. I use a heavy masonry chisel and an already beat up mushroom set that I do not use for setting rivets (polished face is long gone).

Sorry, I just couldn't ever get used to that swivel set thingy. A mushroom set is for me.

diamond 11-13-2014 07:58 PM

Thanks folks for the great advice. I stopped by a scrap yard on the way home from work today and picked up some metal to fabricate a bar as shown on the experimental aero site. I shaped the end into a wedge and it worked great with a few sharp blows from a hammer. Got to be careful that the hammer doesn't come down on the edge of the skin, so I just put a 2X4 block over the skin to protect it in case my aim was off. I think I'll have to pop rivet the aftmost rivets on the top rib though. Just too tight to get any metal in there that is thick enough to shape the rivet. Thanks for the great tips.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:46 AM.