wrong rivets used in Skin/Spar
 

I am building my 9a HS and somehow used 426AD3 3.5 ( skin to ribs)
than 426ad3- 4 (skin to spar )

I only did the left skin before noticing and I bucked riveted this thing fairly well..
they look great, but you can see on the right side with the correct rivet has more meat to it>>

should I start drilling?

Dont do it!
 

Ok if you have a rivet guage, i would check them with a guage first. If they are still under spec. DON'T PANIC. The real requirement is a mil spec that allows for more tolerance. I would contact Vans if you still think you need to drill out.
What i have found is a drilled out rivet is ugly, especially when you have to do so many. Please psot a picture.

Use the rivet spec here - it's the one Vans "borrowed" :) - and measure using the picture on the link.

http://web.archive.org/web/200008161...ash.net/~gila/

If the height and width of the shop heads are within spec, don't touch them.

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The three pics
First is correct

2nd and 3rd are incorrect

I emailed VAns as well.

Thank you

No dimples involved so measurements are easy.

Check the ones you think are bad, if they are over 0.038" high and more than 0.122" diameter they are good to go.

If not, since there is a whole row, not just a few interspersed, then they should be replaced. Search VAF for rivet removal procedures.

Thank you Gil
I will measure and take note..

There are some go-no go rivet gauges that are very helpful for quick measurements. If you don't have a set you should get one. I might have gotten mine from Avery (which doesn't exist any more), but Cleaveland Tools probably has them.

Photos help
 

Some of these look too thin as best I can tell and probably wont pass the go no-go guages. But listen to Gil, measure them because i believe the Go No-go gauges are very conservative. measuring is the ultimate test. The spec Gil refers to allows for a little more than 1/3 dia shop head height, where most rivet guagez are 1/2 shop head height. ( Please do not take my word for this, but decide on your own)

I agree on the thin ones.
I replaced all the ones that failed.