Flush Rivet Set problems

[walter]

I used to worry about that too. I tried putting electrical tape on the head, that works for a few rivets. Then I polished the head every 20 rivets or so with metal polish, which worked pretty well, but was a hastle.

What a waste. Now that I'm ready for paint and I know what theyare going to do to the bare aluminum (sand it!) I would not worry about it unless you intend to have polished aluminum surfaces.

[lucky333]

.. guy I know did it and gets mirrors every time. The other posts are valid, it doesn't matter but he was pretty jazzed at the results he got anyway.

METALL

John

[RScott]

FWIW, I use electrical tape. Cheap, readily available, the glue doesn't dry up & stick the way masking tape does. It does often leave a little black dot on the rivet that comes off easily.

Dick Scott
RV-9A wings, working on flaps

[briand]

The scuffs bothered me too so I use the clear packing tape. It lasts a while. I may not paint and it looks good up til then even if I do paint.

[ctbecker]

I've always done what Mike suggested. 1 or 2 layers of 2" masking tape on the set and cut out around the edge. Usually last two or three nights. No marks.

[cytoxin]

i found this to be caused from the shooter pushing to hard on the gun and the set not being centered after the first hit due to the flexing of the rib flange. when this happens it folds the rib some and concentrates the pressure on the web of the rib. my helper wanted to do this some and i had to beat him about the head and shoulders. if you can see the skin deflect much more than a touch when they apply pressure, then IMHO they are pushing to hard.

[GAHco]

Originally Posted by GAHco

Use Scotch 847 magic removable tape in either 1/2 or 3/4 wide.

Put the rivets in, put the tape over it, rivet, and remove the tape.

You can use short strips and use them several times.

Cheap and easy, but looks classy when your done.

Sorry it's #811 NOT 847, We used to stock it but people complained that they could have gotten from the stationary store. and they still can.

[ruggedgeolife]

Hi, that super thin pure aluminum coating on the alloy is very soft and delicate. You can mar it by just rubbing your finger hard on it. (trust me, I know p )No matter what I do, I get a slight amount of scuffing reguardless of my mirror finish flush set. But it is a very minor thing to me. One must hold a light on the scuffing to see it clearly and it's only around the rivet head. I don't use the rubber collar. I figure that any scuffing of that thin 'alclad' isn't going to show through the paint job. To me, the 'alclad' coating is only for corrosion control during construction. If it scratches, I rub out the scratches with the scotchbrite and destroy the 'alclad' in the process, oh well, it gets primed very soon anyway. I hope my experience helps.
Fritz