Hard to reach rivets - rudder

[efitzgerald]

Hello,

I am riveting my rudder together and I am having a difficult time with a few rivets.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/72urm4gmxv3yp4w/2.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/w6b1tf6224qujp8/3.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/awfki5wnmok0jku/1.jpg?dl=0

Flush pop rivets can be used for the missing rivets shown in the first and second pictures. What would you recommend for the rivet in the horn brace?

[RV7A Flyer]

May as well learn it now, if you didn't already know this...

Pulled ("pop") rivets with flush heads usually have a different angle than solid AN rivets. They're 120 degrees, instead of 100. You'll probably end up filling and sanding that area to prep for paint anyway, so it won't make much difference if you didn't dimple/countersink to 120 degrees, but they do make special countersinks and dimple dies for 120 degree rivets. I forget where I got mine, but the usual tool suppliers should have them.

ETA: BTW, your workmanship looks very good from what I can see in those pics...

[CubedRoot]

I'm not to far behind you, so I am interested in how you end up solving this problem. I should be on the rudder in a few weeks.

[pilotkms]

Do u have a no-hole yoke for your rivet sqeezer? I think thats what i used.

Keith

[Z-EDD]

http://eaavideo.org/video.aspx?v=5337092001

This is one way for those trailing edge rivets. As has been pointed out, there is a fibreglass fairing installed here so it is easy to hide a blind rivet. However the above technique is handy on ailerons and flaps as the blind rivets will be much more visible.

As for the Rudder brace, does a 3 inch yoke reach? I'm sure I got in there somehow. Sometimes its a case of trying different combinations of rivet sets. Looks like you may want the longest set you have on the yoke to make a kind of longeron yoke to get around the bottom of the brace.

[MeAndMyToys]

I think I used my longeron yoke on mine for the rudder horn.

[Eljaee]

On the rudder horn I too used my longeron yoke and squeezer but needed to use my small tungsten bar and gun an the farthest forward rivet.

[cczarnik]

I'm not far ahead of you- this was the first area where I got creative. For the trailing edge rivets I back riveted- plate on the skin side and I drove the shop head using a carpet tucking tool I had in the shop. Imagine a really solid putty knife that I drove with the rivet gun on the flat side. Couple pieces of tiny latex tubing to create the spring compression of the back rivet set.

For the horn I shimmed the river set in the squeezer with washers to get more reach like a longeron yoke. Found that tip on VAF somewhere.

Also when you get to the trailing edge- skip the epoxy and use pro seal. Epoxy will crack on riveting and you might get a little pillowing (lesson I learned).

Hope this helps- Chuck

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

Originally Posted by efitzgerald

Hello,

I am riveting my rudder together and I am having a difficult time with a few rivets.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/72urm4gmxv3yp4w/2.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/w6b1tf6224qujp8/3.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/awfki5wnmok0jku/1.jpg?dl=0

Flush pop rivets can be used for the missing rivets shown in the first and second pictures. What would you recommend for the rivet in the horn brace?

No hole yoke squeezer. Pricey but go ahead and just buy it and it'll save you a lot of grief with various home-brewed remedies which too often turn out like crud.

You can always sell it when done building. Tools for airplane building really hold their value on the secondary market.

[lShadowl]

I used a narrow tungsten bucking bar for the tip :