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  #1  
Old 08-20-2017, 04:13 PM
Thunderpig Thunderpig is offline
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Titusville
Posts: 38
Default Cosmetic slight

So...I find the fact of small, unexpected errors very frustrating. I finally got the point of putting the rudder together and a very slight shift of the recoil of the blind rivet gun ends up leaving a very slight dimple on the skin. The skin was not broken, is this repairable?
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  #2  
Old 08-20-2017, 04:25 PM
sritchie sritchie is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Boulder, CO
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I recommend moving on and filling it in before painting. I've got a couple of these around my plane as well. It's certainly annoying!
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  #3  
Old 08-20-2017, 08:31 PM
iwannarv iwannarv is online now
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Olathe, KS
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Similar thing. I was sooo careful faceting the Vertical Stabilizer nose ribs to not get the outward dents in the skin. I still got them. Annoying but I decided to build on and learn from the mistake, since most skills will be learned on the VS. Figured if I still hate it someday I'll have Van's throw in parts to a new VS with a finishing kit or something. By then it should be easy enough to knock one out in a couple weekends.
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  #4  
Old 08-21-2017, 08:45 AM
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Auburntsts Auburntsts is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Tampa, FL
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I wouldn't worry about it. Those rivets are not visible at all once the rudder is mounted to the VS and any minor "dents" won't affect the structural integrity of the rudder.

For future, more visible rivets, you might want to see if there's some adjustment you can make on the gun to reduce this issue and practice it on some scrap. Or just switch to a hand puller as the total number of blind rivets on an RV-10 really isn't that significant. If I was building a 12 I would have considered buying a pneumatic puller, but it never occurred to me to do so for the 10. YMMV...
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  #5  
Old 08-21-2017, 09:35 AM
dspender dspender is offline
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Bay City, MI
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During my build I had to work through perfection paralysis. The little rivet smiles and dimples are easy to hide during painting. Don't perseverate over those inconsequentials if you can help it. If you are looking for a Grand Champion you may need to refine your technique a bit. I understand it is hard to get an award with the first build, though I hear it happens. However, if you want a plane to fly and can accept a utilitarian approach, it is best to move on. Even with those occurrences during the build, if you finish the project, those blemishes will pale in significance compared to the satisfaction you will feel and the praise from those who marvel at your success.
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  #6  
Old 08-22-2017, 09:40 AM
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BoilerFlyer BoilerFlyer is offline
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Fishers, IN
Posts: 17
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Not to pile on, but I agree with everything said here. When I first got started, I had the "Paralysis by Perfection" problem. I would come on here to VAF and see so many people chatting about what seemed to me like imperfections only measurable with an electron microscope, which of course made me panic and head out to the garage and start finding all of my imperfections too. Then I calmed down and got back to basics. Think about the principles of stress in flight and what will and won't hurt your aircraft. I don't think I've met anyone on here who doesn't have a minor mar on the skin somewhere. I think it's about knowing when to call a foul on yourself and redo something vs. accepting imperfections. Finally, I am only on the empennage still myself, but thought perhaps my two cents from a relatively newer builder would help in addition to the thoughts of everyone who is done and flying.

Happy building!
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