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  #11  
Old 01-16-2008, 08:36 AM
jmbaute jmbaute is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Blacksburg, VA
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I'm real glad to see this thread.

I was having similar problems with the same tool. The supplier sent me a new one free of charge, since I thought it was a defect in the tool (the head of the rivet set seemed curved, not perfectly flat). The replacement tool seemed a little better, but this may have been due to me changing my technique a little (more air pressure/less shooting time).

I would be very interested in the results with the new tool, before I go buy another one myself.
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  #12  
Old 01-16-2008, 10:01 AM
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billdianne billdianne is offline
 
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I had the same problem when I first started back riveting. I felt I wasn't holding the gun perpendicular to the rivet even thou it looked like I was. So I hot glued
a small bullet level to the back of the rivet gun and when the bubble was in the middle shot the rivet and son of a gun they all came out perfect. With enough practice I didn't need the level any more. Bit of a crutch but when your first starting use anything you can.
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  #13  
Old 01-16-2008, 10:08 AM
mistergerf mistergerf is offline
 
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Location: San Francisco, CA
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Just a thought - are you compressing the spring in the back riveting set so its face makes contact with the end of the rivet before you squeeze the trigger ? The rivet should be firmly held between the back plate and the face of the rivet set before you shoot.
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  #14  
Old 01-16-2008, 10:25 AM
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RVG8tor RVG8tor is offline
 
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Location: McKinney, TX
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Default Rivet technique

Quote:
Originally Posted by mistergerf View Post
Just a thought - are you compressing the spring in the back riveting set so its face makes contact with the end of the rivet before you squeeze the trigger ? The rivet should be firmly held between the back plate and the face of the rivet set before you shoot.
To answer your question, yes. I press with my free hand the stiffener and hold the rivet seat collar so that it can't move around (in theory). I then apply downward pressure with the rivet gun so that the set contact the rivet. I then apply light pressure to the gun so that the set starts to tap a bit, after I think it has started to expand the rivet I pull full pressure on the trigger for less than a second it seems, I stop if I hear the sound change, which is an indication the rivet has set.

I took a builders class and built two aileron sections for practice (Van's training project). During all of this back riveting did not seem like a big deal, I thought it was the easiest type. I honestly think it is the rivet set, the set is wide and the head is curved which might make for a problem striking the rivet squarely.

At any rate I bit the bullet and ordered new parts after trying to redo some of them. I can drill out rivets just fine without making the holes bigger, but setting the new rivets gives me the same trouble, but presqueezing the rivets does help. Rather than trash the thing more I will just start a new hopefully with a new rivet set.

Cheers
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Last edited by RVG8tor : 01-16-2008 at 10:30 AM. Reason: grammer and conten
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  #15  
Old 01-16-2008, 11:05 AM
alpinelakespilot2000 alpinelakespilot2000 is offline
 
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Mike-

You've met Steve Lindberg, right? You might give him a call. I'm sure he'd be happy to come over, or have you come over, and he might have a different rivet set or different technique that might help you. I'd offer the same, but I doubt you want to drive 2.5 hours!

I had no trouble doing these, and back riveting is usually pretty straigtforward, so I'm suspecting it is just your particular back rivet set or an inability to get both layers to sit completely flat on your back rivet plate. FWIW, I have the Cleaveland back rivet set that is about 0.5" wide.

Hang in there.
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  #16  
Old 01-16-2008, 12:35 PM
jmartinez443 jmartinez443 is offline
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Winter Springs, FL
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This may sound odd but I found I got more consistent shop heads if I oscillated the rivet gun slightly as I drove the rivet. Since you now have a practice rudder, give this technique a shot (pun intended). Anyway, FWIW, here's my log page on backriveting: http://www.rv8alog.com/empennage/rudder/r3.htm
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  #17  
Old 01-16-2008, 01:46 PM
AllanC AllanC is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Manhattan, NY
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Mike,

If you're worried about hole size after rivet removal, don't forget there are 'oops' rivets available which may help. These have a larger diameter shank, but same size c'sunk head, and may help get a better set.

Allan
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  #18  
Old 01-16-2008, 02:04 PM
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Mel Mel is offline
 
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Location: Dallas area
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Default Back-Rivet Set Curved?

Quote:
Originally Posted by RVG8tor View Post
I honestly think it is the rivet set, the set is wide and the head is curved which might make for a problem striking the rivet squarely.
Whoa. You may have found your problem. A back-rivet set should be FLAT, not curved.
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  #19  
Old 01-16-2008, 02:32 PM
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RVG8tor RVG8tor is offline
 
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Default Curve in set

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mel View Post
Whoa. You may have found your problem. A back-rivet set should be FLAT, not curved.
Thanks Mel, my set has a slight curve to it so i suspect that is the issue. I have ordered the set from Cleveland so I will try this out and post what happens. It will be a few weeks, I get my elbow operated on tomorrow so I will not be able to build for a while.

Steve,

I figured i would give Stephen an email, I will be laid up so hopefully he can come by. He can also look over my HS and tell me what he thinks.

Cheers
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  #20  
Old 01-16-2008, 09:41 PM
Paul Thomas Paul Thomas is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Fort Myers, FL
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My set comes from the same supplier and has the same slight "curve" to it. I haven't been able to get decent results but I thought it was me so I just gave up on using it and use the flat set now when I back rivet.
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