Quote:
Originally Posted by danielhv
I've tried both ways... when I'm pounding them, I make sure the bucking bar is perpendicular to the rivet... and tap slow... but it just wont set straight. I've placed an order for another spar and the two ribs... I'm going to rivet the rib to the spar first before I rivet the two ribs together... that should eliminate the problem with not being able to get the squeezer in there straight...
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My first guess would align with a previous poster...rivets are too long (which will make them bend over in a heartbeat). Get yourself one of these
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...engthgauge.php
and check to see if they're too long. Van's plans are not *always* perfectly correct on rivet lengths (e.g., we often end up using 426AD3-4s instead of 3.5s on skins-to-ribs, maybe because two layers of primer make the thickness *just enough* more than would take a 3.5. The opposite is true sometimes, as well. My latest example? The rivets for the rod ends on the bellcrank-to-aileron pushrods. WAY too long, bent over something terrible. Lesson learned.
I assume you're doing this yourself, which takes some practice, when you pound them...it can be hard to make sure that the gun, the rivet and the bar are all in a straight line. Might be time to get a bucking buddy for a while until you get the hang of it, but you will.
The previous poster's advice on turning the gun down was also spot on...too much hammering, especially when doing it single-handed, can make things jump around too much to control.
Don't know if I can add much more than that to what everyone else has said...hang in there.