Yet Another Figure 8 Dimple.

[Aden Rich]

I would go to a #8 screw in that hole. Match a patch for the inside that will span out into the skin in front of the hole. Put a couple of rivets that will tie the skin to the bulkhead. You will have to put a slight joggle in the patch and bend it match the radius of the fuse bottom so it can go up and over the bulkhead flange. Once you are done you can put some JB weld around the area that got creased. Yes, you will see the screw, but your not throwing away an expensive skin. The patch will lap over the bulkhead flange and it will have a #19 hole drilled into it. The rivets holding the patch on the skin will take some of the load off the enlarged holes in the skin. Had to do something very similar when we had an RV-3 propted up on sawhorses in the flying position. We were putting on wing tanks and pushing on the tank when the sawhorses holding the tail rocked back and the tail cone came down and crease the underside of the fuse. Put patches in those areas and bondo to conceal. Been flying around for 20 years plus now......

[OLDSAM]

[quote=I haven't found a deburring tool that doesn't remove what I consider to be a lot of aluminum. [/QUOTE]

I use a small 100 degree countersink from Avery or Brown, chucked in a battery powered screwdriver, works great, and quickly, as a deburring tool, and it's very easy to precisely control the amount of metal removed. Tried countersinking cutters, and, like you, found that it is easy to cut too much too quickly.

[Jesse]

Originally Posted by Aden Rich

I would go to a #8 screw in that hole. Match a patch for the inside that will span out into the skin in front of the hole. Put a couple of rivets that will tie the skin to the bulkhead. You will have to put a slight joggle in the patch and bend it match the radius of the fuse bottom so it can go up and over the bulkhead flange. Once you are done you can put some JB weld around the area that got creased. Yes, you will see the screw, but your not throwing away an expensive skin. The patch will lap over the bulkhead flange and it will have a #19 hole drilled into it. The rivets holding the patch on the skin will take some of the load off the enlarged holes in the skin. Had to do something very similar when we had an RV-3 propted up on sawhorses in the flying position. We were putting on wing tanks and pushing on the tank when the sawhorses holding the tail rocked back and the tail cone came down and crease the underside of the fuse. Put patches in those areas and bondo to conceal. Been flying around for 20 years plus now......

I would recommend the #6 or #8 screw and a nut as well, but without the extra stuff. Fill he hole with a screw and build on. It's one hole. Fill it with some filler before paint and it will disappear.

[berck]

Thanks so much for all the suggestions. In the end, Van's support recommend that I drill extra rivet holes on either side, and just cheat the distances. I think the result is probably just fine, and hopefully with some filler and paint no one will be able to notice. The two small holes are to stop drill the cracks that formed when I tried to dimple for the #8 screw.

[Bill.Peyton]

It looks good to me. After paint, only you will know

[CharlieWaffles]

Originally Posted by Bill.Peyton

It looks good to me. After paint, only you will know

I disagree, after paint I've forgotten where most of my mistakes are.