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01-18-2015, 09:21 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: NOLA
Posts: 229
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Great start to a bad morning...
I finished work yesterday feeling somewhat accomplished after riveting the trailing edge of the rudder successfully after I had been putting off the task for nearly a week.
I walked into the "airplane factory" this morning with two seemingly simple tasks: 1) Roll the leading edges of the rudder and 2) Pop rivet the edges together.
I got an early start this morning and drilled a few holes in my bench and installed three u bolts to hold the 3/4" conduit I planned on using to roll the skin.
The first skin rolled perfectly as planned, so I moved on to the next skin. Low and behold it rolled just as easy and I was making good time! As I starting untaping the skin from the conduit my heart stopped when I got to the top of the rudder and saw this:
I apparently I rolled the conduit too far and the u bolt was driven in to the side of the spar. I literally sat and stared breathless and speechless for at least a minute, not believing what i was seeing. Adding salt the the wound the rolled edges went together absolutely perfectly!!
I know that I'll probably have to redo the rudder but I figured I'd share and make a deposit to the "be careful of this" repository.
Maybe I'm just being optimistic, but the bend did not seem to move/affect the rivet orientation. In other words, the depth of the dent in the spar flange doesn't seem to be deep enough to affect the rivet.

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01-18-2015, 09:54 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Gold Hill, NC25
Posts: 2,400
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I would not be building a new rudder. Seaming pliers slowly and gently to prevent cracking, will get it close to correct, then an impact flush set and a bucking bar, or tap hammer and bucking bar, will finish the job nicely. Then a little filler before paint, and your good to go.
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Kahuna
6A, S8 ,
Gold Hill, NC25
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01-18-2015, 09:59 AM
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Senior Curmudgeon
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dayton Airpark, NV A34
Posts: 15,420
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Pretty sure Kahuna has it nailed, but you might want to run it by the factory just for your own peace of mind.
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Mike Starkey
VAF 909
Rv-10, N210LM.
Flying as of 12/4/2010
Phase 1 done, 2/4/2011 
Sold after 240+ wonderful hours of flight.
"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
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01-18-2015, 10:00 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Estes Park, CO
Posts: 3,947
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Rudder
Before you loose hope, send an e-mail to the Mother Ship. You never know.
You might consider J-bolts instead of U-bolts. On mine, I ground the end of the J-bolt to a smooth round end so it rides up and over. I still watched them to make sure but it also allows the bend to go farther till the J-bolt touched the spar web.
__________________
Larry Larson
Estes Park, CO
http://wirejockrv7a.blogspot.com
wirejock at yahoo dot com
Donated 12/03/2019, plus a little extra.
RV-7A #73391, N511RV reserved (2,000+ hours)
HS SB, empennage, tanks, wings, fuse, working finishing kit
Disclaimer
I cannot be, nor will I be, held responsible if you try to do the same things I do and it does not work and/or causes you loss, injury, or even death in the process.
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01-18-2015, 11:21 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: NOLA
Posts: 229
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Thanks for the input, an email has been delivered to Van's. Sometimes the smallest oversight can cause major heartache!
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01-18-2015, 11:54 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Peachtree City, Georgia
Posts: 42
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I agree with Kahuna. Remove the fastener, straighten with seaming plier and you can route out a little of the edge to make a smooth transition. Just maintain edge distance on the fastener.
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01-18-2015, 05:11 PM
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: Spring Hill, Florida; Flushing, Michigan
Posts: 105
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Others have encountering the same problem.  You are not alone. I just finished rolling the elevators using the homemade J-bolt procedure mentioned elsewhere on the Forum. I have found it very useful to search the forums for part numbers on each step of the build. It's saved my tail several times.
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Karl Bambas
1954 1st solo
1964 Mooney Statesman, 1979 C-172, 1948 Globe Swift (all sold)
RV-7 "Dream Weaver" N50KB
Empennage arrived 10/14
QB Wings & Fuselage arrived 06/15
Finish & FF kits arrived 11/15
Dual screen Garmin G3X instruments and harness delivered by Stein 01/16
First flight June 13th 2018
2020 Dues Paid
Builders Log
Family Blog
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01-18-2015, 05:20 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Greensboro, NC
Posts: 173
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A pneumatic squeezer with flush sets in both sides might also work to flatten this out. I have used this on a number of oops occasions. Remove the rivet, flatten, redimple and then rivet. You will have to look hard to find any trace!!!!
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01-18-2015, 05:24 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Montreal
Posts: 1,456
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I would use a plastic mallet or deadblow hammer and a dolly. Seamimg pliers will leave marks and a metal hammer will stretch the metal. The dolly could be a pc of hardwood sanded to the right radius and it could have a recess for the existing rivet. Whatever you do do it slowly and patiently. Sneak up on it, don't try to repair it in 3 blows. A half hr of gentle tapping and checking is much safer.
__________________
Scott Black
Old school simple VFR RV 4, O-320, wood prop, MGL iEfis Lite
VAF dues 2020
Instagram @sblack2154
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01-18-2015, 07:58 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Underwood, WA
Posts: 413
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Ouch. I used the same method and realized just before I was about to do what you did. I got lucky.
I wrestled with that leading edge for probably 8 hours trying to get it how I wanted it (perfect.) That's the one thing in the build so far that I'm really not happy about. It'll fly. It'll be safe but it didn't turn out how I wanted it!
Good luck!
__________________
Eric Rushing
RV-10
90% done, 90% to go.
Looks like an airplane!
Molalla, OR
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