Setting hard to reach rivets

[Cam7nut]

I didn't rivet the ends of my centre RV-7 floor angles to the firewall and spar bracket before fitting the floor. When I looked at riveting these angles last night, I realised I couldn't get my hand squeezer in, nor could I get the rivet gun in there, even with an offset rivet set.
After a bit of thought, I came up with this:
It's a my Avery longeron squeezer yoke. I used an AN6 bolt, a few washers and nut (one of my engine mount bolts - I replace it with a new bolt on my plane).
With a universal rivet die in the yoke, the technique is to hold the bolt and slowly turn the nut to jack the bolt up. The end of the bolt squeezes the rivet. It's a bit of a juggle holding the yoke and 2 spanners, but it worked ok on my test piece and I'm happy with the result.

[wirejock]

Filing that one away for those head scratching moments. Thanks.
Send that to Paul at Kitplanes. Good tip. They pay when published.

[Scott Hersha]

I had the same issue with a friends RV7. I used my offset rivet set, but it turns every time I use it. So I tape it in place on the gun at the correct angle, and tape it in place both ways - clockwise and counterclockwise, so the rivet set won't turn on the gun. I was able to set all of these rivets easily with this method.

Your solution may work, but I wonder about work hardening the rivet because of the slow action on deforming and not being able to get the right squeeze. Looks like your practice piece work though. Nice little invention.

[Cam7nut]

Thanks guys.
I thought about the work hardening issue, but the rivet seems ok. FWIW, a rivet gun drives a rivet in a number of steps too - they are just so close together it seems like one continuous drive.
Also worth mentioning is that I lightly greased the bolt thread and face of the washers to make it work more smoothly.

[Cam7nut]

UPDATE.
I successfully squeezed the rivets at the firewall end of the floor angles and I'm happy with the result, but the aft end (below the fuel selector) was not so good. I could only turn the nut 1 flat at a time and had a lot of trouble keeping the yoke straight and keeping the bolt stationary - the 2 rivets I tried both bent over (length was ok). In the end I decided to use Cherrymax rivets in those holes instead.
I think the yoke/nut & bolt idea still has merit, but like a lot of things it works well in some applications and not as well in others.
I also found that any movement of the bolt tends to "mushroom" the tail of the rivet.

[grayforge]

I could see a commercial version of this... tap the inside of the yoke for the bolt threads so no nut is needed and maybe manufacture a rotating, bearing suspended tip on the bolt so that it doesn't spin on the rivet.

[1001001]

Originally Posted by grayforge

I could see a commercial version of this... tap the inside of the yoke for the bolt threads so no nut is needed and maybe manufacture a rotating, bearing suspended tip on the bolt so that it doesn't spin on the rivet.

You could drill out the end of the bolt to accept a standard flat squeezer die, maybe.

[wirejock]

Originally Posted by 1001001

You could drill out the end of the bolt to accept a standard flat squeezer die, maybe.

I agree. Good idea for production.
Go for it Cam7nut.

Yes, you can. I just did.
I may not ever use it but nice to know it's available.
3/8-16 grade 8, washer and nut.
Drilled the end 3/16 for dies.

[BillL]

Too bad there is not a hand squeezer with alligator jaws. Is there one?

[wirejock]

Ask and yee shall purchase!
http://www.compressionriveter.com/ca...-jaw-riveters/