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[David Paule]

The bump-out expert won't be able to help with those, since it's the rivet pulling the skin in. This is what happens when the bulkheads aren't shimmed to fit.

Your choices for these appear limited - either re-rivet with shims or fill them. Or you can leave it the way they are, as proof that RV-3Bs are indeed individually made.

When I was building my fuselage, I set the bulkheads so that they'd all fair, rather than setting them exactly where the plans suggested. I could get the sides and bottom to fair but had to shim the top. It all took some tweaking.

Dave

[Lufthans]

It's three rivets in total. I think I'll be shimming... (And polishing. So filling is not an option).

Thanks!

[David Paule]

Well, good luck with that. Looks to me like it's at least every bulkhead rivet for that bulkhead.

Dave

[sf3543]

Dimples like what your picture shows are often caused by riveting from the outside and not putting enough pressure on the bucking bar on the inside.
The pressure bucks the rivet but also dimples in the skin.
this can usually be fixed by tapping the shop head from the inside to push the skin back out.
If you try that, put a bucking bar, or something similar, on the shop head and hit/tap the bar. Do not try to use a hammer on the shop head or you will most likely dent the skin.
Don't over do it. A little at a time is the best way.
If the skin is puckered off of the bulkhead, between the rivets, it will not work and would require shims. Its hard to tell from the photo.
Good luck.

[PaulvS]

Another way to tap out the dents around the rivets (from the inside) is to use a length of half inch wooden dowel that has a hole drilled in the end, say 5/32", so that you are tapping on the dented flange/skin just around the rivet, rather than on the rivet shop head. This helps to avoid potentially damaging or loosening the rivet. A few gentle taps on the dowel with a small hammer should improve the finish.

Note this method is only relevant if the cause of the dents is over driven, or inadequately bucked, rivets. If however there was a gap between the flange and the skin before riveting then it won't help...

[David Paule]

More than likely, even shimming won't fill the gap in some places. You'll probably need to do this, as described in SK 44:



On my fuselage, I had several instances where I needed to do that. Here are the replacement flanges for the F-307 bulkhead.



Dave

[Lufthans]

Lots of useful info. Thanks guys!

First, I'll ferry the aircraft over from Germany. Planned for this Friday. After that, I'll see what I have to work with...

Thanks!

[Lufthans]

Next question:

Last week when taking my wings off in order to take the plane home, I noticed that despite the wings being quick-built ones, the ailerons were not quite balanced. Just by feel, I'd say the balancing is about 3/4 there.

What's the word on this? Need 100% balancing, or are most of them off by some margin anyway?

And if more balancing needed, then how to go about? Stuff the balancing tubes with some lead shot (or slide in some metal rod) and then cap off the ends, something like that?

Thanks!

[Lufthans]

[dwaynebob]

Chronical of my new partial build

https://sites.google.com/view/myrv-3/home