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I hate when this happens

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xavierm

Well Known Member
Friend
It was a nice warm sunny day. After work, I decided to head to the airport to do a bit of cleaning. After all, it's time to get this RV-7 project back in gear.
I start moving things around then, all of a sudden, I hear a crash. It couldn't be! Can it? But I keep them in a locking storage bin!

Yes! It WAS!
IMG_2125.jpg


Why did I leave the bin open? Oh well, they'll go in a misc bin somewhere until I feel like sorting them.
 
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Bummer. I think I'd actually build a simple jig to sort that lot...something to filter out the smallest and then move up. Perhaps too pieces of wood placed with a gap wide enough that only the smallest can fit, then drop the lot in there...then widen for the next set, etc.
 
I've had that nightmare...

:eek: When I'm not using my bin organizers, I keep them on the floor, and I try not to walk away from them without them being latched.

My Dad had woodworking as a hobby when we were kids, and to save money would buy misc. wood screws in bulk and get us kids to do the sorting. If you don't have kids you could put to task, rivets are too cheap and life is too short to sort through that mess.

The below photo was from sorting the empennage hardware before I had that nightmare the first time. I would NEVER let an open organizer get that close to the edge of the bench now!
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longranger said:
The below photo was from sorting the empennage hardware before I had that nightmare the first time. I would NEVER let an open organizer get that close to the edge of the bench now!
Click to expand...

A have a pic that is almost identical... I still worry about it flopping off the back of a table I misjudge. :)

Makes it really easy to move all the small parts around though.
 
Let's be honest. Rivets aren't that expensive. You owe it to yourself to send a few bucks to Van's for properly sorted ones.

Otherwise, you'll spend the next two years segregating rivets. ;-)
 
which is exactly why I used individual drawers. the cabinet is secured to the back of the bench. When I need rivets the small clear drawer comes out to where I working. If I upset it I only have 1 size to pick up. If I need a different size, bring that drawer over when putting away the first. IF I only need a few of a certain size, I just grab a few of them and put them in a spray can top.

I've upset plenty of rivets but clean up was easy and painless. I probably only lost 20 rivets total. Also if I drop a rivet I almost never bent over to pick it up..that;s what brooms are for.
 
confusious.....

It does a mans character good to rectify the errors of their life by meticulous work that amends out lack of attention.

The hardwork burns the fat (laziness) off your soul...

I would do it by hand. You'll be a better man for it.
 
I see four choices....

1) Buy all new rivets, and you now have emergency spares
2) Buy all new rivets, buy rivet cutter, sell old rivets as "mixed bag of -3 grip length rivets, after you cut down all the ones that arent" include rivet cutter in lot
3) Buy all new rivets, donate old box to either local EAA chapter, One of the highschool building programs (even though they're building -12's, it'd be something to practice shooting solid rivets with)
4) Buy all new rivets, invent pneumatic rivet gun (as in gun to kill mice and old coke cans with high speed rivets, not to set them) and have ammo for life!


Edit, also, I saw in the builder tips forum a while back that someone had used old drinking water bottles with holes drilled in the caps to dispense and store rivets. One bottle per size/grip combo....

You might want to consider that... :)
 
gtmule said:
I see four choices....

4) Buy all new rivets, invent pneumatic rivet gun (as in gun to kill mice and old coke cans with high speed rivets, not to set them) and have ammo for life!
Click to expand...

I like the ammo idea. Imagine replacing the shot in a 3" 12g with rivets. What a scatter gun. You couldn't miss anything from 50'. The prarie dogs around here better watch out!
 
Love the pop bottle idea

The pop bottle idea rocks, espcially for those you always need all over, the 3.5, 4 and 4.5's.

I would (ok, HAVE) just bought more. I didn't spill as many though. :p

Rick 90432
 
Xavier,

I lived in constant fear of something like that happening, but I lucked out.

Jim Bower
St. Louis
RV-6A N143DJ - Flying at last
 
Getting Organized...

I bought some shaker-style containers from Home Depot, as previously mentioned. They come in several colors and sizes, so you can easily grab the one you want when you need it. They have split tops, so you just squeeze it and shake out the rivets you need. But if you knock it over or drop it, your rivets won't pour out all over the floor. I can't tell you how often I have done just that, but I haven't lost a single rivet.

100_5865%20(Small).JPG


I have these for all the rivets that we use a lot of. Some rivets, that we only use a few of, I have kept in zip-lock bags and that has worked just fine.
 
Although...

GusBiz said:
It does a mans character good to rectify the errors of their life by meticulous work that amends out lack of attention.

The hard work burns the fat (laziness) off your soul...

I would do it by hand. You'll be a better man for it.
Click to expand...

Although agreement with Gus would probably be right, I think he may just be sick and or unstable...:D

Buy em new and LOCK THE BOX! If you need 2 rivets, get one out slam the box, lock it, make sure all is well then get your second rivet out right after you put up ropes and cones and clear the area with some type of siren. Repeat as necessary. :p

Oh and building the plane is tedious enough!
 
Here's what I do - cost about $10 at Lowes, attaches to the wall by screws so it doesn't come off. I have two of them for all my little parts.

1001013j.jpg
 
An interesting problem.....

When we did the 7, we left all the bags separate which was a PITA.

As soon as the 8 kit arrived, I decided to empty each bag and put all the fittings into standard boxes.

Not looking forward to it, I set to on a Saturday afternoon with some interesting radio playing.

All done in 90 minutes.

The human eye has a remarkable talent to differentiate even tiny size differences and by the end, I was picking out even the half size rivets.

It's a Zen thing......;)
 
Stanley Organizers

I use the Stanley organizer boxes (yellow and black). They have individual yellow containers that can be removed. All of the little boxes are labeled, but I never remove them from the container. When I need rivets, I open the container and scoop some out in another little container that I use near my work. That way, I don't get too depressed if they spill, since there's only what was needed for the job at hand (or close to it).

My rule is: Once a rivet hits the floor, it is no longer "good". I instated this rule after a) looking for dropped rivets, b) thinking I found the one I dropped, c) installing the wrong sized rivet b/c it was different than the one I dropped and d) realizing that the factory head had been a little smushed prior to install - probably from being stepped on.. In the end, I had to drill it out. Wasted time... Better to let the dropped rivets be picked up by the broom IMHO.
 
Gave them away

I have the rivets to a teen because he wants to use them to practice. The rest of them are stored somewhat safely.
IMG_2195.JPG
 
It happened to me

So normally I store my most common rivets in the plastic bottles like shown in Post #16 like Bruce.
If the bottle falls over, no spill. I'll usually only pull out a handful of rivets at a time as they are going into the airplane - that way if they spill, I'm not worried about playing pick up.

What I didn't expect was for me to be stupid. Although that should have been the obvious first choice.

This weekend while transitioning jobs using size 3.5 rivets I went to return the unused rivets to the jar. Unfortunately, I picked up the jar for the size 4 rivets (different color even!!).

I spent the next hour going blind to separate 51 short rivets from the larger source.

On the white paper to the right, there is 1 rivet undersize. Can you spot it? :eek:

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