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Have any advanced flange dimpling techniques to share?

gotyoke

Well Known Member
The rear wing spar on the RV-14A has an upper flange that is bent slightly past 90 degrees due to the shape of the wing, and I'm supposed to dimple most of those holes. The squeezer yoke contacts the spar web, causing an ever-so-slight outward bending of the flange, which isn't solved by using a small-diameter dimple die.

Of course, this isn't the first time I've encountered a flange that goes past 90 degrees, so I know of alternatives like the close-quarters dimple die and the tight fit dimpling fixture. The former is not helpful here because the material is too thick, and the latter simply leaves a terrible dimple, which would likely be a worse outcome than the slightly warped flange.

In my eye, the bend caused by the squeezer is so minor that I could look past it. But maybe you experienced builders out there know of some other techniques I can try to avoid it.

What are your methods for situations like these?
 
I haven’t gotten there yet. But I know what you’re talking about. I believe the interference you are encountering is probably responsible for the “ski jump “ that some builders get. Could you use the DRDT tool, or a one inch yoke hand squeezer upside down and grind the part of the yoke that touches?
 
Or bend it out, dimple, bend back. But the smaller the bend you make probably the better. I use the vise grip dimpler.
 
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