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Wing Kit tools

jamcgee1978

Active Member
With the emp complete and wings just arrived in the U.K, i wanted to ask if there are any tools required above and beyond my current stock needed to complete the emp. We have an upcoming trip to California coming up and we may find the brake caliper tends to stick passing Aircraft Spruce :p

So far i have short listed the following:

PILLAR DRILL (FLOOR STANDING)
I have used my bench drill press every time i could with great results and want to continue

WASHER WRENCHES
EDGE MARKER BLOCK?

Thanks
James
 
If you look forward in the plans they call out the use if 120 degree dimple dies for a certain kind of pulled rivet. Also for the top skins they come out best if you back rivet, but the usual 3" long or so back rivet set doesn't work because your next to ribs. A friend did his with a long straight back rivet set, others use a long double offset back rivet set. If you search you'll see some have trouble with the double offset, I plan on cranking the gun air pressure and trying on scrap first.
 
Absolutely get a pneumatic squeezer. In my opinion you can get by without one on the empennage. Perhaps you can agree. But I just finished my wings, I built the slow build version, RV-8 wings, and I about killed myself trying to squeeze the many 1/8" rivets. Sure you can buck them, we all know bucking rivets just sucks, and if you want quality results, then this is the only way. And especially there are many cases where thin sheetmetal thicknesses are just undoubtedly riveted together tighter by squeezing. Period. Hint, I always squeeze with little rubber grommets on the shot head side because its a 100% guarantee of a perfect rivet set.
Anyways, I am not kidding, a pneumatic squeezer for the many 1/8" rivets on the wing is must. I have two different good quality hand squeezers, and there were two days I literally had to quit and take a day's break to get my hand strength back. And I am 40 years old and been a weightlifter my whole life.
Get one. Please. LOL
Dan
 
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Also, check out my posts on here for the Leading Edge Ribs to Main Spar posts! If you want to rivet those like the drawing specifies, then check out what I did. I engineered some tooling to do it quite easily with a second person. With some care and finesse of the rivet gun driver (person), this will create PERFECT results. Also meeting all MIL spec requirements too.
Posts are in August this year, couple weeks ago; thread "Those pesky leading edge rib to spar rivet-conquered!"
Cheers.
 
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At least for my RV7- not sure about the 10.

You?re going to be dimpling for #6 and #8 screws. You?ll need those dies if you don?t have them. Some edge rolling- make sure you have a tool for that. If you don?t have the bench grinder deburr wheel now is the time. And recommend an angle grinder with the mini deburring wheels that fit the mandrel. You?ll also be doing some plumbing before you close the tanks, so cutting bending and flaring tools will be needed.
 
There is also the need for a long bucking bar in the wings. I don't have the plans in front of me and bad memory. Cleaveland PN BBRV10 is one example.
 
Thanks guys for all the responses:

Ron: yep I purchased this for the elevators last year..only used it for one day so im glad I get to use again....thanks
Chuck: all tools in the shop I appreciate your input
Dan: Ill certainly checkout the Leading Edge Ribs to Main Spar post thanks man and I couldn't have got the results I did without my trusty pneumatic squeezer....early on I remember thinking this was worth every penny!
Josh: I'll checkout the 120 degree dies thanks and ive purchased the long back riveting tool and back rivet bar a while back in prep after seeing Eds 'good plane living' post featuring the tool......

Right back to insulating the shop in prep for the Scottish Winter!
 
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