What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Wing rear spar and inboard rib

Freightdawg

Well Known Member
The missus and I have been diligently working toward the end of chapter 20 (bottom skins) and I hit a couple of snags today.

1: Five of the 6 #19 holes on each of the the inboard ribs were easy enough to dimple, but the 1 next to the flap hinge has me stymied. Any hints on how to get it dimpled?

2: And speaking of flap hinges, did any one countersink the holes in the rear spar adjacent to the flap hinges? If not, how did you manage to dimple them?

Thanks!

Jeff
 
Hope this helps and doesn't confuse the matter, Jeff

The missus and I have been diligently working toward the end of chapter 20 (bottom skins) and I hit a couple of snags today.

1: Five of the 6 #19 holes on each of the the inboard ribs were easy enough to dimple, but the 1 next to the flap hinge has me stymied. Any hints on how to get it dimpled?

See step 9 and fig 2, page 20-5. That hole in the skin gets machine countersunk

2: And speaking of flap hinges, did any one countersink the holes in the rear spar adjacent to the flap hinges? If not, how did you manage to dimple them?

Thanks!

Jeff

Per step 3, page 15-4, the holes in the rib lower aft tabs and corresponding rear spar lower flange get dimpled prior to wing structure assembly. Assuming this wasn't done if you're on 20:eek: I've gotten creative with my c-frame ram, hammer, and a partner backing up the female die;)
 
Hope this helps and doesn't confuse the matter, Jeff



See step 9 and fig 2, page 20-5. That hole in the skin gets machine countersunk

The way I'm reading that is it's the #40 aft of the screw hole in the skin that is to be countersunk. I need to dimple the screw hole in the rib itself.


Per step 3, page 15-4, the holes in the rib lower aft tabs and corresponding rear spar lower flange get dimpled prior to wing structure assembly. Assuming this wasn't done if you're on 20:eek: I've gotten creative with my c-frame ram, hammer, and a partner backing up the female die;)

I went back to chapter 15 and, yep, you called it on that one. :(
 
If anyone is curious about the solutions, I was able to dimple the #19 hole using a borrowed hand squeezer. It didn't have as much "bulk" as my pneumatic squeezer. I had to grind down the female half of my #8 dimple die to get past a 470 rivet in the web of the rib, just behind the hole I was trying to dimple in the flange.

The hand squeezer also let me get into holes on either side of the flap fairings except for the the hole (on each wing) just outboard of the inboard flap hinge (got that?). I have a pair of vice grips with 3/32 dimple dies welded to the jaws that I cranked down as tight as I could. My eyeball says the dimple looks a little shallow, but a scrap piece of dimpled aluminum clecoed to the hole looks good.
 
Any other solutions to this? I can't get my pneumatic squeezer in there and don't have a hand squeezer. I tried to lay the wing on the bench and use my DRDT, but again can't get it to line up correctly. Surely there's another way???
 
If it helps anyone, I wound up just machine countersinking this hole. No way I could get a simpler in there.
 
I've found the Cleaveland Tools "Close Quarters Die Set" to be the only way I could dimple some holes in the QB that hadn't been dimpled by Van's. It uses a hand pop rivet tool to draw the dies together. Here's a link:
http://www.cleavelandtool.com/3_32-Close-Quarters-Die-Set/productinfo/DIE4263CQ/#.V-69UoWcHIU

They have worked great for me, although I have had to replace the anvil after a few dimples as it parted. Fortunately, the steel anvil is a common finishing nail.

Dave M.
 
I've found the Cleaveland Tools "Close Quarters Die Set" to be the only way I could dimple some holes in the QB that hadn't been dimpled by Van's. It uses a hand pop rivet tool to draw the dies together. Here's a link:
http://www.cleavelandtool.com/3_32-Close-Quarters-Die-Set/productinfo/DIE4263CQ/#.V-69UoWcHIU

They have worked great for me, although I have had to replace the anvil after a few dimples as it parted. Fortunately, the steel anvil is a common finishing nail.

Dave M.

Those are supper handy. Saved me many times and well worth the purchase. Just remember when using only squeeze hard enough to create the dimple. Squeeze too hard and the nail breaks. Also have to dress the nail every now and then with your scotch brite wheel to knock of the tool marks from the rivet gun
 
Yup, I agree, those are awesome tools. I couldn't get mine to dimple this area since there were a few layers of material, though. Same with the vice grip dimple tool.
 
Back
Top