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Not happy with these rivets...

Eztroller

Well Known Member
Page 25-04, step 4 says to rivet the bearing bracket assembly to the rib using AN4264-8 rivets. I used a rivet squeezer to complete this task, and as you can see, it did not turn out well. Some of the rivets swelled between the rib and bearing assembly so the material is not lying flush/smooth. Also, the shop ends of the rivets appeared to have deformed the rib enough that it is visible with the naked eye.

I am ordering new parts, but wanted to see if there was something I am missing here. I am contemplating back riveting next time and possibly using a shorter rivet, but any help would be greatly appreciated.

Side note, I stopped by the factory yesterday and was able to get the parts I ordered in a very short amount of time. They are following all of the CDC guidelines and left my items outside in a bag with my name on it. Great people this community has working for us.





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I used a rivet squeezer to complete this task, and as you can see, it did not turn out well. Some of the rivets swelled between the rib and bearing assembly so the material is not lying flush/smooth.

This is, generally, not acceptable. Normal (gun on manufactured head) or back riveting with the proper tool (with a spring loaded outer piece) pushes the parts together as you rivet. With a hand squeezer you may need to clamp the work, or at least put some sideways pressure on the manufactured head.
Edit. Not sideways pressure, pressure from head to tail.
 
Bucking

Maybe I?m just funny, but I prefer to buck with the gun and bucking bar over using the squeezer..I bet back riveting would work well here too.
 
If the previously mentioned approaches don't work for you.

"Ve half udder vays" :D

During my "apprenticeship" at the Burbank shop, I was prompted to make a couple of bucking bars (1/8" rivets) with a #29 hole drilled close to an edge and close to a corner (just in case).

The technique, called "drawing," is to lightly hit the rivet to swell the shank diameter (just a little) more than the .1285" of a #30 drill.

Then you shift to the hole, lightly "tap" again to "draw" the two pieces together and they're held together by the friction created by the "little more" diameter of the swelled shank.

Then, switch back to the regular bucking bar surface and drive your rivet according to spec's.

Onward and upward !
 
Those rivets in the pics are what we call ?clinched? rivets. The two parts need to be tight together before squeezing or bucking. The reason they look bad, besides being clinched, is you did not have the squeezer sets squared to the surface. Keep the sets squared and centered on the sets and your rivets will squeeze nicely. If your squeezer is not square and not centered, you will have lousy looking rivets. Practice on some small scrap pieces that you can hold up eye level. Get the factory head flush and centered and the ram set will also be centered.
 
As I recall, at least for the double flush rivets on the bearing bracket, I think the plans rivet length was a bit long. That could be the cause of the "clenching" you are getting. I think I shortened them a bit by cutting, or maybe even going down a size. The shop head of those rivets needs to be "almost" flush in the countersink to prevent interference with control column installed in section 29.
Not sure about your swelled rivets between the rib and bearing assembly. Like others mentioned, make sure the two parts are held together somehow during riveting. In some cases like that, I will set the rivet only slightly to swell it enough to hold the pieces together. Then move to the next and repeat. When all are set slightly, put the final set on them.
Since you've already ordered new parts, might remove all the rivets and try different techniques to see what works best for you. If the drill outs go well, might even be able to salvage what you have. When drilling out those double-flush, you may try a small bit first..1/16" (DON'T break the bit), and drill all the way thorough. This gives you a little margin for error if you don't drill a straight hole. When you see where your hole comes out on the shop side, you can correct trajectory as necessary and upsize to a #30 bit and only drill out as must as needed until rivet can be punched out easily.
 
A trick I use for non-double-flush rivets is to use a short section of black fuel line over the stem of the rivet. The bit of hose is maybe 3/32" or 1/8" long and has the same ID as the rivet. Go ahead and rivet with this in place. After the first bit of squeezing or the first few taps with the gun, you can remove the hose. It will have forced the pieces of aluminum together.

The hose is reusable several times.

Dave
 
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