Mystery Riveting

So I'm at the point of riveting the leading edge wing skin to the main spar of my RV9. My arms aren't 6 ft. long and I don't know how you would hold a bucking bar properly in out of sight so how do you builders do this one. I posted this on another area and one builder siad Van's okayed it to use LP4-3 and LP4-4 pop rivets on this. any thought's from you experienced builders. Are these pop rivets suitable for this.

It is part of the bragging rights for not building a QB. Us "standard" builders learn to buck a rivet 6" past arms length, upside down, backwards, and definitely blind. You'll need these skills for closing the bottom skins too.

I was able to get all but the innermost rib bucked solo. My daughter was conscripted to get the last ones riveted. I had orignally thought I was going to do the pop rivets here, and had ordered some extra's from Van's, but after starting on the easy ones near the end (where there is good access holes on the spar), I just kept going. Love that tungsten bucking bar! It can get into just about any small space. Tape it up with some padding and it is very easy to keep from dinging the surroundings when you are holding it blind.

Scott's right....that is one part of the build I cannot forget. I was barely able to get all the rivets in with my average length arms stretched all the way out.... And it hurt, too.

You gotta just buck it blind. As has already been mentioned, you have to buck most of the bottom skins blind.

Some tips:

1) Have your riveting partner lightly tap the rivet gun while on on the rivet so you can feel if you have the bucking bar on the rivet.
2) Rock the bucking bar back and forth on the rivet until you are sure you're not on the spar.

Good luck...it's just one of those things.

Because those are kind of important rivets on a kind of important part (wing spar) I chose to buck what was easily accessible and then use Van's endorsed alternative of using pulled rivets elsewhere. I used a combination of LP4-3's, LP4-4's, and Cherrymax.

Just because some had to walk to school uphill both ways in blinding snowstorms didn't convince me that I needed to!

I just finished my top skins this weekend and started on the bottom skin just a few hours ago. Somthing that i have liked doing is the technique very similar to back riveting. I will drop rivets into all the holes and then put a piece of masking tape over the entire row. This A. Makes things go much quicker once you start riveting. and B. allows you to press on the back side of the rivet with the bar until you see it push the tape knowing you are on it. this also prevents you from knocking the rivets out of the holes and having to replace them. I was able to rivet both top skins on both wings with a riveting buddy in less than 3 hours. as long as every hole is filled except for a few clecos, the riveting goes very very quick.
-david

Buck-it-up

This is wheret the term "buck-it-up" was invented. I used a ball peen hammer on my RV6. I ground the round part off and polished the surface. You will need to push your finger on the rivet after driving it. Quickly look at the impression on your finger to verify the size of the bucked end of the rivet. Use a mirror.

Good luck

I did all of them on my 9A wings solo, it wasn't fun but it wasn't impossible either. I used a standard tungsten bucking bar and 2X gun, nothing mysterious about it.

Thanks guys. I was going to buck them thinking it was the right way to do it and you fellows made the executive decision for me. Seems the right thing to do. Wish me luck with minimal skin rashes. again thannks.