Rivet VS Spar

Can anyone tell me how they riveted the three rivets connecting the VS 702 spar to the two ribs (VS 705 and 704)? The rivets are not reachable with a standard four inch yoke and I would prefer to avoid the off-set rivet set.

I would be curious to know how some other people did it.

I remember those being tough. I did not buck with an offset though. I used my main squeeze hand riveting but had to grind down the tip of my 3 inch yoke on the sides and on the end.

Jim

I just did this last week -- it's a pain, for sure!

I put the manufactured heads on the forward side of the spar and used a longer set so the gun would clear the nose rib. I used a tungsten bucking bar with an angled edge on the opposite site, and (after the first one dinged up my primer) a shop towel to protect the primer. Worked pretty well, though the whole operation was stressful.

I reenacted the setup just now to illustrate what I did:

Use an offset rivet set. I prefer to use scotch painters tape and wrap the set to the gun so it won’t rotate while riveting. You can use a straight set, but you will have to flex the rib away or you’ll make smilies.

Taltruda said:

You can use a straight set, but you will have to flex the rib away or you’ll make smilies.

Click to expand...

Not in this instance, because the fwd. spar and rib do not intersect at a 90 degree angle.
If the rivet set is perpendicular to the fwd spar, the gun will easily clear the rib if a long rivet set is used.

Tough rivet

Photos are worth 1000.
That's why there's an angled face on the bar.
However, good gun/bar skills will serve you well. Especially the offset. Lots of places on the 7 where nothing else will work.
Get some scrap and practice. It's nice when you can pull out any set and bang away.