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Need Help on Vans Practice Kit

First off, let me just say I am brand spanking new! So, while I am waiting for my RV-14a empennage kit, I am doing the Vans practice kit which looks to be a very short elevator. I am on the Step 10 where it says:

"The special dimple/bucking bar and back rivet plate will be needed to reach the last two rivets."

I have all of the tools from Cleaveland they recommend for the RV-14. Can someone tell me what tools to use and how to rivet these circled? (see pict)

Super excited to start the airplane after learning so much on this first piece!

Thank you! Tim.
 

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Bucking bar

First off, let me just say I am brand spanking new! So, while I am waiting for my RV-14a empennage kit, I am doing the Vans practice kit which looks to be a very short elevator. I am on the Step 10 where it says:

"The special dimple/bucking bar and back rivet plate will be needed to reach the last two rivets."

I have all of the tools from Cleaveland they recommend for the RV-14. Can someone tell me what tools to use and how to rivet these circled? (see pict)

Super excited to start the airplane after learning so much on this first piece!

Thank you! Tim.

Lots of ways.
-A hunk of steel that fits with a tungsten bar taped to it works well. Tungsten adds mass.
-No hole yoke on a manual or pneumatic squeezer.
-Pair of Knipex pliers. The biggest pair of smooth jaw will set #3 rivets.
-MK-319-BS pull rivet.
Whatever you do, don't fight it. If the first attempt doesnt work, use the pull rivet. Hole gets bigger every attempt.
 
I used the steel plate method. Eaa has a video on it, usually not as pretty, but works. And the no hole, there are a few spots that I delayed a rivet so that I could get in with the no hole, and then rivet the tight one, then the next that would have made it impossible.
 
Last edited:
Custom Tool Time

Grind down a TATCO THS101 no hole squeezer yoke...You'll use it plenty of times.
 

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I was able to do one side with the attached yoke, but now i have even less space for the other side. Maybe I get another yoke and grind it down further, or do they make a specialty one for tighter spots than the one I have from Cleaveland?
 

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I have only seen yokes ground down. The tightest spot I’ve hit is the practice kit, where I used a thin steel plate I bought at lowes and cut with a hacksaw, and back rivet plate, hit the plate on the shop side of the rivet with the rivet gun flat set.
The next was the bottom of the rudder, and that one is the one I was able to get with the 1” no hole like you have, but I did leave rivets out and before I set the trailing edge tape, so was able to lift up both sides to get to it. The top side are pull rivets, and it’s tight there.
 

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I took a builders course and this was the project we did. The instructor had a tight fit squeezer yoke (the kind without a hole for a die) and had ground it down slightly to fit in this spot.
 
No hole

I was able to do one side with the attached yoke, but now i have even less space for the other side. Maybe I get another yoke and grind it down further, or do they make a specialty one for tighter spots than the one I have from Cleaveland?

Yes. Look for a "No Hole" yoke. Very thin at the tip. Fits some tight spaces. However, there are places where it won't fit. Home brew is a good skill.
 
Thank you all for your feedback! Seems like the actual airplane may not have a bunch of these tight spots! Cant wait to get the real thing. Thanks again for all of the advice! Tim
 
I had a moderate success with indirect riveting technique using this bucking bar I made from a masonry chisel:

09-mini-bucking-bar-2.jpeg

This is what I got on my rudder:

11-riveted-trailing-rivets-2.jpeg
 
I am in San Diego

Hello Tim,

I am located in San Diego. I have my -10 at KSEE. Let me know if you need additional help or want to meet in person to review the work and answer any questions you may have. DM me at drop me an e-mail to edahlkamp at hotmail dot com

Ethan
 
pop rivet and build on

The first time I used the no hole yoke. The next time will be a pop rivet. You could spend an hour or more with these other choices and the bottom line is the pop rivet is just as good and sooooo much faster.
 
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