rudder stiffeners

prkaye · #1 10-10-2006, 10:02 AM

I have a few bad rivets in my rudder stiffeners. I'm wondering whether it would be better to leave them, than risk irreversibly damaging those thin rudder skins trying to drill them out. I don't have more than 2 questionable rivets on any single stiffener. My fear is that those rudder skins are so thin and flimsy that I would destroy them trying to drill out those rivets.

Suggestions?

briand · #2 10-10-2006, 10:30 AM

Whats wrong with the rivets? Overdriven, underdriven, heads not flush, cracked?

prkaye · #3 10-10-2006, 11:08 AM

my back-rivet set didn't connect with the entire surface of the shop head on a couple, and so there is a "step" on the shop head of these...

frankh · #4 10-10-2006, 11:58 AM

If you havent mounted the skins yet just drive 'em a little more to even up the shop head.

Either that or just forget about 'em....I couldn't imagine going to the hassle of drilling these out.

As they say...Move on Dude.

Frank

cnpeters · #5 10-10-2006, 12:17 PM

I just finished mine a couple weeks back - same thing happened on a couple, so I gave a brief zap with the back rivet set again to level the high step. Worked great, and didn't spread the shop head further. If you do nothing, it would probably be better than drilling out and risking damage, but this advice is limited as I don't have a pic of your rivets.

cjensen · #6 10-10-2006, 12:22 PM

Yeah, leave 'em or hit 'em once more. These will not cause any problems. There are plenty of rivets holding those stiffeners in place, and one or two miss driven shop heads won't amount to anything.