Tip: Hammering 3/16" spar rivets

WSBuilder · #1 05-07-2007, 08:17 AM

Came close to destroying a spar with the hammer when it slipped off the C-frame set. I bent the spar flange a little but was easily fixed. Whew! Turns out the anvil base screws had backed out on my new Avery unit and the loose set up became unstable. Lesson learned: check those anvil bolts before each use. Also, lay a sheet of plywood or similar across the spar to prevent bashing your parts!

sprucemoose · #2 05-07-2007, 12:44 PM

And, if you set the C-frame on a piece of plywood (to save your concrete floor) make sure you don't leave the c-frame in one spot for too long. You will pound grooves into the wood, and the c-frame will get unstable in these grooves, and bad rivets can result, or worse. Sort of like holding a bucking bar very loosely against the rivet.

John_RV4 · #3 05-07-2007, 02:15 PM

You guys realize that 99.9% of the people reading this forum have no idea what you're talking about :-).

Now, get back over to the RV4 forum. We're going to mine some Bauxite at 5:00 today :-). Don't miss out....

John

WSBuilder · #4 05-07-2007, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John_RV4

You guys realize that 99.9% of the people reading this forum have no idea what you're talking about :-).

Now, get back over to the RV4 forum. We're going to mine some Bauxite at 5:00 today :-). Don't miss out....

John

You're right, John. I'll be over as soon as I club a woman and drag her back to the cave for a mastadon dinner.

petehowell · #5 05-07-2007, 09:38 PM

As prepunched QB -9A builder, I know I am not worthy. Van's actually had the gall to make me mark and drill a hole once.......never again

WSBuilder · #6 05-08-2007, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petehowell

As prepunched QB -9A builder, I know I am not worthy. Van's actually had the gall to make me mark and drill a hole once.......never again

The contrast between the old and the new is pretty big. At first I was excited about the fact that new -4's have pre-punched wing skins (see? I'm glad I procrastinated 22 years after my empennage). Now I'm finding that without pre-punched matching parts it's like giving Viagra to a eunuch. I think it makes it even harder!

But I'm sure I can still rise to the occasion!

Sam Buchanan · #7 05-08-2007, 01:24 PM

Regarding setting spar rivets:

Quote:

You guys realize that 99.9% of the people reading this forum have no idea what you're talking about :-).

Ahh, yes......a blast from the past. I fondly recall those days long ago when the feeling of immense satisfaction washed over me as I gazed at the beautifully set rivets in the handmade spar of my RV-6 Classic (or maybe I was just goofy after kneeling on the shop floor and swinging the three-pound sledge too long...).

http://thervjournal.com/spar_log.html

I agree the prepunched wing skins and unpunched sub-structure adds to the layout time, but it does result in nice, straight rivet lines.

WSBuilder · #8 05-08-2007, 02:04 PM

Sam,
I had a print out of your spar log open on my work table all the while. I just don't have intrepid explorer genes in me, so thanks for being there before me!

GAHco · #9 05-08-2007, 03:53 PM

I am an RV6 slow build (98) and I know what he was talking about, thats why I borrowed a big nasty squeezer.

I felt I would have more control and get better results.

http://www.gen-aircraft-hardware.com...plane_proj.asp

JonJay · #10 05-08-2007, 04:32 PM

I borrowed a squeezer directly from Van's when they where in North Plains. They would let local builders borrow it. However, it was so torn up it did not work when I tried using it. So, pound away in my Cframe. I was surprised how well it worked and how well the Cframe held up.