Bucking rivets.... how much help needed?

TomL · #1 10-02-2007, 01:49 PM

I plan to buld the RV-10QB mostly by myself. Is this a mistake? When building the RV-10QB, how much of the riveting will require assistance from another person? Are two people required only occasionally for specific rivets where arms won't reach to both sides at once?... or are two people needed often during the build? I have built cars and boats, owned and worked on aircraft a bit, but I have never done this kind of riveting.

RV10 4JF · #2 10-02-2007, 03:37 PM

Tom, good question. I am in the RV-10 planning stage. As I will be working mostly alone, I have the same thought. I did email a QB builder a while back and he said that he mostly worked alone and only had to have help at a few stages of construction. At the time, he had received the fuselage and wings and had attached the tailcone to the fuselage. I, too, will be interested and reading the member's response.

This month I will get to fly in an RV-10, which will be the last step to seal the decision to build. If all goes well, I will order at Sun n Fun. I have started clearing my shop and setting it up for A/C building.

JF

eric.kallio · #3 10-02-2007, 04:05 PM

I have been building a standard build and just joined the tailcone to the fuse. 85% of the riveting in the entire project I would have been able to by myself. Fortunately I had help. I don't see where building a QB by yourself would be an issue, as long as you have help for the occasions that you need. Hopefully, one of the QB guys will chime in as they can speak about it better than myself.

Eric Kallio
40518 baggage floors

egohr1 · #4 10-02-2007, 05:09 PM

I have completed all of the riveting on a SB fuse, with the exception of the top skin at the back of the tailcone. I have done all the riveting alone, with the exception of joining the 2 halves of the fuse, joining the tailcone to the fuse, and some of the rivets in the front and seams at the bottom of the sides.

My wife has spend 4-6 hours helping to get these areas completed. (do not trade away a spouse which will buck rivets)

Eric Gohr

cytoxin · #5 10-02-2007, 06:51 PM

ive made several bucking bars to aid in the solo builder project. the first one that comes to mind is an 18"x1.5"x3" steel bar. i lay it on several rivets and shoot from under neath. skinned the wing bottoms solo with the help from a roll of duct tape. it can be done with little help. fairly easy. your skills sound similar to mine so i'd say go for it.

TSwezey · #6 10-02-2007, 07:27 PM

A lot of the riveting depends on how long your arms are! I did a lot of the tail myself. Did the tanks and leading edges by myself. But I had help on the wing skins. My daughter age 13 at the time, helped me with the top skins of the wing. My building partner did a lot of the fuselage himself. But there are some areas where you just need two people. Ours is a slow build so I don't know how much is done for you.

Kyle Boatright · #7 10-02-2007, 07:33 PM

On my -6, I suspect I needed 20-30 man-hours of help to rivet the main skins. That wasn't much, considering the scope of the project.

A -10 would probably require more (1/3?), but without counting rivets, that's just a WAG.

rmcgann · #8 10-02-2007, 08:49 PM

I have pretty much finished the tin bashing on my slow build - only need to attach the upper fwd fuse. I have rivetted almost all of the airframe solo with excellent results - but the extra care required comes at some expense in time.

One observation tho'. I have found that back rivetting has produced the best looking rivets by far. Although I shot the bottom wing skins solo, I back rivetted the top with a partner and the results are awesome. Unfortunately, I did not have access to a partner when shooting the fuse side skins and so shot normally. I'm very happy with the result, but back rivetting would have been better.

Solo work is certainly possible, but it does take more care and therefore takes longer.

cheers,
Ron
187 finishing

Michael Wellenzohn · #9 10-04-2007, 03:31 PM

Hi Tom,

I am building a -10 alone in Switzerland. I needed help three times so far.
1 Riveting the tailcone to the fuselage
2 Riveting the frward top tailcone skin to the cabin top
3 Riveting 12 rivets at the wing spar doubler

You definately want a workshop crane. I put my -10 on the wheels and hung the engine with it.

Check out my website http://www.wellenzohn.net

Michael

johngoodman · #10 10-05-2007, 08:40 PM

Tom,
It took me about 500 hours as a first time builder to finish the Empennage plans and start on the wings. My wife contributed 25.5 hours and that was 100% on riveting the skins. Couldn't have done it without her, but it was my first time. Maybe a few I could have done on my own due to experience. Lifting is another issue. The pieces aren't that heavy, but I needed her to hold the other end. I wish the heads on blind rivets looked a little better....
John