Don't Worry About Finding Help

cln1owner · #1 03-22-2008, 11:13 AM

For any of you folks out there, worried about finding help when it's needed... Don't.

Last night I was working on the last few items before I could rivet the tops skins on my right wing. My nine year old daughter happened to be hang'n out with dad, helping me run the clecos. I asked her it she wanted another job to do. "Ah, sure", she's a pretty easy going kid. After explaining how everything would work and what she could expect on the bucking side of a rivet, we dawned the hearing protection and gave it a shot.

The learning curve was one rivet (she wandered off to the side at the last second), but after that 12 perfect rivets!!!

We went out to dinner to celebrate. She's more than happy to help me finish the whole wing. I told her that if she helped me with the rest of the wing, I'd give her 20 bucks. It's cheaper than a bribe to the wife...

She's been bug'n me all morning... time to go shoot some rivets!!!

Mike S · #2 03-22-2008, 11:41 AM

Be careful of the child labor laws

Way to go. Hopefully she will like to fly when it is all done.

DrillBit · #3 03-22-2008, 12:15 PM

Labor laws? What about hiring professional help to the tune of $20?

rzbill · #4 03-23-2008, 05:28 AM

SHE GOT PAID!!

I was 10 years old when my Dad asked me to crawl through the battery hatch and into the tailcone of a Mooney to buck rivets on an antenna reinforcement plate. Slave labor, I'm tellin' ya'!

8CW · #5 03-23-2008, 08:28 AM

Priceless! Neither one of you will ever forget it.

cln1owner · #6 03-23-2008, 10:32 AM

I did pay her, but I told her it was going into savings...

I'm super proud of her cause she stuck through the whole session, about 4 hours. On top of being nine years old, she's also my dreamer. It's tough to keep her focused on a task. She was a real trooper, she even recruited one of her sisters and mom. She offered to pay mom two of her hard earned dollars. At the end of the day we had 95% of the top skin rivets set and we had to drill out 7... not too bad.

The fun factor for this project jumped about 10 fold yesterday. What a great hobby!!

AF_Alan · #7 03-28-2008, 04:20 PM

Nate -

What type bucking bar (footed, tungsten, ..) did she use and any trick on her holding it?.

My Daughter is 10 and I want to increase our fun factor more than just doing the inventory, but if it isn't comfortable from the start I think I'd lose her.

Alan
RV-9A wings

cln1owner · #8 03-28-2008, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AF_Alan

Nate -

What type bucking bar (footed, tungsten, ..) did she use and any trick on her holding it?.

My Daughter is 10 and I want to increase our fun factor more than just doing the inventory, but if it isn't comfortable from the start I think I'd lose her.

Alan
RV-9A wings

The bar I had her using was like this:

I had it taped up pretty good, and had her holding it horizontal. That way she could hold it top side against the rib, flat against the skin and still be square against the rivet.

She struggled with other bars and with the inboard rivets in the wing walk area, she also tired quickly, so when mom showed up later they would alternate. When not bucking she was moving clecos and inserting rivets. All in all she bucked about 100 rivets. Really made my day.

WilburD2 · #9 03-28-2008, 05:15 PM

Nate, try and find her some of these. May be able to have her work just a little longer holding that bucking bar.

http://garage.mechanix.com/detail.aspx?ID=62

Precious time you're accumulating there.. Sucks when they grow up and leave home..

N941WR · #10 03-28-2008, 05:31 PM

Nate,

My wife said you aren't paying her enough!

Also, I found it easier to teach someone to shoot the gun than buck rivets. You can use a flush swivel set like this:

Left hand can hold the rivet set from moving against the skin and the right hand can pull the trigger. Just practice on some scrap first.

That should keep her interested a bit longer.