??? how to get straight rivets for wing tip nut plates

thinkn9a · #1 05-30-2008, 07:19 PM

I'm having trouble with the install on the rivets used to hold the nut plates for the stainless steel screws on the wingtips.

Was wondering if someone has the hint on how to keep the rivets straight, while keeping the edge of the hand squeezer off the "step" in the wingtip... so I don't damage the fiberglass or push the rivet out of the countersink.

Time to grind down the faces on the squeezer??

Thanks!

N526JS · #2 05-30-2008, 07:38 PM

If you got the wing tip attach kit from Cleaveland then note that the rivets are way extra long and will need to be cut shorter with a rivet clipping tool. At least this was the case for my -9. Also, these should be "soft" rivets which are really easy to squeeze. Nevertheless, several of mine came out folded over or otherwise not looking so good. But what the heck, these are only holding the nutplate in place until you get the screw in. Also, I reamed my nutplates out with a tap because I was stripping too many of the Philips heads. Hope this helps.

Transporter · #3 05-30-2008, 09:26 PM

Not sure what diameter flat squeezer set you're using, but I've had good luck using a #1 flat (1/8" thick by 1/2" diameter) on one side of the yoke and a #2 (1/8" thick by 3/8" diameter) flat on the other side when working with nutplates on access panel flanges, fiberglass edges, etc. In some cases I've used 3/8" diameter on both sides to avoid pinching the 'step'.

These are available from Avery, Brown, Cleaveland, etc.

Brown has a good deal on a surplus set of the 1/2" diameter right now if you need an assortment of lengths. See

http://www.browntool.com/productsele...?ProductID=776

Good luck,
Mike

flion · #4 05-31-2008, 07:18 AM

My sets are 3/8"; I didn't have any problem. But there have been places where I could not get the sets centered on the rivet. It still worked just fine; the slight concavity of the sets did not affect the setting of the rivet as long as I made sure the squeezer was not tipped in relation to the rivet. If you have the wider sets, just move it over slightly.

thinkn9a · #5 06-01-2008, 06:04 AM

Thanks guys for the reply. I'm through plate nuts on both wingtips as of last night.

The other night I was coming in off of several nights of travel and even though it was a nice night,. knew I was too tired to be PIC for a spin around the block,.... so settled for a little work instead. I looked at those first rivets and said to myself, man, thats a lot of metal there after I got finished squeezing,.. (and sure is mangled and bent) but the ole brain just assumed, they gave me the rivets,.. they must be ok,.. (got to be some application to flying,.. don't assume,.. get data and process the facts)

Glad I at least had enought sense to stop and take a break and ask the experts,... now after cutting 150 rivets (that did not have good quality control on diameter,.. or some other reason they did not all want to slide into the cutter),.. I'm good.. even had enough time to finish the landing light install and work on the nav light cover.

thanks again!

Bob Axsom · #6 06-02-2008, 04:38 AM

The first time something doesn't look right - stop and think it through. My RV-6A was full of small errors like this and a couple of major ones that I had to work around. After a while you develop a sense about these things and the solutions as well. My experience was if I thought about every task before I did it so the concept of what I was to do with respect to the finished airplane requirements I was able to avoid mistakes of my own making as well as Van's. Very early in the building of my plane someone at work mentioned to me that a rivet cutter was one of the most useful tools in completing his home project. That seemed like an imperfect way to go about the task in my quest for a Gold Lindy at the time - but I got over it. After a very short time of making special orders for exact rivet sizes I bought a rivet cutter from Aircraft spruce and bulk quantities of 10 or 12 length rivets and I never slowed down for want of a proper rivet after that. I have never in 12 years of building and modifying my RV-6A had a rivet that did not fit in my rivet cutter - your problem in that regard would cause me some concern. Those rivets are going to have to fit properly in the structure you are building and just sounds like a significant anomaly.

Bob Axsom