Rudder trailing edge riveting technique

[FlyingArcher]

I'm just at the point where I need to rivet the rudder trailing edge.

Based on afriend's advice, I've made a first attempt to glue the AEX using a two part epoxy sealant, but I was so unsatisfied by the result that I had to remove all the sealant from the skins using a thin cutter blade, sand the AEX and WAIT for a better idea.

I've read many threads as well as the VAN's manual, looked at the Orndorff video and now I'm full of doubts.

VAN's recommends using Proseal to glue the trailing edge and let it cure for a few days before riveting, using a step by step technique.
Orndorff simply fully back rivets every other hole on one side, then the remaining holes on the other side.

I was wondering what technique was used during the various sheet metal workshops or training classes, where you generally have 5+ days to build the whole empennage. They must have found a fast and efficient method that works without having to wait for Proseal to cure.

If anyone having attended such a class would like to share, I'd be thankful.

[Auburntsts]

Can't answer your question directly, but for what it's worth, I used a marine adhesive on my rudder and Proseal on my elevators, riveted per Van's recommended technique in Chapter 5, and both times I had no issues whatsoever. I think the key is letting the adhesive set before removing the clecos. I think I waited at least 3 days on the Proseal before I took I began riveting and removing clecos.

[Randy Walls]

I just followed Van's instructions and it came out fine. Much easier than it sounds. BTW I used JB weld but I would use proseal next time.

[IowaRV9Dreamer]

I used proseal on all the -9 trailing edges... even the really long flaps and they all came out great. It was in the warm weather but I let it dry for 3 days. In the cold it takes much much longer.

Good luck!

[DrillBit]

Pro-seal on my 9A's tail feathers and ailerons. But I'd read enough comments on this forum to man up and give the flaps a go sans glue over the Christmas holiday break.

Every TE hole was clecoed, and I started backriveting, barely setting one rivet near the end of each rib, starting at the center, and alternating side to side. Just enough set for the rivet to expand to fill the hole, using minimal gun pressure, 3-5 hits.

Then I went back and set one rivet half-way between the ones and the ends of the ribs, and so on, always starting near the center and alternating sides. I was sighting down the TE every rivet or three, vigilant lest a curve develop.

Once all the rivets were half set, I flipped over the flap and finished up with a mushroom rivet set, the half-set shop heads smooshing against the backrivet plate. Again, I started fully setting one rivet at the end of each rib, then one rivet in between those, and so on. My homemade backrivet plate is about 1/2" thick, so I used some 1/2" thick off-cuts from a woodworking project to block up the flap, ensuring good parelleism of the flap against the plate.

Both flaps came out great--no smelly Pro-seal, no waiting to git 'er done. Would I have done as good a job on the elevator or rudder, had I not followed the instructions to Pro-seal the TEs first? At the level of skill I had then (some would say it's not much improved ), maybe not.

Guess I'll find out if and when I become a repeat offender.

YMMV, caveat lector, consult your personal tax adviser, and all that....

[prkaye]

I'm nto sure where i got this idea, or if it was actually in the plans (this was a couple of years ago), but I got a very wide and long piece of alum angle from a scrap metal place. I screwed it to the side of my work bench so that it was flush with the table-top. I laid the control surface on the table so that the trailing edge was lying along the angle. Then, when I drilled the trailing edges, I drilled them right through the angle and clecoed them down right to then angle. Then I took them off, put some relief-wax (I just used vasoline) on the angle, and prosealed the wedge to the trailing edge, clecoeing the assembly back down to the piece of angle and left it there for the prosal to set. This guaranteed that the trailing edge was held perfectly flat as the proseal was setting-up. Then I took the assembly off again, and used my long back-rivet plat to rivet the TE (after the proseal had set for a couple of days). I'm happy with the way they turned out.

[osxuser]

I used proseal and a piece of alu angle clecoed to the rudder trailing edge. Let it sit for like 3 weeks in the 100+ degree Socal weather (I was doing other stuff) then riveted it. 0 problems.

[airguy]

Same technique here - prosealed it while clecoed to heavy angle to keep it straight, came out beautiful. A little messy perhaps, but worth it.

[carguy614]

I did the same as all of the guys above, Cleco to angle iron with pro seal to set the edge. I installed a flush mounted piece of very heavy steel angle iron right into the edge of my workbench, and polished up the top edge. This 8 foot long steel angle makes a razor straight back rivet plate for the trailing edges. Found it real handy for other phases of the build as well. Weight down the part real good, and set the trailing edge rivets a little at a time, alternating direction of shop heads. I felt the little extra effort to make this long backrivet tool really worth it.

HTH,
Chris