Riveting Fuel Cap Flange?

[pilot28906]

How did you rivet the fuel cap flange? Back rivet or bucking bar? How did you get the skin to lie flat on the flange?

Thanks,

[bruceh]

countersink the skin or dimple and countersink the fuel cap flange?

[danielhv]

Originally Posted by bruceh

countersink the skin or dimple and countersink the fuel cap flange?

for some reason... i think I was able to squeeze a few of them... and the rest I just bucked. It was a pain in the butt, but you just have to man-handle the skin to get it to conform to the shape of the flange... Once you get a few rivets in, it goes a little easier. If the rear baffle is facing you... I started at the 9 & 3 oclock position and worked my way in to the 12 & 6 oclock, so its kinda like your walking it down with the curve of the flange...
Hope that makes sense!

No pics, but here is my write up on the day I did the fuel cap flanges...

http://danielhv.com/?p=383

[Pmerems]

I back riveted the flange. I made sure the skin was laying flat for each of the rivets I was shot. I may have placed some shims between the skin and back riveting plate to insure everything was just right before I hit the trigger.

Paul

[Vlad]

I countersunk the flange and dimpled tank skins. Riveted and bucked regular way. Take your time here and make sure the curve fits nicely. Put some (masking) tape on rivet set to prevent sliding while riveting. Also do not forget the little clip for vent.

[dhall_polo]

The flange has a slight curve to match the wing shape. Hopefully you noticed this and did the initial drilling with the curve lined up. It's a good idea to mark the flange and the skin to note alignment so you put it back in the same place for final riveting.

This is the first time bucking with proseal, and it's a pain. I know I drilled out a handful of rivets to redo them. It's harder to feel the set of the rivet with the proseal.

[mikehoover]

Yep that was a messy chore. I squeezed mine where I could. Cleco as many holes as you can and still be able to squeeze rivets. The squeezer wanted to slip off the greasy prosealed rivets a bunch, so it was a challenge.

[rvbuilder2002]

If you have (or have access too) a hand squeezer with a 1 1/2" yolk you can squeeze all of the cap flange rivets. You insert the squeezer through the filler hole from the bottom and rotate around the full circumference of the flange.

[pilot28906]

Thanks for the info and photos. Getting the skin flat is a bugger. What I thought would be a quick and easy job turned out to be time consuming. One flange down and one to go.