Riveting Assistance

[pavonijr]

I'm just starting work on the tail of my RV-8 and I'm trying to teach myself how to rivet on a few scrap pieces of aluminum - I'm having a few issues that I would love some advice on if there is some to be had:

1. The universal rivets are setting nicely on the "shop head" side of the metal, however on the "factory head" side of the rivet I am putting a horseshoe dent in the metal itself on a fairly consistent basis. The only things I can think of is that the rivet set is potentially the wrong size (although it looks correct), or the pressure in the gun is too high.

Any suggestions?

[apkp777]

Keep relatively even pressure on the bucking bar and the rivet gun. What you are getting are called "smiley faces". Welcome to the world of sheetmetal. You'll get the hang of it I promise.

[OceanBob]

Practice shooting 50 rivets in scrap before doing the tail work. People recommend doing 50 rivets a day for 10 days before getting proficient.

Look at these videos..and GOOD LUCK..!

http://aeropunk.com/tags/riveting/

Bob

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

Get in the habit of counting 1-2 after you shoot a rivet BEFORE you take the gun off.

The mistake a lot of people make when they rivet by themselves is putting equal pressure on both the bucking bar and the gun...as if they're trying to squeeze the rivet. Don't do that.

Most of the pressure is on the gun side...the bucking bar...preferably cradled in your hand (having your fingertips extent around it allow you to keep it centered on the shop head... has enough pressure to keep it table on the shop head, but you're using the bar to form the head.

Keep just enough pressure on the bucking bar to keep it stable and against the head...but as you shoot, it's going to come off slightly before your pressure pushes it back onto the shop head....the rat-a-tat action forms the head.

All the while you keep pressure on the gun so it DOESN'T come off the head. When it does, that's when you get smileys.

Also make sure you're not using too much pressure.

You also don't have to blast it like a machine gun. You could do it slowly with a couple of taps at a time.

[Vlad]

Well explained Bob.

One more thing to add - the parts you are riveting have to be stable. Clamp them to a firm surface (workbench), make them stable by any means then rivet.

[AltonD]

Start with 40# of air for a universal rivet (2X gun). 35# for a 3-3.5 flush rivet. 1/8" set is all you will need for universal rivets on a vans kit.

[8CW]

In addition to what others have offered, I would recommend getting some of these...

http://www.browntool.com/Default.asp...&ProductID=100

I see you are in Goldsboro. Do you ever get over Winston-Salem? If so, feel free to drop in and I'll be happy to help you out with it.

[flion]

Bob had a lot of great advice. What I found, in addition, is that it is difficult to do supported work by myself. If I must, I try to support the work in a vice or clamp as close to the rivet as possible, but standing 90 degrees to the work makes it difficult to keep the gun aligned. For preference, like riveting small parts, I clamp the bucking bar in a vice and manage the part in one hand while riveting downward with the gun, similar to back-riveting. Better still, it's a two person job, so that one person can keep the bar in position (without, as Bob noted, supplying undo pressure; let the gun do the work) and the other can concentrate on keeping the gun in position and alignment. After building the -6A, I can finally say I'm starting to get good riveting universal-head rivets - better late than never, eh? - but I still have had to drill out a few as I've worked on the -10. Just when I'm getting cocky and relaxed it seems I screw one up.

[aturner]

I've begun using the snap-socs, and found that they really help keep the gun stable on the rivet. Love em. Also, I had to touch up my set on the scotchbrite wheel, it was ground just a bit too deep and would almost always leave a smiley, before I fixed it up.

[pavonijr]

Thanks to all for the quick help and the websites. I managed to get a bunch set without the smilies and feel a lot better going into the actual plane - i'll keep practicing - thanks