Flyguytki

Flyguytki

Well Known Member
So after using my squeezer all day today, I go to put my 3rd -7 rivet in the rear spar on the Vertical Stabilizer, and the set does not retract all the way. Turns out the shaft had actually compressed in the yoke gap making it larger, not allowing it to retract back into the yoke. Now the problem is how do I get it out of the yoke. Only way I can think of is to cut it just below where it compressed allowing me to get both dies and the yoke back into service. Put a real bummer on the night...... Has this every happened to anyone??
I will call Ishams tommorow to see what they think......

-david
 
You may want to look a bit further

You may not have expanded the adjustable set shaft, but instead bent it. It'd probably bind the same way.

You may need a new adjustable set, but I doubt it's Isham's fault. You may try to see if they'll eat the cost, but if it mic's out the same throughout its length I'd venture to guess that it's just bent. A bent yoke could cause the adjustable set to experience a bit of a side load and will bend an adjustable set. Well, any set could bend really.

If you want to get it back in service, try to find out which way it bent, adjust the set so that the inside of the bend is closest to the closed end of the yoke and see if you can bend it straight enough to pull the adjustable set out the bottom... then you can get to fixing the yoke.


Now on to fixing yokes...

You can re-set the gap on the yoke if it get's bent open.
I've had to do re-close a couple of times now on my 3 inch yoke. I'm sure there's a little operator error on my part, but I use the thing a bunch. I chalk it up to "the cost of doing business"

When the gap widens, rivets start to tip, and if I'm using the squeezer to dimple holes-- they too don't turn out as nice. If I look closely at the witness marks that are present on the skins from where the dies touch them, I can see that they are half-round and only present on the side closest the closed end of the yoke.

Remove the yoke from the squeezer and remove the adjustable set. Then you can put it in a vise and squeeze it closed, or it comes out even better if you use a hydraulic press. There is some spring-back so you have to over squeeze it a touch.

If you don't want any marks on the yoke (mine have marks on them and I don't care) you can put some alluminum bar stock on both sides of the yoke where you are squeezing it back together.

You only have to squeeze the very ends of the yoke at the open end. Don't try squeezing the entire yoke... but then you probably already knew that. I thought for shi_ simplicity that I should add that though.

If you really need pictures, PM me and I'll snap a couple.
 
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Thanks for the heads up on the bent yoke part, I ended up fixing it enough to get it back into working condition. What I did was put it in the end of a drill and spun it while holding a file against it. This allowed it to take enough metal off that it will now fit through the yoke again. It was not a whole lot so im not worried about the structural integrity of it so I will see if it will works tommorow. Thanks again!
-david
 
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