[steve wyman]

This may be a dumb question, but I'll ask it anyway. About every 100 rivets or so, as I work my way through the infamous box of 10,000, I come across a rivet with a bent mandrel. They are always bent the same way- 45 degree bend, about halfway up the mandrel- so this is something that occurs during the manufacturing process, I'm sure. My question is this- does anybody in the group see any problem with bending the mandrel back straight and then pulling the rivet, as per usual? My only concern is that the mandrel might have been weakened in the bending, and then might break off prematurely, thus not setting the rivet properly. Anyone's thoughts on the subject would be appreciated. Steve

 

[Rick S.]

Well I'm not building a -12 but....rivets are cheap, here's the scenario I see, when using a blind rivet that you fixed the mandrel on. It MAY or it MAY not break at the point below the surface...50/50 chance. IF it breaks above, your drilling out a rivet, not a AN solid rivet but an aluminum housed shanked rivet that don't like to come out as easy like a solid one does (yeah right) and is apt to deform your original drilled hole or spin round and round while you practice Sailor talk, why take the chance at all for 20 cents? ...My opinion is toss the bent ones, it's not worth drilling out if it goes bad. Do you RV-12 guys have a version of the opps rivet? I suspect if there was, it would show up easier than the solid opps rivet because the head would be larger due the larger barrel of the next sized up rivet.

 

[RGaines]

Bent rivet

I tossed the bent ones. If it broke at the fixed bend it would be a mess getting out. I am hoping that the last good rivet in the box goes in the last hole that needs riveting. If not, I am sure the manufacturer would love to sell me more.

 

[MartySantic]

1st Set of Pulled Rivets

When I pulled my 4th rivet, the head of the rivet came off. Just pushed the shank of the rivet thru the hole and replaced it. Any ideas why this had happened. I am using the Avery pneumatic rivet puller. As I completed Section 13 (Spar Assembly), it did not happen again. Any ideas?

..marty

 

[Mich48041]

Over sized rivets

As long as the rivet mandrels do not break where bent, there is no harm in using them. But why not use the good rivets first? I heard someplace that Van sends a full box of 10,000 rivets because it is cheaper than opening a full box and counting out the exact number needed for the RV-12 and boxing them up again. The problem that I am having is that 10 percent of the rivets are over sized and will not easily go into the holes. I hate to fight with a rivet trying to get it through two layers of aluminum, only to discover that the rivet is too big. So I inspect every rivet before using them. If they do not drop easily into a #30 hole in a single-layer, then I separate and save them. If I run out of rivets at the end of the project, then I might consider using the rejected rivets. Or I might send them back to Vans and ask for replacements.
Joe

 

[Gandalf]

IF it breaks above, your drilling out a rivet, not a AN solid rivet but an aluminum housed shanked rivet that don't like to come out as easy like a solid one does (yeah right) and is apt to deform your original drilled hole or spin round and round while you practice Sailor talk

Rick... Having now removed a _number_ of pulled rivets I have the dubious honor of being proficient at this task. I only drilled through one rivet and I did not enlarge the hole since I used a #31 drill bit. Thanks to Jeffs Blog (lawspud) I learned about the spring punch. Before the spring punch I kept messing up when I practiced removing rivets. I pretty much felt as you do, but with the spring punch, a #31 drill bit and wooden board with a hole in it, I had no mess ups. The trick is to grind the pointed side of the spring punch so that it just punches the steel mandrel a bit inward. Then grind the other side of the punch so that it just fits through a #30 hole and is just long enough to drive out the rivet just like a pin punch. Place the rivet over the hole in the board if possible and punch in the mandrel until it does not interfere with the #31 drill. Then carefully and slowly drill the rivet head until it can be broken off with the drill tip or the pin side of the punch. Then punch out the remaining rivet. Sometimes the shop head will remain attached to the back piece of three pieces of aluminum. Just leave it until all the rivets are out and the back piece comes free.

Removing rivets with a broken mandrel is a bit more challenging. I used a dremel to grind the mandrel flush and then used multiple punches with the spring punch to drive in the remaining mandrel.

If the rivet spins, Avery does make a pulled rivet tool that secures the manufactured head while drilling, but I did not need to use it.

I do recommend placing the manufactured head on the thinner sheet of two sheets, since if you do a mess up, you will mess up the thinner sheet which is usually easier to replace. Vans service is great so if you do mess up, just order the piece and it will show up pronto and at a very fair price. No price gouging!

Jeff