Dimple!

I have done both, and dimpling is the way to go when given the option. It is somewhat stronger and ls more consistent in appearance.
 
dimple or countersink?

DIMPLE...

.032 is thick enough to countersink, but you are obviously removing material when you do that. Dimpling is much stronger, and IMHO, better finish. ( I say this, because I just came in from the shop after bangin' a bunch of rivets into the skin. It is pretty elementary, if you have any previous sheet metal experience. But it is BORING :D

Once all the holes were drilled into the skin, and then drilled to the skeleton, it took about 5 hours to deburr everything, dimple skin and skeleton, and cleco to skeleton. I just put in one row of rivets tonight. They look sweet.

Hope this helps.

Gregg J. Brightwell
RV-4 emp.
drill, deburr, dimple, dimple, rivet.... drill deburr, dimple, dimple, rivet... lol
 
You could machine it, but...

.032 will have what's called a "knife edge" if you machine it deep enough for 3/32" rivets. I did my RV4 that way, and its been fine.

However, the 8 I'm doing now is dimpled, and seems to me its really the way to go. More beef around each rivet = more strength.
 
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