Hi, all.
I'm a couple of months into my RV-14A empennage build and am working on the rudder. I was dimpling one of the skins today with my DRDT-2 and while I was moving between holes in the trailing edge the handle came down on it's own and made an indentation on the skin. I didn't touch the handle or put any pressure on it, so the dent was just from the handle closing on it's own.
Pics attached. Again, this is in the trailing edge. I've sent pics to Van's builder support but figured I'd also ask the hive mind (and share Van's answer when I get it). Build on? The dimple is smooth and even and there was no skin penetration. It doesn't look like there are any hard creases in the dimple. Since this is in the trailing edge and will be backed by the extrusion and I don't think this part of the skin is going to see significant stresses, I figure I'm OK to continue.
I was considering trying to flatten the skin back out- gently. Either by very gently applying the dimple dies partially in the opposite direction, or by using a flat set of padded duckbill pliers as a sort of seamer to flatten it. Or both...
Thoughts?
I'm a couple of months into my RV-14A empennage build and am working on the rudder. I was dimpling one of the skins today with my DRDT-2 and while I was moving between holes in the trailing edge the handle came down on it's own and made an indentation on the skin. I didn't touch the handle or put any pressure on it, so the dent was just from the handle closing on it's own.
Pics attached. Again, this is in the trailing edge. I've sent pics to Van's builder support but figured I'd also ask the hive mind (and share Van's answer when I get it). Build on? The dimple is smooth and even and there was no skin penetration. It doesn't look like there are any hard creases in the dimple. Since this is in the trailing edge and will be backed by the extrusion and I don't think this part of the skin is going to see significant stresses, I figure I'm OK to continue.
I was considering trying to flatten the skin back out- gently. Either by very gently applying the dimple dies partially in the opposite direction, or by using a flat set of padded duckbill pliers as a sort of seamer to flatten it. Or both...
Thoughts?