bend it

It may not be the "approved" way, but the only way I could do it was with a little bend andvice grip dimple pliers. After I bent it back, it looks like I was a pro! I suppose you could countersink it, but in my non engineer opinion, that would make it weaker than the slight bend needed to dimple.

Have fun with the build, I sure am.
rockwood
 
Funny you should ask... we just happen to have a tool to do just that :)

http://www.cleavelandtoolstore.com/prodinfo.asp?number=DIE4263DF

Van's tells you to just bend it open, dimple it, and bend it back closed, but this keeps things from stretching under those this skins.

You can see the tool in action on EAAs website here:
http://bcove.me/b6ck7qt6

and while I would not call what he shows a 'perfect dimple', it is very hard to do nice work in front of a camera while still staying out of the camera's way. The female die in the fixture does have springback angles built in, so if using it correctly with a male die in the rivet gun (or just the c-frame ram) the skin will come out perfectly flat.

Other, less buy it now methods, are found here:
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=40534&highlight=die4263df


-Mike
 
Pop rivet dimple dies is one way. You'll have to slightly bend the flanges open, and/or bend the nail a bit:
DSCN3164.JPG


I got a cleaner dimple by taping the female pop rivet dimple die to my no-hole yoke, with the male tank die in the squeezer. Only the aft most hole in the elevator root and tip ribs required slight spreading.
DSCN3217.JPG


If you don't have pop rivet dies, get one of Mike's tools.
 
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