[tkatc]

So I joined the smiley club today. Doing my first rivets with a gun instead of a squeezer on the rib of the HS. I was very careful and moving along. The rivets were sitting flush and looked pretty good. I was feeling very proud of myself when the next to the last rivet wouldn't set completely. Not sure if I couldn't get the bar seated properly or what but I decided to give it some umphh to get it set properly. Perfect! The shop head formed nicely...then, I looked up and discovered the gun had strayed. A small dent, a smiley, and particularly disappointing because it now made the rivet stand proud as the skin was dented beneath the rim of the rivet.

I drilled out the rivet and tried working the dent out with a large screwdiver. This worked somewhat but it also flattened the dimple as I was prying between the rib and skin. At this point I figured leave it alone until you get some expert advice. I don't have a picture just yet...maybe later tonight. I suppose this is a typical experience in RV building...but it still sucks. Even if I decide to press on, how do I re-dimple a skin that already is riveted? There is no way to get a squeezer in there, of any kind.

 

[Mike S]

You can re-dimple it with the same dies you used the first time around.

You can drill a hole in the end of a piece of round stock to hold one of the dies,---I used a brass drive about 3/" x 6"---and another hole in something heavy that will fit in under the bottom area, to hold the other half of the dimple die set.

Have a helper hold the piece on the underside, with the female die in place, and using the round stock like a center punch, you hit it gently with a hammer on the top side of the dimple.

Hope this makes sense----almost as easy to do as it is to describe.

 

[AJ85WA]

Pop rivet Diple Die

You can always use one of these pop rivet style dimple dies. I found it a must have in my tool collection
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=28965&page=2

You will have many moments like these through the build, You prob wont even notice most of them at the end Like everybody always says....Build on

 

[Andrew M]

Old school dimpling

I have a bucking bar that has a female "dimple" drilled and countersunk into it. It is used just for you situation. Place a rivet in the hole, hit it with a flat set to re-dimple, then set the rivet. It's not "perfect" but it's perfect enough for a few fasteners and the end result usually looks really good.

 

[tkatc]

Ahhh!! I have some of those pop rivet dimple dies! I will have to look and see if it is the correct size but I believe it is. I assume you can orient the dies in a manner in which I can use the pop rivet squeezer on the outer part of the skin? That would be awesome!!

Now...how about minimizing the damaged skin. I think I may be able to work it flat enough...Should I sand it or scotch brite it to remove the "lips" of the smiley?

 

[Phil]

Pop Rivet Dimple Die gets by vote. But it looks like others beat me to it.

Dimple it and see if the skin falls back into position.

Phil

 

[Bill.Peyton]

Unless you do not plan on painting... Drive on. Believe me, paint will cover it nicely. Sometimes you can do more damage trying to fix it. I assume you are using rivet tape to hold the rivet in. If not, use a little masking tape on the head of the rivet, it is less slippery than the bare metal. Just make sure you don't hide the rivet with t he tape and miss driving it on the center.

 

[rzbill]

Pop rivet dimple dies are gold incarnate.

There were a handful of times that nothing else would do the job.

There were even some times that the dimple dies themselves, sans nail, in a no-hole squeezer or some other Rube Goldberg setup was the trick.

Don't loose them.

 

[tkatc]

Pictures as promised...
Here is the top side. Looks pretty good IMO.

Here is where it got ugly...

 

[Mike S]

Should I sand it or scotch brite it to remove the "lips" of the smiley?

The skin is pretty thin on the tail feathers, I would be very careful with trying to smooth it by removing material.

 

[pierre smith]

Fret not.

At 7,500' and 200 TAS, no one will know

Best,

 

[Bill.Peyton]

I would not try to continue to hammer it out, you can only cause more damage. If it makes you feel better not to look at it, after the new rivet is installed, fill it with JB weld, or strand reenforced filler, then sand the filler and prime. As Mike said, the skin is thin and if you cause a crack or sand through you will be replacing the skin. You will never see this once painted.

 

[longranger]

Tony,

That smiley looks like a golf ball dimple to me. Myth Busters proved that dimples will make you go faster!

 

[Vlad]

Now I can see it you have to order second empennage kit. Lindy no more

 

[tkatc]

With the advice given here I pried the dent out just a tad more, then used the pop rivet dimpler to reshape the dimple and set a new rivet.
This picture makes the dent look worse than it is because of the reflection.

Not too bad!

Thanks for all the advice. Time to build on! As my Russian friend (who wont visit me for assistance) would say..."Painter will fix it!!"

 

[tmbg]

It might be your first, but it's unlikely to be your last. Build on!