Av8torTom

Well Known Member
Does anyone have a good way to dimple these last two holes in an RV-9 flap rib? On the other flap I spread the rib flange and slipped in a pop-rivet dimple die, but that was a pain.
2e9ba026.jpg


Thanks,

Tom
 
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From a heavy steel chunk I fabricated an extended flat pointy thing. Then drilled the point 3/32, countersunk it, inserted in that tight spot and used rivet gun with proper die. You can just smack a used die (even a rivet) with a hammer into it too. A deburring rotating bit will finish the dimple to perfect fit.

I may still have that contraption need to look.
 
Genious

Such an elegant solution. I drilled a #40 hole in some steel stock, machine countersunk it, then hammered a male dimple die into the countersunk hole. Worked great! Thanks Vlad....

Countersunk hole in steel bar:
2398775f.jpg


Male die in hole:
8506f39e.jpg


Resulting dimples:
4c5247ee.jpg
 
Tight Fit Dimpling Fixture

I came up with this tool a few years ago as a better solution to bending stems on a pop rivet die, or using the vise grip type. Both don't really give enough compression to activate the springback feature of the dies. The countersink in the strap works but still lacks the springback. Quality of the substructure dimples and squareness of flanges is important in this area due to the thin skins.

DIE4263DF-Large.jpg

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

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Such an elegant solution. I drilled a #40 hole in some steel stock, machine countersunk it, then hammered a male dimple die into the countersunk hole. Worked great! Thanks Vlad....

Countersunk hole in steel bar:
2398775f.jpg


Male die in hole:
8506f39e.jpg


Resulting dimples:
4c5247ee.jpg

New builder here and late to the game, but thought this might help someone. I was researching how to better dimple in narrow spaces and found this post. I made the same counter sunk dimple "die" out of a steel plate, but made the end more pointy. I kept getting smiley faces in the metal using a rivet gun. What ended up working for me was to use the no-hole yoke in my hand squeezer and the male dimple die in the set holder. It takes three hands, but slide the flat side of the no hole yoke under the steel plate, male die through the hole and squeeze. I'm just working on the rudder and all that might not fit later on, but so far so good.
 
Nothing as far as I'm concerned. I just don't have one. I have it on my Avery's wish list, but haven't ordered it because I didn't know for sure that it would fit. The piece of steel was scrap that the shop gave me when they cut my back riveting plate. I was just trying to figure out how to use what I already had.