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prkaye

Well Known Member
Does anyone else find that on some rivets the margin between a rivet being too high and being too flat (according to the rivet gauge) is almost nonexistent? For example, I find that on some of the empennage skin-to-rib rivets, when I use my pneumatic squeezer with some number of washers the rivets are just a smidgen too flat (over-squeezed) according to the rivet gauge. But if I take just one washer out of the squeezer, they come out under-set (again according to the rivet gauge). In these cases I err on the side of slightly over-setting the rivet.
 
I agree with Steve. I worked with the washers for the entire empennage. What a pain! I broke down and spent the $70 or whatever for the adjustable, and never looked back. IT IS WORTH THE DOUGH!!
 
now it's just a matter of finding the right adjustable set for my squeezer... I'll look at my squeezer documentation when I get home and maybe you guys can recommend a good one for me...
 
I think they are all pretty much standard. If you have the 214 style squeezer, the ones from Cleveland, Avery, The Yard, etc...work.
 
Mine Came with different washers

My squeezer came with a set of washers with different thicknesses.

I spent about 25 rivets worth of time changing them to get the right stackup and then had enough and called Avery for an adjustable set holder. Never looked back.

Call Avery and tell them what you have and they will hook you up with the right adjustable set holder for your unit.
 
prkaye said:
.....I find that on some of the empennage skin-to-rib rivets, when I use my pneumatic squeezer with some number of washers the rivets are just a smidgen too flat......if I take just one washer out of the squeezer, they come out under-set......
Click to expand...
Use a combination of thick and thin steel washers as required.
 
Or use the correct parts....

Rick6a said:
Use a combination of thick and thin steel washers as required.
Click to expand...

Or you could use the correct shims made for the job..... :)

http://www.usatco.com/squeezer_sets_25.asp

They come as thin as 1/64 thick (half of a thin AN washer), and note that they have a bevelled edge on one side. This helps the shim sit correctly since the "pin" to rivet set body is not a sharp corner.... it is radiused for strength.

gil in Tucson
 
Oversmashing is better than under-smashing

In the end, I wouldn't drill out those rivets just because they are a tad oversmashed. Now if they are WAY oversmashed, then I'd consider replacement. If you have to err on one side or the other, err on the side of over-smashing.
 
cjensen said:
I think they are all pretty much standard. If you have the 214 style squeezer, the ones from Cleveland, Avery, The Yard, etc...work.
Click to expand...


I have a CP-214 (i.e., a real one built by Chicago) - the Avery adjustable set didn't fit. Bob Avery replaced it with a different model that worked fine.
 
There is another, cheaper and simpler solution- throw away your rivet gauge.

The commonly available rivet gauges are not based on the true minimum size for an acceptable rivet, per the Mil-Spec on riveting. I suspect that thousands of perfectly acceptable rivets have been drilled out over the years, because they didn't pass according to the gauge.

This is something I demonstrate on every initial tech counselor visit that I do (just did it yesterday, in fact.) Use a dial caliper to accurately measure the height and diameter of the shop head, and compare it against the table in the Mil-Spec. Then compare that against the rivet gauge. The results will surprise you. Did you know that a 3/32 and 1/8 rivet can both have shop heads of the same height (.050") and be within acceptable limits?

http://home.flash.net/~gila/rivet_spec/rivet_a.htm
 
New web link to rivet specs.

sprucemoose said:
There is another, cheaper and simpler solution- throw away your rivet gauge.

...snip....

http://home.flash.net/~gila/rivet_spec/rivet_a.htm
Click to expand...

Jeff,
Thanks for the link to my old web site.
However, I haven't paid flash.net for over 5 years and don't know how much longer the link will be valid... :)

The new location is

home.earthlink.net/~gilalex

Please use this new link....

Your comments above about drilling out OK rivets are the exact reason I copied the MIL-Spec and made it available to builders. I'm glad to see you are using it as intended.... :)

gil in Tucson
 
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Gil,

I copied that link right from Van's Links page, so you might want to update them.

The date on my printed copy is 10-13-99 and it is pretty dog-eared and stained.
 
Rivet Tolerances

You might try going to the link below and clicking on the August 2003 Newsletter. I wrote an article back then (starts on page 11) on Tolerances, specifically referencing the tolerances of rivets themselves, which no one really talks about. It might well explain what you're experiencing and provide some insight into different contributing factors.

http://rvimg.com/SoCalNewsletters/

Blue Skies!

Fred W. Kunkel
CLEAR AIR TOOLS
www.clearairtools.com
 
Probably

prkaye said:
are my rivet sets for the squeezer the ".187 shank" size?
Click to expand...

Phil... just measure the diameter of the "pin" on the bottom of a rivet set...

Most of the ones RV builders use are 0.187 (3/16) ... but I did see a surplus one at 1/4...

gil in Tucson
 
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