Skybolt Al

Skybolt Al

Well Known Member
I just finished hand squeezing all the dimples in the wing ribs and rear spars and my hands and forearms are killing me. My question is, is there this much squeezing on the fuselage to justify a pneumatic squeezer.

Ouch!
 
Pneumatic squeezer is worth its weight in gold.. :) You CAN'T have mine... I won't give it up.. ever..
 
I have a Cleaveland MainSqueeze hand squeezer and its not bad, but my pnuematic gets the most use by far--highly recommend one. But I rarely use either to dimple. For the majority of my dimpling I use my DRDT in-place of a c-frame.
 
Yes, but...

By the time I was finished I could crush small cars with my bare hands! :D

I set every rivet I could reach on my slow build with my Avery's squeezer. Only wimps use those fancy pneumatic squeezer thingies. :cool:

BTW, I would rather buy a second rivet gun before I bought a pneumatic squeezer. That way I would have both a 3x & 2x gun. Then, maybe I would look at one of those newfangled devices.

PS. I got to the point where I could squeez 470's single handed by the end of the project. I'm not sure that is still the case, two years later.
 
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If you took every tool in my shop, the pneumatic squeezer would be the last one to leave!
 
Also, a pneumatic cleco tool is a great thing to have when clecoing all of those wing skins. I broke down and bought one after my wings were done. Felt like I had tennis elbow in both arms. It was great to have while building the fuse! Sorry Bill, I wimped out. ;)
 
I would never build an RV without a pneumatic squeezer! The best luxury tool I ever bought for the build. The second best was the DRDT-2 which I sold after I had everything dimpled and recovered 90% of my cost to make it!
 
I don't need no stinkin pneumatic squeezer!

I have finished my tail cone and am quite far in to my wings now and still have yet to see the need for a pneumatic squeezer, in fact I have stayed away from one because most the "extra" holes people complain about have been because of the pneumatic squeezer. I put my "Main Squeeze" from cleaveland in a vice for most the squeezing I do and I just use the rivet gun for the rest.
 
With forearms like the ones you'll get from building, you won't need to wear a VAF t-shirt to ID yourself. Just be sure to operate the equipment with the other arm every now and then; else you'll be posting on the "heavy wing" forums in 3 years.:rolleyes:
 
jtrollin said:
I have finished my tail cone and am quite far in to my wings now and still have yet to see the need for a pneumatic squeezer, in fact I have stayed away from one because most the "extra" holes people complain about have been because of the pneumatic squeezer. I put my "Main Squeeze" from cleaveland in a vice for most the squeezing I do and I just use the rivet gun for the rest.
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Yup, the Amish don't see any need for anything but their horse and buggy for transportation. I certainly respect their decision and am impressed by their resolve. Same thing for those that build a complete airplane with a hand squeezer. I respect their decision and am impressed by their resolve. I had Avery delete the hand squeezer when I bought my tool kit and have no hand squeezed rivets in my now flying RV-7A. Wouldn't do it any other way.
 
Avery Manual Squeeze Tool & Bench "C" Tool

I did all my dimpling with these tools and wouldn't even think about a pneumatic squeezer but I'm sure it is a great tool if that work is a challenge for you. Get what you need to feel good about the tasks you have to do. That is more important than one would imagine.

Bob Axsom
 
For those that want to do it the hard way.. More power to you!

Heck, you don't even really need any squeezer!

There are those that go the "Woodwright's Shop" method and there are those that go with the the "New Yankee Workshop" method.

I prefer the later! :p

There is plenty of hard work left in a build that will fill the void that the luxury of the pneumatic squeezer and the DRDT-2 creates..
 
My squeezer is used only to set rivets.

jtrollin said:
I have finished my tail cone and am quite far in to my wings now and still have yet to see the need for a pneumatic squeezer, in fact I have stayed away from one because most the "extra" holes people complain about have been because of the pneumatic squeezer.
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I never use my pneumatic squeezer to dimple. ALL my dimpling is done with either vice-grip dimpler or pop-rivet dimpler.
Ann & I have built quite a few airplanes and never punched an extra hole while dimpling.
 
Main Squeezer

I have the Main Squeeze and DRDT-2 to do all the dimpling and they work great, but my real secret is that I use my other "main squeeze," the wife (and a kid or two) to do the massive dimpling. I don't think she's pneumatic, although a lot of air comes out her mouth from time to time (she's a singer).
 
Contrarian . . .

I bought a Pneu squeezer mid project and found it's only value FOR ME is squeezing 470-4's. Otherwise, it's big, bulky and heavy.

My lightly used clone by Avery will be available soon.

My tungsten bucking bar, now THAT one is a keeper/game changer.

Rick 90432 wiring
 
Pneumatic squeeze

It is not really about what is easier. It is about what gives the best results.
;)
I find that I can do a much better job in many places with the pneumatic squeezer, and would buy another in a heart-beat. Get several sets of jaws, they all have a purpose. See if the jaws are interchangeable with the hand set. This is a good idea I wish I had done from the start. Get the adjustable insert to save time. The washers sets are way too time consuming for me. Plan to use the rivet gun just as much as you ever did. Squeezers don't reach everywhere.
 
I'm just basically a tool-whore, I got a 2x and 3x rivet gun, a DRDT-2, AND a pneumatic squeezer with 3 yokes. Like Mel, I'll fight you for that pneumatic squeezer any day, it's got to be my most-loved convenience tool.
 
I have a pneumatic squeezer and used it for my build. In fact, I don't have a hand squeezer.

Your forearms *will* get tired while using the pneumatic squeezer too...but mostly because of the weight. If you've never used one, pneumatic squeezers are HEAVY.

The trick (shown to me by Mike "Kahuna" Stewart") is to clamp the squeezer yoke in a vice with the squeezer upside down when you're doing long rows of dimpling (i.e. ribs) or you're riveting small parts.

You can actually get foot operated switch to drive the plunger which would make this situation ideal, but I've never used one.
 
If you have any arthritis or tendonitis you would greatly benefit from a pneumatic squeezer. My arms and hands were killing me before I got the pneu. squeezer. I only punched one extra hole out of 12,000 or so. I used it a lot for dimpling too.
 
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my .02

I don't have a Pnu squeezer. Don't plan on getting one.
Don't have a pnu Cleco tool. Don't plan on getting one.
Don't have a pnu drill. Don't plan on getting one. Electric drill is working just fine.


I am willing to accept any of the above as gifts. :D
 
Brantel said:
I would never build an RV without a pneumatic squeezer! The best luxury tool I ever bought for the build. The second best was the DRDT-2 which I sold after I had everything dimpled and recovered 90% of my cost to make it!
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And I put your DRDT-2 to good use :D I think I'm done with it though... so it will probably be finding a new home soon...
 
jcaplins said:
I don't have a Pnu squeezer. Don't plan on getting one.
Don't have a pnu Cleco tool. Don't plan on getting one.
Don't have a pnu drill. Don't plan on getting one. Electric drill is working just fine.


I am willing to accept any of the above as gifts. :D
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I didn't think I needed one until I got one. I wish I had done it from the beginning. Makes really nice looking rivets, all exactly alike. Get one with an adjustable set.

These tools make the most amazingly good looking dimples.

From the entries in this thread, I wonder if there are builders out there using only hand-powered tools and working by candlelight.

By the way, my wife never showed any interest in helping me with this project until I needed her to squeeze rivets while I held a part. She loved the PSSSHT sound, and now she insists on helping out when there is any squeezing to do. Go figure.
 
I'm glad to see all the satisfied DRDT and pneumatic squeezer customers. I am currently gathering tools and picked up a squeezer, with a couple of yokes and a bunch of dies on Craigslist. I am also building a DRDT-2.

I have never built a plane before, but I used to work at Cessna and have seen it done. The production guys and gals all used pneumatic squeezers, so I thought it might be a good idea to get one of those. I am building the DRDT just because I can and it looks cool.
 
I pretty much agree with TOAD. I built the six without a pneumatic squeezer. Dimpling was easy, as was setting AD3 rivets. AD4s tended to make my hands hurt a bit, but I work out because I play bass, so it wasn't a huge problem. (I also set my spar rivets with a 5 lb hammer and the C-frame.) However, I found a hand squeezer to be unwieldy and it was really easy to tip a rivet if I wasn't extremely careful. I have since gotten a pneumatic squeezer and find that it does extremely pretty rivets without much effort. I still use hand squeezer to dimple. Bottom line: I like both my squeezers and can't see building without one or the other.
 
Lionclaw said:
And I put your DRDT-2 to good use :D I think I'm done with it though... so it will probably be finding a new home soon...
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Glad to hear that it has worked out.. You have really made a ton of progress! Makes one wonder how many builders may get to use that thing over the next 20 years????
 
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