larrynew
Well Known Member
Tip: Solo Rivet Helper for Bottom Wing Skins
What to do when your helper has to cancel due to a trip to the emergency room (kidney stone - the delivery went well and dad's resting comfortably) and you're now working solo on the right bottom wing skins after having done the left with a partner? Oh, and the weather is sunny and mid 70's and I wasn't passing on this opportunity to spend the entire day building in shorts and a t-shirt after our stretch of Texas weather in the 20's!
The worst rivets for me were the ones on the rear spar, especially where the ribs are spaced closely under the wing walk doubler. Arms are plenty long but hands are too big to reach through the smaller lightning holes. Here's what I came up with. Took less than 15 minutes and was made from a 1.5 x 1.5 board I previously used on a tiling project. There's a hanger bolt in the end where the bucking bar holder attaches with a wing nut. It has a pin (finish nail) that keeps it from rotating if the wing nut loosens (It didn't through the entire inboard bottom skin). An easy twist of the board keeps consistent pressure and the shop heads were better than when I had a partner on the left wing. It only works on the rear spar rivets but I can reach all the others and was able to finish the inboard skin solo. Apologies to those that have already made one like this and posted it on their website. I read several builder websites and this forum never saw one like it. It's not as big as it looks in the picture. It fits easily through a lightning hole or access opening to remove and reattach in each bay.
What to do when your helper has to cancel due to a trip to the emergency room (kidney stone - the delivery went well and dad's resting comfortably) and you're now working solo on the right bottom wing skins after having done the left with a partner? Oh, and the weather is sunny and mid 70's and I wasn't passing on this opportunity to spend the entire day building in shorts and a t-shirt after our stretch of Texas weather in the 20's!
The worst rivets for me were the ones on the rear spar, especially where the ribs are spaced closely under the wing walk doubler. Arms are plenty long but hands are too big to reach through the smaller lightning holes. Here's what I came up with. Took less than 15 minutes and was made from a 1.5 x 1.5 board I previously used on a tiling project. There's a hanger bolt in the end where the bucking bar holder attaches with a wing nut. It has a pin (finish nail) that keeps it from rotating if the wing nut loosens (It didn't through the entire inboard bottom skin). An easy twist of the board keeps consistent pressure and the shop heads were better than when I had a partner on the left wing. It only works on the rear spar rivets but I can reach all the others and was able to finish the inboard skin solo. Apologies to those that have already made one like this and posted it on their website. I read several builder websites and this forum never saw one like it. It's not as big as it looks in the picture. It fits easily through a lightning hole or access opening to remove and reattach in each bay.
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