RVG8tor

RVG8tor

Well Known Member
What sequence do you recommend for riveting on the turtle deck?

When I clecoed it on to drill it I had to do a few of the bulkhead holes at the very top working down before I could get the side holes to line up. I am thinking of starting in the middle on the sides then working forward and aft, then doing the bulkheads as some of the sides are done. My thought is the sides are the most rigid and the bullhead flanges will flex when riveted so I should not get any distortions.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, this will be my holiday weekend project.

Cheers
 
Turtledeck

I clecoed mine in place (including the shoulder harness attach plates, etc.).

Began riveting at the top of the forward bulkhead. Worked my way down to the upper longeron then followed the longeron aft to the next bulkhead. Started again at the center of that bulkhead, then down to the longeron, etc.

Doing it this way ensured a good tight fit where the turtledeck skin touches the side skins and turned out nice.

Don't forget to give your bucking partner a break-it's tight in there!

Good luck,
Mike
 
I HAVE NOT RIVETED MY ON YET BUT HAS ANY BODY BACKRIVETED THE UPPER TURTLE DECK ON A 8 IF SO HOW DID IT COME OUT?
 
Also curious

I am also curious about this, right now I plan to have my wife on the rivet gun (it will be her first time) and I will drag my 250 lb but in the fuselage. The back riveting idea I have heard about but don't know if there are any perils involved. I have the big round bucking support I hear is used for this type of riveting from Avery. My wife might be more comfortable just holding the back rivet bar rather than running the gun.

RV8MW said:
I HAVE NOT RIVETED MY ON YET BUT HAS ANY BODY BACKRIVETED THE UPPER TURTLE DECK ON A 8 IF SO HOW DID IT COME OUT?
Click to expand...
 
MIKE,

I BACKRIVETED THE BOTTOM SKINS THEY CAME OUT GREAT. I ALSO BACKRIVETED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITH GOOD RESULTS BUT THERE IS LOTS OF CURVES ON THE TOP SKINS, I KNOW SOMEONE OUT THERE HAS TRIED IT. MAYBE SOMEONE WILL TONE IN AND LET US KNOW HOW IT WENT.
 
Mike, I finished mine a couple of weeks ago and

started by riveting every other hole. The rivet sequence was somewhat analagous to the one the builder's book recommends for the wing panel. I began at the rear (smallest) bulkhead, top center, alternating on either side. Then moving fwd on the laterals in a similar leap-frog pattern. The rational of working from rear fwd was that as the skin had more expansion room as you get to the larger bulkheads.

I don't have a clue as to whether my rationale actually had an effect on the outcome but the riveting came out damned near perfect (acutally it was perfect but it's poor for to call your work perfect).
Don
 
I backriveted just about the entire deal with wifey holding a small bucking bar and me the gun. Even though she weighs about 105lbs I couldn't convince her to go inside even after much bribery with a shopping spree for shoes at the mall! I didn't follow any predetermined sequence.
 
Turn off the CAPS lock...no biggie.

BTW, perfect timing on this post...this will be happening in my garage very soon!

Joe
 
Update

Thanks for all of the input. My wife and I have been worked on the turtle deck yesterday and we are 2 thirds of the way through. I like the suggestion of starting at the aft end and working forward and that seems to be working great.

We back riveted the longeron rivets and used the flush set with bucking bar on the bulkheads. The radius on the two aft bulkheads do not allow you to get the back-rivet set on there easily and on the 809 bulkhead I have my remote compass bracket.

The other bullheads I can sort of get the back river set on there but the retainer spring on the gun hits the bulkhead and the curve made it a little harder to keep the set straight, so after shanking over a rivet we went back to the flush set and bucking bar.

Back-riveting the longeron rivets goes very fast and the shop heads are nearly perfect each time. Thanks everyone for the inputs, on to the canopy rails!
 
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DIY curved back riveting plates

RVG8tor said:
snipped The radius on the two aft bulkheads do not allow you to get the back-rivet set on there easily and on the 809 bulkhead I have my remote compass bracket.

The other bullheads I can sort of get the back river set on there but the retainer spring on the gun hits the bulkhead and the curve made it a little harder to keep the set straight, so after shanking over a rivet we went back to the flush set and bucking bar. snipped
Click to expand...

Mike,
I fabricated a very nice curved back riveting plate for those rear bulkhead rivets. I cut it out of the rear brake drum of an F350 Ford pick up. The radius was to small to use it further forward. I managed to liberate an old heavy equipment trailer brake drum [20+" in diameter] to fabricate another plate for those. I still have what is left of that drum. :cool:
Charlie
 
Clever

Charlie,

Very clever idea, my issue was with the rivet gun, the back rivet set was not long enough so the spring on the gun hit the bulkhead rim, so we just switched to the flush set and I bucked. I like how it turned out, this was the first riveting my wife had done so it was kind of fun. I am not sure I will convince her to do anymore though.

Cheers


chaskuss said:
Mike,
I fabricated a very nice curved back riveting plate for those rear bulkhead rivets. I cut it out of the rear brake drum of an F350 Ford pick up. The radius was to small to use it further forward. I managed to liberate an old heavy equipment trailer brake drum [20+" in diameter] to fabricate another plate for those. I still have what is left of that drum. :cool:
Charlie
Click to expand...
 
DIY tight quarters set retainer

RVG8tor said:
Charlie,

Very clever idea, my issue was with the rivet gun, the back rivet set was not long enough so the spring on the gun hit the bulkhead rim, so we just switched to the flush set and I bucked. I like how it turned out, this was the first riveting my wife had done so it was kind of fun. I am not sure I will convince her to do anymore though.

Cheers
Click to expand...

Mike
Jody Edwards, my RV building guru, showed me a trick that professional aircraft mechanics use to avoid damage from the "bee hive" spring used to hold the set in the gun. Often times you have limited space where the standard bee hive or even the light weight spring will do damage. Jody made a simple retaining system out of an old bungie cord and 2 wire ties. One end of the bungie is wrapped around the air hose fitting at the base of the rivet gun. The other end is looped so that it fits snugly over the shaft of the rivet set. Both loops are held using the 2 wire ties. Make the bungie so that the cord is under tension when the set is in the gun.
He also said to wrap the threaded area on the nose of the gun with duct tape to prevent scratches from the sharp edges of the nose.
I don't have any photos of this mod. I'll take some tomorrow at my shop and post them. I'm including 2 photos of the curved back riveting plate.

curvesurfacebackrivetin.jpg


donortruckbrakedrumforc.jpg


Charlie
 
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