rjcthree

rjcthree

Well Known Member
Advice, please!

It looks like I can back rivet the j-stiffeners to the upper wing skins on the table. I mocked it up with clecos, and can get the overlap to mesh fine. ANyone see any issues with this? It helps to pre-assemble the wing walk doubler too!

I have a Avery edge roller/bender. Has anyone used it to bend skin edges at the spar and mating areas to get a little tighter fit?

Thanks!

Rick 90432
Skins alodined, RH LE riveted to spar, tanks on the way! Flaps and ailerons CPL.
 
Hi Rick-
Re: the edge bending... I used it on all of my lap joints and butt joints throughout the plane. I think it helps keep those seams a little tighter. However, the Avery edge roller can do a lot of damage really quick if you lose concentration for even a second. I use the Cleaveland vice-grip edge roller that is pretty much idiot proof. Regardless, if you're good with the edge former you've got, I say go for it. Hope this helps.
 
edge rolling

Hi rjcthree.

I did not use an rdge roller on my top wing skins and the edges all look very straight and even. Even the lap joint where the outboard and inboard skins overlap - no problems. I have read that the edge rolling becomes important on the control surfaces (i.e. flaps/ailerons) where the TE straight skin overlaps the LE curved skin, might need a little edge work there, or at least that's what I heard, haven't started on those yet - but soon!
 
On my -10 I edge rolled every joint that I could think it would apply. The wing skins in particular resulted on a nice tight skin to spar joint. Now for the tool....I used Cleavelands edge roller made from vise grips. I highly recommend lots of practice and experiment to get the right distance for the rollers. Once set it makes a perfect slight bend on the edge. Make sure you do this before dimpling. Be warned though. Do not use this tool until you really comfy with how it works. I love Averys stuff except two tools, the back river set, which is a long bar with a slight bend on the edge and a milled pocket in the tip and that edge roller, I never could get either to work as I expected. I used another builders edge roller and to Bob's credit they offered to buy the rivet set back when i spoke with him at Van's banquet at Sun n Fun. I didn't take them up on the offer mainly because I had the tool for well over a year and if I wanted to act on getting it returned I should have done that much sooner, but their offer is typical of their service.
 
Yikes!

Thanks for all your replies. I did take everyone's advice and practice first, managed to understand the risks by making some scrap aluminum(!!!) and ended up inventing a new method using the Avery tool for control and to address that I've already dimpled the skins. Just the slightest tweak to the edge seems to work! J stringers riveted, skins cleckoed - might not sound like much of a Christmas activity - but it's my birthday too, so I get a say!

Rick 90432
39 today! :eek:
 
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