Van's Air Force
Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.
dimpling in a tight spot
- Thread starter shiney
- Start date
Rick6a
Well Known Member
Close quarter dimple dies are the tool of choice to access the most difficult to reach areas. If you are using the close quarters dimple sets used with a pop riveting tool, I tend to believe the problem can be traced to technique.shiney said:
As you know, you have to insert the mandrel through the female die before inserting through the subject hole. On occasion, because of the length of the mandrel it may be difficult (but not impossible) to then feed the mandrel (loaded with the female die) through the subject hole.
Sometimes it can be easier to first insert the mandrel through a skin hole located most nearly above the subject hole and then threading it through the female die before going through the subject hole to finally finish the dimpling process.
Last edited:
Last edited:
Norman CYYJ
Well Known Member
Take a piece of 1/4 inch steel stock about 4 inches long and about 11/2 inches wide. radius all the edges slightly. Place one end of the steel stock on the rivet the other end on the table shimmed up to match the height of the rivet and use your flush snap in the rivet gun. Works great for riveting those rivets at the trailing edge of the control surfaces. To make a dimple in that location take the steel stock and drill a 3/32 hole near the edge on one end. Machine counter sink it. Place it in the tight spot and use the male dimple die and whack it with a hammer, makes a nice neat dimple.
mikeangiulo
Active Member
I've found that in those last couple holes you can reach the long reach squeezer yoke in as long as you don't put the female dimple die in it. You can get a pretty reasonable dimple if you use just the male die and use the hole in the squeezer yoke to form the female side. Just do it gently on some scrap pieces and you might be surprised. Now how to buck a rive there - well that's another story 
Another tip I've found earlies from this forum is to use those pop-rivet dimple dies but 'squeeze' them with wingnut cleco. I already got some of those clecos, but never tested how dimpling would work with them. However that would bypass the problem putting long nail through the dies.
Some of these ribs are 0.032" thich so they can be carefully machine countersunk as well by spec. -- it's also easier to rivet them as there is more space compared to dimpled skins.
Some of these ribs are 0.032" thich so they can be carefully machine countersunk as well by spec. -- it's also easier to rivet them as there is more space compared to dimpled skins.
