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drilling rivits warped hinge

B

bobnoffs

Well Known Member
hi all,
read all the posts about drilling rivits and figured it would never be easier to try than on this hinge bracket with fairly thick metal and accessible to a drill press. the heads popped off all the rivits and they came out of the material with a punch. great info on how to do it!
sooooooo i have drilled into the flush rivits with a #40 drill as i did the other rivits. i am not sure how to proceed from here.
 
Pretty much the same method Bob. Center punch the head, then drill just deep enough to get to the base of the rivet head. You can look at a new rivet from the side to get an idea how deep you have to go. Next, pop off the head with a drill bit or punch the same size as the #40 hole by inserting it into the hole you just drilled and rocking it around a bit. You should then be able to remove the rivet shank with a punch, same as you did on the pull rivets. They are somewhat of a pain in the rear. If you get the hole perfectly centered, everything should turn out ok.
 
Hey Bob, I just looked back on my plans. Those flush rivets in the bracket are -4's. Use a #30 drill bit on the heads. You can use the #40 hole as the pilot. Probably better that way anyway.
 
Hi Bob,

At first thought a drill press is a great way to go, but actually the drill is so weak in side loads that you can do much better with a hand drill. Just make the bit turn a few rpm and maybe 10 revs at first. A firm but not high pressure. Repeat until you get the hole in the center and proceed carefully. Use a smaller diameter bit to start as the wander will enlarge the hole and using the punch to break off the head is more difficult. When you get really good you may be able to skip the smaller bit to start. Get a jobber set of numbered drill bits. HS steel is ok, you won't use them like the cobalt ones.

This is a process where you need a lot of feedback on progress, don't just dig in and hope it comes out right.

Practice your hand techniques, you will be rewarded with dividends!
 
HERE is a post from another thread regarding rivet removal. This is also described in the updated Section 5 of the construction manual.
 
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