Jeff R
Well Known Member
My DRDT-2 dimpler arrived yesterday but family obligations prevented me from setting it up then. I set it up this evening and practiced some dimpling on some scrap aluminum. I was beginning to get a bit intimidated. What dies to use? How to place them in the dimpler? How to adjust them? How deep or shallow do I go and how will I know for sure when I have the depth adjusted just right?
By playing around for a bit, I seemed to find a setting where a flush rivet seemed to fit just right. I tried to over dimple and under dimple to see how it looked just to make sure I had it set just right. Well, I hope it is set just right!
My wife, also an engineer who doesn't mind getting her hands dirty, accepted my challenge to learn to air drill, and I had her cleco together the first part of Van's tool box practice kit. She was doing that while I was setting up the dimpler and practicing some riveting with the rivet gun (I got out my pneumatic squeezer, but I will need some more time to figure out how to use it.) Well, two of my first 6 rivets on the scrap aluminum looked pretty good and 2 were pretty bad, but I thought I was getting the hang of things and the wife had the sides of the tool kit dimpled. Yes, I let her dimple. At first she hated it but after getting the hang of it, she started having fun. We couldn't get to the holes in the lower inside corners on the dimpler, but I said we could pop rivet those (I didn't but a hand riveter - not sure if I should or should not now). I sanded down the dimples on the corresponding holes/dimples in side skin that we couldn?t' dimple. I handed her my tungsten bucking bar and we verbally went through the riveting sequence. I put in a rivet and she pressed up the bucking bar pushing out the rivet. Uh, honey, that is really nice, but wait for me but the rivet gun in place and just lightly hold the bar centered on the rivet then tell me when you are ready. I picked up the rivet off the floor, placed it back in the hole, set the rivet gun in place the she brings over the bucking bar and says OK and I let the gun rip out and, wow, that gave a pretty good rivet! The next we got a bit crooked, but not too bad. On one, I lost control of the rivet gun and it did a little dance across the face of side like a sad depression in the skin. Man, do I NOT want to do that on my airplane skin! But we find that a good 6 solid hits on the fun seems to do a god job. Knowing women can make the best riveters, I asked her to switch jobs with me. Her first rivet went in ok, but on the next try, so lost control of the gun and, like me, we have another big dent. we laughed and kept going and neither off us lost control like that again - so far.
Things I have learned is that I need a bigger air compressor, for one. I just have a small one. I also have found I should probably ask for some help to teach me how to properly set up the dimpler (even though I think I know, it will be a bit of a pain to switch between different dies for different thickness of metal). I would also like to learn how to set up the pneumatic squeezer.
Well, I can start dimpling the empennage sections, after which I can start priming. I can get in more riveting practice by finishing the tool kit before I go to the airplane to rivet. I think I might call up a Tech Counselor to see he could show me how to set things up quickly and easily. My shop, too, has been more optimized for woodworking, and maybe he can some suggestion for making it a better metal shop.
I ordered a bunch more clecos from Browns today (36 cents each if you buy a hundred). I had received a 100 of both the silver and copper clecos, more that what Van's recommends for the empennage kit, but I think you need a lot more silver clecos.
Certainly, reading about riveting takes on a different meaning when you actually do it. I do love this DRDT-2 dimpler - it takes very little effort and seemed simple to set up. It just won't get down into tight corners. If the pneumatic squeezers work for that, great. I just have to figure out how to do it.
So, tonight, I have experienced joy at breaking out a new tool and getting it to work; apprehension for doing something I have never done before and wondering if what you have done is good enough to risk your life on; and intimidation at having a tool and not really knowing how to use it.
It is neat that the wife actually enjoys some of this. With so many rivets, I hope I can get to the point where I can say "Woman, go dimple and rivet that skin", and she will, where I can go off and do the important things, like trying to figure out what engine and instruments to use.
Do the Tech Counselors really like coming out to help? I have two in the area, but I don't like to impose on anyone. But, I would like to have someone with knowledge look at what we have done and bless things off (or tell us how to do it right), and show how to use all my tools properly. What is the proper etiquette to follow? Do we offer to pay their gas? Do we have pastries or cold drinks for them? I would certainly want to express my appreciation for their help.
Thanks,
Jeff R.
Merritt Island
By playing around for a bit, I seemed to find a setting where a flush rivet seemed to fit just right. I tried to over dimple and under dimple to see how it looked just to make sure I had it set just right. Well, I hope it is set just right!
My wife, also an engineer who doesn't mind getting her hands dirty, accepted my challenge to learn to air drill, and I had her cleco together the first part of Van's tool box practice kit. She was doing that while I was setting up the dimpler and practicing some riveting with the rivet gun (I got out my pneumatic squeezer, but I will need some more time to figure out how to use it.) Well, two of my first 6 rivets on the scrap aluminum looked pretty good and 2 were pretty bad, but I thought I was getting the hang of things and the wife had the sides of the tool kit dimpled. Yes, I let her dimple. At first she hated it but after getting the hang of it, she started having fun. We couldn't get to the holes in the lower inside corners on the dimpler, but I said we could pop rivet those (I didn't but a hand riveter - not sure if I should or should not now). I sanded down the dimples on the corresponding holes/dimples in side skin that we couldn?t' dimple. I handed her my tungsten bucking bar and we verbally went through the riveting sequence. I put in a rivet and she pressed up the bucking bar pushing out the rivet. Uh, honey, that is really nice, but wait for me but the rivet gun in place and just lightly hold the bar centered on the rivet then tell me when you are ready. I picked up the rivet off the floor, placed it back in the hole, set the rivet gun in place the she brings over the bucking bar and says OK and I let the gun rip out and, wow, that gave a pretty good rivet! The next we got a bit crooked, but not too bad. On one, I lost control of the rivet gun and it did a little dance across the face of side like a sad depression in the skin. Man, do I NOT want to do that on my airplane skin! But we find that a good 6 solid hits on the fun seems to do a god job. Knowing women can make the best riveters, I asked her to switch jobs with me. Her first rivet went in ok, but on the next try, so lost control of the gun and, like me, we have another big dent. we laughed and kept going and neither off us lost control like that again - so far.
Things I have learned is that I need a bigger air compressor, for one. I just have a small one. I also have found I should probably ask for some help to teach me how to properly set up the dimpler (even though I think I know, it will be a bit of a pain to switch between different dies for different thickness of metal). I would also like to learn how to set up the pneumatic squeezer.
Well, I can start dimpling the empennage sections, after which I can start priming. I can get in more riveting practice by finishing the tool kit before I go to the airplane to rivet. I think I might call up a Tech Counselor to see he could show me how to set things up quickly and easily. My shop, too, has been more optimized for woodworking, and maybe he can some suggestion for making it a better metal shop.
I ordered a bunch more clecos from Browns today (36 cents each if you buy a hundred). I had received a 100 of both the silver and copper clecos, more that what Van's recommends for the empennage kit, but I think you need a lot more silver clecos.
Certainly, reading about riveting takes on a different meaning when you actually do it. I do love this DRDT-2 dimpler - it takes very little effort and seemed simple to set up. It just won't get down into tight corners. If the pneumatic squeezers work for that, great. I just have to figure out how to do it.
So, tonight, I have experienced joy at breaking out a new tool and getting it to work; apprehension for doing something I have never done before and wondering if what you have done is good enough to risk your life on; and intimidation at having a tool and not really knowing how to use it.
It is neat that the wife actually enjoys some of this. With so many rivets, I hope I can get to the point where I can say "Woman, go dimple and rivet that skin", and she will, where I can go off and do the important things, like trying to figure out what engine and instruments to use.
Do the Tech Counselors really like coming out to help? I have two in the area, but I don't like to impose on anyone. But, I would like to have someone with knowledge look at what we have done and bless things off (or tell us how to do it right), and show how to use all my tools properly. What is the proper etiquette to follow? Do we offer to pay their gas? Do we have pastries or cold drinks for them? I would certainly want to express my appreciation for their help.
Thanks,
Jeff R.
Merritt Island
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