Longeron/Thin no holes Yoke Sizing

[llavalle]

I was wondering if someone here would be kind enough to measure it's CP214 style longeron yoke. I'll also like to get the sizing for a "Thin No Hole Yoke".

I'm not really willing to pay ~$150 for a laser cut steel plate that has been heat treated and powder coated with 3 holes in it. My brother works as a CNC programmer in a machine shop and will be able to make one (or more) for less!

Once I get the dimensions, we'll be able to figure out the exact cost and if the price is right, I'll probably be able to fabricate more of them...

Thanks

 

[Jamie]

I have said it many times and people sort of think I'm an idiot for saying so, but there's no reason whatsoever to use a longeron yoke on the longerons. You can easily use a standard 3 or 4 inch yoke by simply turning the squeezer around and using it from the inside. Don't believe me? Just try it.

This will get almost all of the rivets except the last 20 or so on each side under the aft deck. Remember that you can't use the squeezer on MOST of the longeron rivets anyway -- only at the canopy decks and the aft deck. All of the others have upper skins that prevent squeezer access -- those must all be bucked. Many old school builders who have build 5 or 6 RVs have no clue what a 'longeron yoke' is.

But, you say....what about other places where the longeron yoke is handy? I just used a long flat set that came with my Cleveland tool kit -- problem solved.

Hey, call me crazy...but I work a regular IT job and I sleep well at night knowing that my plane is paid for. There's a reason for that -- I saved money wherever I could where it wouldn't compromise safety.

Of course, someone is going to respond to my post as they always do and say "well, I've got a longeron yoke and I'm glad I do", or "you've gotta have the right tool for the right job". Remember that with riveting there is almost never a right tool for the right job. There are so many methods available.

I've thought about it and thought about it, and I still say a longeron yoke is one of the most useless tools people plunk down good money on.

 

[JHines]

Uhhh....

I'd be glad to take a tape measure to my longeron yoke, but...

Do you already have the numbers for:material thickness, mounting pin hole diameters and locations relative to the "ram" hole, diameter of the "ram" hole, and diameter of the hole for the pin on the fixed die? I would imagine those are the critical dimensions and would be the same for any CP214 type yoke.

For what it's worth - approximately:

(1) face-to-face length (between die mounting surfaces): 1-9/32 in.
(2) throat depth (from inside "C" wall to center of die mounting hole): 2-3/8 in.
(3) distance between legs of "C" measured parallel to "ram" axis: 2 in.
(4) beam section (width) of "C": 1-9/32 in.

In other words, (3) minus (1) gives you the amount the yoke can "reach around" a flange.

 

[llavalle]

(1) face-to-face length (between die mounting surfaces): 1-9/32 in.
(2) throat depth (from inside "C" wall to center of die mounting hole): 2-3/8 in.
(3) distance between legs of "C" measured parallel to "ram" axis: 2 in.
(4) beam section (width) of "C": 1-9/32 in.

Thanks, this is exactly what I was looking for. For the critical measurements, I'll take my regular 3" yoke and use that as a guide.

 

[rocketbob]

I was wondering if someone here would be kind enough to measure it's CP214 style longeron yoke. I'll also like to get the sizing for a "Thin No Hole Yoke".

I'm not really willing to pay ~$150 for a laser cut steel plate that has been heat treated and powder coated with 3 holes in it. My brother works as a CNC programmer in a machine shop and will be able to make one (or more) for less!

Once I get the dimensions, we'll be able to figure out the exact cost and if the price is right, I'll probably be able to fabricate more of them...

Thanks

I have yet to see a laser that will do anything much more than 1/4" thick material. In this case it would have to be waterjetted out of something like 4140 steel then heat treated. By the time you buy the steel, machine it, clean it up. set it up to bore the the holes, heat treat, and blue it at $50/hr typical shop rate you'll have more in it than you would to just go out and buy one. I realize your brother will work for free, but the economy is in scale and if you can produce say 100 at a time then potentially you could make some money at it.

At OSH I bought a monster 22" squeezer yoke which weighs 100+ for $250, brand new. That was a bargain and man do I love that thing. I can dimple wing skins with it.

 

[Jamie]

At OSH I bought a monster 22" squeezer yoke which weighs 100+ for $250, brand new. That was a bargain and man do I love that thing. I can dimple wing skins with it.

I saw those things there. Now THAT is a yoke! If I were building again I would get one.