bk1bennett
Well Known Member
For first-time builders: At what point in your build did you gain the sense of confidence that you were going to get flush riveting accomplished without dinging a skin?
buy a swivel head flush rivet set if you don't already have one. if you always set the rivet in the middle of the rivet set you will minimize denying the skin.
I would go with the counter argument. I started with a swivel, but went to the straight flush set after a few skin indentations when riveting. It's easier for me to use. Get the set perpendicular to the skin and have at it.
Roman, welcome aboard the good ship VAF
I think some of the things which I learned the hard way were:
1. ALWAYS clamp the work so it won't move or bounce
2. Resist the temptation to turn up the pressure to get it done faster
3. Use the swivel head, but you still have to make sure it's straight
4. The non-swivel head is great for tight places and fixing proud rivet heads
4. always use riveting tape to avoid blemishing the skin
5. Use a tungsten bucking bar
6. Don't pull the trigger and hope for the best, get everything lined up perfectly. Don't be impatient
7. Invest in a pneumatic squeezer and a DRDT-2 dimpler
8. When using a squeezer, use a faucet washer or similar on the shop side to squeeze the material together when setting the rivet
9. And before you start drilling out a questionable rivet, always remember:
(from page 5-04)
"Poorly set and cracked rivet heads were tested in tension to determine how well formed a head has to be in order to develop full strength. The tensile strengths of all the rivets were within five percent of the strongest. The test indicated that minor deviations from the theoretically desired shape of head are not cause for concern or replacement. The second rivet that is driven in any one hole [is] likely to be more defective than the first because the hole is enlarged and [the] rivet will be more likely to buckle......"