Rudder Rivets

[tmcguff]

I recently finished the rudder on my plane and wanted to share an idea for dealing with the last few rivets on the top and bottom ribs.

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Basically it involves using a regular screwdriver and or chisel. It turns out that most screwdrivers (in my case a craftsman) have about the same slope on the blade as the slope on the rudder ribs. First put both rivets in place and put the rivets over a backplate. Next take a screwdriver with a blade that will fit comfortably between the two rivets. The farther you push the screwdriver blade between the rivets the more they want to separate. Only put enough pressure to snug the blade between the shop side of the rivets without pushing the manufactured side out of the hole. Center the handle between the upper and lower part of the rib. This is to ensure the same angle for both rivets. This is easy to do with your free hand or with a support. Use a mushroom head rivet set and give it a short hit. The tendency is for the screwdriver to be pushed away from the rivets but can easily be held in place with your free hand. Simply move the screwdriver farther between the rivets as you set the rivets until you get the desired result. If you find that one rivet compresses more than the other you can turn the rudder over and use the rivet gun on the other rivet. When I did this they seemed to compress at about the same rate.

 

[kentb]

Now why didn't I figure this out...

Good info to share Mike. I'll use this on the next plane that I build.

Kent

 

[mikehoover]

You did a nicer job than I did! You'll run into that again on your elevators and and ailerons. I wouldn't hesitate to use pop rivets on those last two holes.

 

[cnpeters]

Elegant and simple - I like it. Though a MK-319-BS pop-rivet was really easy.

 

[GAHco]

My experience

Elegant and simple - I like it. Though a MK-319-BS pop-rivet was really easy.

First I made a bucking bar out of a big bolt, ground to fit in places like this on my six. It was then put unto a larger pipe an filled with lead in between.

This worked pretty well. That was for the tail surfaces.

I picked up a thin nose 3" yoke and now I have see no use for the bar.

If someone wants it PM me and its your for the cost of the ups shipping.

I don't like to use steel rivets in aluminum. It may be alright for non coastal aircraft, but i learned to fly close to the ocean and many of my future destinations will be near the coast. If you have ever re-painted an aircraft that was operated frequently by the coast and had to claen hundreds of corrosion spots on one aircraft, you would do whatever to minimize th future risk of having to repeat that on your own.

you did the right thing with less cost and effort than what I did. But what the heck I really like getting tools.