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Solo Riveting

skyfrog

skyfrog

Well Known Member
Trying to convince my wife to help with the riveting has proven to be somewhat difficult. Consider yourself very fortunate if you have a wife helping out.

Therefore, I was wondering how much of an RV-9 can be riveted solo? The empennage seems to be no problem, and I am told that the wings (slo-build) definitely need a partner. But how about the fuselage?

If I buy the QB wings and slo-build fuselage, could I conceivably do it myself? Also, is there any problems associated with only buying QB wings versus QB wings and fuselage?

Thanks,

John
 
John,

I did about 99% of the riveting solo, but an extra set of hands would have saved me some pain and bruising. The only place where I really needed help was with the forward upper fuselage skin. There was just no way I could contort myself enough to complete the last few rivets. With two people riveting will go much faster and you will probably do a better job but most of the work can be done solo if there is no other option.
As a disclaimer: This is just my experience and your mileage may vary.
 
Same boat

I'm in the same boat you are - she'll have nothing to do with it. I'm considering becoming off-the-books employer for a couple HS kids, or co-ops from work. I actually talked to Bob Avery of Avery Tools, and he said that having two hands on the gun and two hands on the bar was the single best thing that could be done to improve rivet quality - and I believe him, but it's just not that easy for some of us. Rick 90432
 
Hi John - I'm 95% done with my wings and I sympathsize with your situation. I riveted the empennage by myself, but I couldn't see how to do the top wing skins solo. I never asked my wife, but she saw the project starting to slow down and volunteered to help. I think not asking was important.

I have the padded swivel set, and she sat on a rolling chair and shot every single top skin rivet on both wings. We did it over about 5 work sessions, working on her schedule. She made zero mistakes (I made a few on the bucking bar) and ended up enjoying the process. Her dedication to quality was incredible. When the EAA inspector came and told us her work was top quality she was very proud.

As a reference point, I've been able to rivet the bottom wing skins by myself. It's a bit tricky but not impossible. I don't know about the fuselage, but I bet she'll be driving rivets while I lay inside bucking them!

Good luck,
 
skyfrog said:
Trying to convince my wife to help with the riveting has proven to be somewhat difficult.........
Click to expand...
John,

An easier way to get your wife to help you when faced with unreachable rivets is to simply ask her to lean on a rivet head with a bucking bar while you shoot the shop head. Called backriveting, you basically learned the skill while installing stiffeners in your empennage. Backriveting can be done virtually anywhere a flush rivet is used and all the helper has to do is firmly hold the bucking bar against the rivet head. I used the technique a lot when building the wings on the first project and my wife Linda handled her end of it easily enough. In fact, the hardest thing I find is catching Linda in the right frame of mind to help. When she doesn't want to help, I can wait hours or even a day or so for her to get around to helping me no matter how much I whine and pout. :D

Riveting is an acquired skill, some people never truly get the hang of it while others take to it readily. For too many years using a 4X gun, I pounded (mostly AD6) rivets for a paycheck, so adapting to AD3 and AD4 rivets common to the RV was a no brainer other than learning not to hit so hard. Thanks to years of production experience, if I can physically reach both sides of the work, I can rivet by feel. On the -8 project, I truly wanted to see how many rivets I could shoot by myself without risking dents. No question, it IS harder to do without a helper but in the end the only rivets I could not set by myself were 44 rivets on each wings' upper skin and a section of the upper skin on the rear fuselage. In those cases I had my wife shoot because I believe (and some builders are sure to object) bucking correctly is much more challenging and can be uncomfortable and even mildly painful to endure in some close quarter situations like crawling around the back of the fuselage. All my wife had to do was stand outside the airplane, hold the gun straight and pull the trigger for an agreed upon snippet of time. To prevent dents, I never let off the bucking bar until she stops shooting.
 
I built QB fuse and ****-build wings. You will need some help on the top wing skins and top forward fuse.

It help to have long arms. Here's the sequence I used for the bottom wing skins, designed to allow you to buck every rivet. You can do it single handed, but help does make it easier.

riveting_detail.jpg


107_0765_1.jpg


Another tip that I heard is to not fasten the NACA cooling ducts until the end. You can reach through them to buck the top forward skins yourself. I haven't tried it, but it sure sounds good.

Vern
 
Rick6a said:
John,

An easier way to get your wife to help you when faced with unreachable rivets is to simply ask her to lean on a rivet head with a bucking bar while you shoot the shop head. Called backriveting, you basically learned the skill while installing stiffeners in your empennage. Backriveting can be done virtually anywhere a flush rivet is used and all the helper has to do is firmly hold the bucking bar against the rivet head.


Rick
Re Back riveting with a bucking bar/dolly (this does not refer to your good lady wife - as you probably know, "dolly" is the term for a bucking bar outside USA).
Why isn't this used more routinely. What are the pros and cons. What are the tips to make it more foolproof (ie size or shape of bar, technique, etc).
John
Click to expand...
 
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Check the RV white pages on the VAF site for other builders near you. Also call Van's for a list of builders in your area. Also get in touch with EAA Chpater 724 in your area; you'll probably find someone there willing and maybe even eager to help: http://www.eaa724.org/

My wife is no good at bucking but she can run the gun acceptably, but most of the time when I need help I try to get someone more capable, like another builder.

Richard Scott
RV-9A Fuselage
 
You just need to ask her the right way

You guys have it all wrong. If you use the proper technique when asking your wife to help rivet, she will be putty in your hands. Start with a nice romantic dinner (wine will help). Engage her in light conversation about her day and her opinion on the day's events. Then, just after desert, give her a light kiss on the cheek and whisper in her ear, Honey, you want to go down into the basement and buck?" It works every time. You can see my results in this candid photo.

finishedrightwingtopskivi3.jpg
 
another way

I've just finished closing one wing, and the 2nd is nearly done so I thought I'd share my technique for single handed wing closing.

I left the wings in the stands, which I think is easier. I clecoed the skins on, then removed about 1/3 to 1/2 of the clecos starting from the main spar and working back. You can remove more or less, depending on the size of your arm. You can then peel back the front of the skin and reach in with a bucking bar. I started riveting along the length of the rear spar. After that I riveted up each rib, working toward the main spar until I ran out of clecos. I riveted the ribs in the middle of each skins first and then worked out, so the edges of each skin were last.

Next, I put clecos in the rest of the holes (front of the skins) and main spar. I was able to easily reach in through access panel or lightening holes and rivet the rest of the skin/rib rivets. Finally, I riveted the skin to the main spar the same way.

It's harder to describe than to do. There were only a few tough rivets, and I have pretty average arms.

Good luck to all,
 
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