DaleB
Well Known Member
So I've been working on the aileron pushrods. The big ones were pretty easy, even figuring out how to get six rivets evenly spaced around the circumference (that's 19/32, by the way). But the smaller ones... Grrr.
I got the 4130 tubing cut, trimmed, cleaned up just fine. Of course the ends won't fit. OK, no problem, I chucked them in the drill and used some 150 grit to turn them down a little. I was going for a "very snug" slip fit, but as it turns out I undershot a little. They're more of a hydraulic press fit in the ends of the tubing. Of course by the time I figured that out, they were in far enough that they were not coming out for any more turning.
Since I don't have a hydraulic press, I used two blocks of wood with holes drilled to protect the threaded studs, and a 2# plastic dead blow hammer. They're in there and they're not coming out in this lifetime.
So now the ends are in and it's time to put in the rivets, which I am convinced are pretty much unnecessary. I'm using a C-frame to set them. The first time around several of the shop heads were badly clinched (tail offset to one side of the hole). I drilled them out and re-set new rivets, half of which were just as bad.
It seems to me that a -12 rivet is a little long for this job. Is it acceptable to use a -11 rivet instead? Is there some secret to getting these done right that I'm missing? This is starting to tick me off a little, and I've used my last -12 rivet.
I got the 4130 tubing cut, trimmed, cleaned up just fine. Of course the ends won't fit. OK, no problem, I chucked them in the drill and used some 150 grit to turn them down a little. I was going for a "very snug" slip fit, but as it turns out I undershot a little. They're more of a hydraulic press fit in the ends of the tubing. Of course by the time I figured that out, they were in far enough that they were not coming out for any more turning.
Since I don't have a hydraulic press, I used two blocks of wood with holes drilled to protect the threaded studs, and a 2# plastic dead blow hammer. They're in there and they're not coming out in this lifetime.
So now the ends are in and it's time to put in the rivets, which I am convinced are pretty much unnecessary. I'm using a C-frame to set them. The first time around several of the shop heads were badly clinched (tail offset to one side of the hole). I drilled them out and re-set new rivets, half of which were just as bad.
It seems to me that a -12 rivet is a little long for this job. Is it acceptable to use a -11 rivet instead? Is there some secret to getting these done right that I'm missing? This is starting to tick me off a little, and I've used my last -12 rivet.