Peter Larsen
I'm New Here
I've been lurking here for sev eral years and never before felt that I had anything to contribute. Thanksgiving I made a discovery that I have to share.
I was de-burring rivet holes - the ones at the ends of the ribs, between the main & rear spars for my RV-7a wings. Doing the outside of the flange is only slightly less annoying than doing the inside, adjacent to the web. Looking at all the holes in the top & bottom flanges of all those ribs was really depressing. Each hole represents 4 de-burring efforts - 2 on the rib, 2 on the skin.
My favorite de-burring tool for rivet holes has been a 3 flute cutter (from a speed de-burring tool) in a 1/4-20 couple-nut that I rotate by hand. The cutter has a sharp point for small holes and is perfect, except that it kills your fingers. I've tried using it in drill-motors but, that's not contyrollable enough and doesn't fit next to rib webs.
I remembered that I had an Angle Drill and SURPRISE, SURPRISE, the bits that it uses have a 1/4-20 thread..... IOW, a perfect match for the 3 flute cutter. With 30psi the angle-drill is slow and controllable and very productive for holes in-the-flat or in rib flanges. De-burring rivet holes is now bacvk at the top of my "Fun Things 2-do" list.
Although I thought it was an extravagance I have found that a pneumatic cleco squeezer is well worth the money, for 2 reasons - clecoing is a lot faster and I don't get tired doing a "no-skill" job.
Each air tool I use has a 1/4" male, industrial fitting. They connect to a 1/4" tube "whip" about 12' long, that I make w/ appropriate fittings. It's sthe kind of tube that looks like it has a 1/8" I.D. They are easy to make and light - practically unnoticable to use. I have 3 - one from a 40psi/ rivet gun regulator, one from a 90psi/ squeezer & drill regulator, one extra.
Aircraft Spruce Pt#'s
Speed De-burring & C'sinking tool
I was de-burring rivet holes - the ones at the ends of the ribs, between the main & rear spars for my RV-7a wings. Doing the outside of the flange is only slightly less annoying than doing the inside, adjacent to the web. Looking at all the holes in the top & bottom flanges of all those ribs was really depressing. Each hole represents 4 de-burring efforts - 2 on the rib, 2 on the skin.
My favorite de-burring tool for rivet holes has been a 3 flute cutter (from a speed de-burring tool) in a 1/4-20 couple-nut that I rotate by hand. The cutter has a sharp point for small holes and is perfect, except that it kills your fingers. I've tried using it in drill-motors but, that's not contyrollable enough and doesn't fit next to rib webs.
I remembered that I had an Angle Drill and SURPRISE, SURPRISE, the bits that it uses have a 1/4-20 thread..... IOW, a perfect match for the 3 flute cutter. With 30psi the angle-drill is slow and controllable and very productive for holes in-the-flat or in rib flanges. De-burring rivet holes is now bacvk at the top of my "Fun Things 2-do" list.
Although I thought it was an extravagance I have found that a pneumatic cleco squeezer is well worth the money, for 2 reasons - clecoing is a lot faster and I don't get tired doing a "no-skill" job.
Each air tool I use has a 1/4" male, industrial fitting. They connect to a 1/4" tube "whip" about 12' long, that I make w/ appropriate fittings. It's sthe kind of tube that looks like it has a 1/8" I.D. They are easy to make and light - practically unnoticable to use. I have 3 - one from a 40psi/ rivet gun regulator, one from a 90psi/ squeezer & drill regulator, one extra.
Aircraft Spruce Pt#'s
Speed De-burring & C'sinking tool
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