alpinelakespilot2000
Well Known Member
I'm in the middle of re-skinning the main top and bottom outboard wing skins on my starboard wing due to a January hangar incident. With your help I got the spar bolts out relatively easy, got the damaged skins off without difficulty, and have replaced the damaged outboard rib. Knock on wood for later repairs, but I was able to do all of this without enlarging any of the rivet holes on the skin or ribs!
My question regards what rivet to use when I reskin. I do know it's normal for the initial dimpling and riveting to stretch the holes slightly such that the second time you rivet you do so in larger holes. Sometimes a normal AN426AD3 will fill these holes nicely and sometimes it is necessary to pre squeeze an AN426AD3 to account for the enlarged hole. As I examined all of my underlying rib holes, while they are perfectly intact, round, and undamaged, I did notice that their diameter is such that a 7/64 drill bit slides through in most all. That sort of begs the question, should I use a 426AD3 for all of my skin to rib rivets, presqueezing if necessary, and try to get good shop heads on those 7/64 rib holes, or should I just go right to the NAS1241AD3 rivets that have the same head size but a 7/64 shank? I certainly don't want to use traditional "oops" rivets, but why use an AN426AD3 when the underlying rib hole would benefit from an NAS1241AD3? (Flyboyaccessories.com carries the 1241's, so they are pretty easy to get.) The disadvantage: this would necessitate slightly upsizing the new wing skin holes (but just barely after dimpling). Is that worse than using 426AD3's in rib holes that are already 7/64? Setting clean shop heads with 426AD3's will definitely be more challenging, especially on the bottom wing skin where one is often bucking blind.
I've never considered this option before because I've never had to do anything more than re-rivet a hole here or there. Anticipating riveting two entire outboard wing skins with underling rib holes that are 7/64 has me thinking there has to be a better way and that someone who's done a lot of re-skinning repair work might have an idea. Are the 1241AD3's a viable alternative or do I just stick with 426AD3's?
Any thoughts? Thanks as always for your help!
Picture just for fun... was pretty cool seeing the inside of the wing again after 20 years. Still as pristine (more or less) as the day they got put together! (Except for that one damaged outboard rib!) : )
My question regards what rivet to use when I reskin. I do know it's normal for the initial dimpling and riveting to stretch the holes slightly such that the second time you rivet you do so in larger holes. Sometimes a normal AN426AD3 will fill these holes nicely and sometimes it is necessary to pre squeeze an AN426AD3 to account for the enlarged hole. As I examined all of my underlying rib holes, while they are perfectly intact, round, and undamaged, I did notice that their diameter is such that a 7/64 drill bit slides through in most all. That sort of begs the question, should I use a 426AD3 for all of my skin to rib rivets, presqueezing if necessary, and try to get good shop heads on those 7/64 rib holes, or should I just go right to the NAS1241AD3 rivets that have the same head size but a 7/64 shank? I certainly don't want to use traditional "oops" rivets, but why use an AN426AD3 when the underlying rib hole would benefit from an NAS1241AD3? (Flyboyaccessories.com carries the 1241's, so they are pretty easy to get.) The disadvantage: this would necessitate slightly upsizing the new wing skin holes (but just barely after dimpling). Is that worse than using 426AD3's in rib holes that are already 7/64? Setting clean shop heads with 426AD3's will definitely be more challenging, especially on the bottom wing skin where one is often bucking blind.
I've never considered this option before because I've never had to do anything more than re-rivet a hole here or there. Anticipating riveting two entire outboard wing skins with underling rib holes that are 7/64 has me thinking there has to be a better way and that someone who's done a lot of re-skinning repair work might have an idea. Are the 1241AD3's a viable alternative or do I just stick with 426AD3's?
Any thoughts? Thanks as always for your help!
Picture just for fun... was pretty cool seeing the inside of the wing again after 20 years. Still as pristine (more or less) as the day they got put together! (Except for that one damaged outboard rib!) : )
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