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Using Squeeze Riveting on an RV-7 or 7A
- Thread starter ATP-Pete
- Start date
RickWoodall
Well Known Member
Opinion
When I started I called Avery, told them what I was building and they gave me the price for the basics and the higher end kit including the air squeezer and three yokes. Worth every penny, saves tons of time doing dimples and rivets and you can easily get 2/3 of your money back selling it here when done. Just my opinion.
I am planning on selling a few of the more expensive tools when I wrap up this build and using it to finish off avionics buys.
Cheers.
When I started I called Avery, told them what I was building and they gave me the price for the basics and the higher end kit including the air squeezer and three yokes. Worth every penny, saves tons of time doing dimples and rivets and you can easily get 2/3 of your money back selling it here when done. Just my opinion.
I am planning on selling a few of the more expensive tools when I wrap up this build and using it to finish off avionics buys.
Cheers.
L.Adamson
Well Known Member
You'll need a rivet gun for the majority of rivets, since a squeezer is good for around 4" max with a long yoke. Both tools will be required, and a C-frame is sure handy for dimples in large skins.
Avery & Cleveland squeezers have been popular around here. I liked my Avery, but everyone has their opinion.
L.Adamson --- RV6A
Avery & Cleveland squeezers have been popular around here. I liked my Avery, but everyone has their opinion.
L.Adamson --- RV6A
Squeezer yokes
There is plenty of opportunity to use the squeezer, and usually given the choice I'll squeeze rather than use the gun (more control, less potential for screw-ups, no partner needed, no noise).
When I started the project I bought a hand-squeezer and 3" standard yoke from Avery. I later purchased three other yokes -- a 4" deep throat yoke, a 2.5" no-hole yoke, and a longeron yoke -- as I came across situations where they'd be very very useful. In retrospect, I would have bought the latter three and skipped the 3" standard yoke. There is almost nothing that the 3" standard yoke can do that can't be done with one of the other three.
There is plenty of opportunity to use the squeezer, and usually given the choice I'll squeeze rather than use the gun (more control, less potential for screw-ups, no partner needed, no noise).
When I started the project I bought a hand-squeezer and 3" standard yoke from Avery. I later purchased three other yokes -- a 4" deep throat yoke, a 2.5" no-hole yoke, and a longeron yoke -- as I came across situations where they'd be very very useful. In retrospect, I would have bought the latter three and skipped the 3" standard yoke. There is almost nothing that the 3" standard yoke can do that can't be done with one of the other three.
Bite the bullet...
I have the pneumatic squeezer and its worth every penny. Especially when you get to the fuel tank baffle. 132 rivets total on that part alone and I couldn't imagine doing it with hand squeezers.
Its around $600 for pneumo squeezers but I bet you could sell it for 400-500 when you're done with the plane. You'll still probably need the hand squeezers also but IMHO definitely get the pneumo squeezers.
They're also great for dimpling on small parts; like stiffners and some ribs.
If I had a mill I would even try to build an mount/arbor so you could use the pneumo squeezers to dimple large parts. Thats just an after thought though.
Just my 2 cents.
-jt
I have the pneumatic squeezer and its worth every penny. Especially when you get to the fuel tank baffle. 132 rivets total on that part alone and I couldn't imagine doing it with hand squeezers.
Its around $600 for pneumo squeezers but I bet you could sell it for 400-500 when you're done with the plane. You'll still probably need the hand squeezers also but IMHO definitely get the pneumo squeezers.
They're also great for dimpling on small parts; like stiffners and some ribs.
If I had a mill I would even try to build an mount/arbor so you could use the pneumo squeezers to dimple large parts. Thats just an after thought though.
Just my 2 cents.
-jt
I don't want to hijack the thread. This is a question to amplify ATP-Pete's original.
It seems a 4" yoke is recommended by most in other threads as a very useful additional yoke.
Which out of a 4" no hole/thin nose or a 4" converntional yoke is best.
Mine will be a QB kit RV-7.
John
It seems a 4" yoke is recommended by most in other threads as a very useful additional yoke.
Which out of a 4" no hole/thin nose or a 4" converntional yoke is best.
Mine will be a QB kit RV-7.
John
No problem, John. Sounds like a question I should have included on my original post but didn't know about the differences in the yokes.
--Pete
Last edited:
robertahegy
Moderator/Tech Counselor
I had a 4" no hole, a 1" no hole, longeron, and 2 1/2" yokes for my QB 7A and all worked out very well.
Roberta
Roberta
I bought the "Oshkosh" package Avery offered back in 2004. It included their squeezer, a 4" yoke, an assortment of sets and dimple dies, and a nylon block to store the dies. I bought a longeron a year later on ebay. Those two yokes were all I needed for my slo build 9A.
Flyfalcons
Well Known Member
If you're looking at a manual squeezer versus pneumatic, I'd highly recommend the Cleaveland Main Squeeze. The double-leverage action translates to basically no pressure required to dimple .032, just a few pounds pressure to squeeze the 3/32" rivets, and very manageable pressure required to squeeze the 1/8" rivets. Some of the standard squeezers look like you'd wear your arm out squeezing a row of 1/8" rivets. I have the standard 3" yoke now but have borrowed a longeron yoke (which I will get for myself sometime soon), and I would also like to get a thin-nose yoke.
robertahegy
Moderator/Tech Counselor
A lot of work can be done with the squeezers (either manual or pneumatic) but you will most definetly need a rivet gun for about half the riveting on a QB and more on the slow build kits. I used a Souix 3X for that and the Avery pneumatic squeezer.
Roberta
Roberta
Pneumatic Squeezer under dimpling
Hi,
I've just started using my pneumatic squeezer on the VS-803 spar and it has cause the spar to bend sligtly, so I have gone back and dimpled again with the DBDT2 which has straightened out the spar. The squeezer is 'snapped' shut as the instructions suggest.
I have the squeezer set so when it is closed the dies touch and can not be rotated in the yoke.
Is it possible that the pneumatic squeezer is under dimpling? Do a need to reduce the size of the spacer on the yoke?
Thanks
Hi,
I've just started using my pneumatic squeezer on the VS-803 spar and it has cause the spar to bend sligtly, so I have gone back and dimpled again with the DBDT2 which has straightened out the spar. The squeezer is 'snapped' shut as the instructions suggest.
I have the squeezer set so when it is closed the dies touch and can not be rotated in the yoke.
Is it possible that the pneumatic squeezer is under dimpling? Do a need to reduce the size of the spacer on the yoke?
Thanks
robertahegy
Moderator/Tech Counselor
If you don't have one already, get an adjustable set holder like Avery sells. Then you can quickly and easily adjust the squeezer very precisely. For dimpling, I just turned the adjuster in so the dies just touched at full extension of the squeezer. For rivet setting, start with the set holder turned out a bit (under setting rivets) then adjust in until you reach the desired squash. Do this on test pieces until you get good at judging the set.
Roberta
Roberta
