I inventoried my SB fuselage and noticed that when I went to organize my rivets many of the same rivets came in different bags. The rivet numbers matched but Van's bag number identification didn't. The rivet look like they have the same dimensions but some of the rivets are lighter or darker in color from different bags. Are they the same rivets or are they different? Why would Vans give my the same rivets but in several different bags when they can just put them in one bag?
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Vans Rivets: Same rivets but in different bags
- Thread starter Naruto
- Start date
BlackRV7
Well Known Member
Dan, I noticed a lot of times, Van's will count rivets for different sub-assemblies and bag rivets, bolts, nuts accordingly. When I called to get parts for my rebuild, they actually had several components I needed inventories as assemblies. Same rivet, co-mingle and pound on.
Good question...and a simple answer...
The "bags" of small items contain the small parts. Each bag has a "bag number" assigned and as you have discovered, a list of bag numbers and their contents is included with your documentation.
Sometimes, a bag (and its contents) are used for different a/c models, options and accessories, or whatever. So, instead of putting all of the same type of rivets (in your question) in one bag, the rivets are grouped according to sub-kit need. And the sub-kit may may be used across Van's product line.
The only irritation I have with this is the sorting task when AN426AD3-3.5 rivets are included in the same bag as AN426AD3-4 rivets. But, that is just me and not a biggie.
As far a rivet color...these AN rivets have an alodine coating on them, some vendors use clear, others use gold, others use..whatever color. This color does not affect the structural specification for these AN style rivets.
The "bags" of small items contain the small parts. Each bag has a "bag number" assigned and as you have discovered, a list of bag numbers and their contents is included with your documentation.
Sometimes, a bag (and its contents) are used for different a/c models, options and accessories, or whatever. So, instead of putting all of the same type of rivets (in your question) in one bag, the rivets are grouped according to sub-kit need. And the sub-kit may may be used across Van's product line.
The only irritation I have with this is the sorting task when AN426AD3-3.5 rivets are included in the same bag as AN426AD3-4 rivets. But, that is just me and not a biggie.
As far a rivet color...these AN rivets have an alodine coating on them, some vendors use clear, others use gold, others use..whatever color. This color does not affect the structural specification for these AN style rivets.
Rick_A
Well Known Member
Van's bagging system could certainly use improvement. There may be some logic in bagging the hardware and rivets to go with sub-assemblies but it can make it very difficult to locates parts when you need them.
I ended up re-sorting most of the stuff in bags to keep like items together. I bought a number of small parts bins and spent a day sorting parts. Now all my rivets, bolts, nuts, washers , etc of each type are together. So if I need AN3-7A bolts, I go to that drawer. If I need AN426 AD3-4 rivets, they are all together, etc.
I've still got a few things in Van's bags but not much.
I seems to me that Van could save money if he just provided bags parts and not mixed bags. I think it would also be easier for builders.
I ended up re-sorting most of the stuff in bags to keep like items together. I bought a number of small parts bins and spent a day sorting parts. Now all my rivets, bolts, nuts, washers , etc of each type are together. So if I need AN3-7A bolts, I go to that drawer. If I need AN426 AD3-4 rivets, they are all together, etc.
I've still got a few things in Van's bags but not much.
I seems to me that Van could save money if he just provided bags parts and not mixed bags. I think it would also be easier for builders.
DaX
Well Known Member
I ended up mounting the plastic bin boxes on the side of a wooden storage shelf unit I had made. The box on the top of the stack worked fine. The next one down...just ok, and the third seemed to exhibit binding plastic drawers. This condition got worse by the time I got to the bottom mounted bins.
It turns out that the weight of the components in the drawers caused a "slight" bow in the bottom of the storage unit enclosure. This bow was transmitted to the unit directly below, and with the weight of the components from those bins, caused an additional bow deflection into the next lower bin box. This deflection continued to add up and in the bottom most unit, the drawers ended up binding most of the time.
I guess in that one stack of bins, I had 6 units suspended, one on top of the other. The bottom unit was about 20 inches off of the floor. All in all, I had about 100 drawers of "sorted" parts. I could have used another 20.
It turns out that the weight of the components in the drawers caused a "slight" bow in the bottom of the storage unit enclosure. This bow was transmitted to the unit directly below, and with the weight of the components from those bins, caused an additional bow deflection into the next lower bin box. This deflection continued to add up and in the bottom most unit, the drawers ended up binding most of the time.
I guess in that one stack of bins, I had 6 units suspended, one on top of the other. The bottom unit was about 20 inches off of the floor. All in all, I had about 100 drawers of "sorted" parts. I could have used another 20.
