Whoops...Flap Mistake

[compren]

So I'm working on my flap and was down to the very last rivet on the very last rib. I pull the cleco out and it hits me...I failed to dimple this last hole in the skin (the rib is dimpled). I think I probably just overlooked this hole while dimpling the skin.

This is the inboard flap rib, last rivet hole in the trailing edge of the flap, so it's a really tight fit...and the web faces out so a vice grip dimpler won't help.

Before I drill out a dozen rivets <just> so I can dimple the skin on this last hole, does anyone have any ideas? I had been using pulled rivets on the last hole due to space constraints. Will a pulled rivet dimple the skin into the already created dimple in the rib? Was thinking of trying a pop rivet dimpler, but I can't even get the nail thru the backside of the hole due to the tight quarters.

Any ideas?

-JB
RV-7

 

[VETE76]

i just took the dimple die out of my squeezer, put in the hole and tapped it with a small hammer. put rivet in and moved on. it won't be the last hole you forget to dimple, or match drill. lol

 

[woxofswa]

You can also help form the depression carefully using a countersink in a hand driver. In this case a dull (used on fiberglass) tip would work better than a sharp one or you can even turn it backwards. You don't want to remove much if any material or the head won't have a lip in the thin skin.

 

[JonJay]

Take the male side of a pop rivet type die, put a thumb screw style cleco through it and carefully tighten it down in the hole. That should form a reasonable dimple.

 

[compren]

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone...going to try the thumbscrew cleco idea first (hadn't even occurred to me to try that), then move on to the others. Appreciate the help!

 

[R. Daniels]

JonJay, that was just brilliant!