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Re build the VS? I think I already know the answer.

pilotian

pilotian

Well Known Member
Yep, I was going along everything was dandy, then the squeezer slipped and caught the spar channel and look what happened to my beautiful vertical stab.

Embarrassing to say the least, and I imagine I will need to rebuild the stab but wanted input first...

Note: I drilled the rivet out, tried flattening the area with no such luck.... If for some reason it was salvage able I wouldn't use a flush head to to my flattening attemp lost the dimple.

Moral of story: Im stupid.

rebuild.jpg


.....

rebuild2.jpg
 
Straighten

I think that could be straightend using the same tool that did the damage. I would attach a piece of heavy steel angle to the side of the bench, set the VS on the table witht bent flange against the angle and use the squeezer to straighten. Place a shim with a hole over the dimple and you can straighten without damaging the dimple.

Think a little outside the box here. If you have already decided to replace, you don't have anything to lose by attempting the repair.

Just my $.02.
 
well the dimple is already done because I tried using the squeezer to flatten out the area :mad: but I may try to envision what you said and try it
 
grind down the mark on the thicker piece there that is damaged so it is smooth, then flatten the other piece

i don't see any show stopping issues

you're going to make a lot larger mistakes than that, the skill is in learning how to correct those mistakes and keep moving on. asking for help is surely step 1, so you did the right thing, bu that's a solvable problem in those pics-
 
bkthomps said:
grind down the mark on the thicker piece there that is damaged so it is smooth, then flatten the other piece

i don't see any show stopping issues

you're going to make a lot larger mistakes than that, the skill is in learning how to correct those mistakes and keep moving on. asking for help is surely step 1, so you did the right thing, bu that's a solvable problem in those pics-
Click to expand...

thanks that gives me some piece of mind at least! I will try to fix it later when I have the time. But the only question I have now is.... Since I ruined the dimple will I just put a universal head rivet in there and deal with the look of it?

Thanks guys first big mistake hopefully dodged
 
Absolutely not, I wouldn't. I would put a larger countersunk rivet in there, just goto a AN426AD4-4 instead of the AN426AD3-3.5 or 3-4 that you have there
 
bkthomps said:
Absolutely not, I wouldn't. I would put a larger countersunk rivet in there, just goto a AN426AD4-4 instead of the AN426AD3-3.5 or 3-4 that you have there
Click to expand...

Ohh okay so even though the head will be raised, I should still go with flush head! Makes sense! Thanks!
 
Also the rivet to the right of the bad hole is under riveted. When flying, that rivet will just work its way off the plane. Don't ask me how i know! ;)
 
pilotian said:
Ohh okay so even though the head will be raised, I should still go with flush head! Makes sense! Thanks!
Click to expand...

it shouldn't be, drill the hole larger, dimple with larger -4 dimple die straighten the metal out before you do any of these steps. It would also be a good idea to remove the surrounding rivets while you are straightening you may have more luck with it that way
 
Re-dimple

Ian, in case it it wasn't clear from the other's posts, straighten everything out, then re-dimple the hole. If you end-up with a hole diameter that's too large, then use a larger diameter rivet. If you're worried about the integrity of the metal there you can always rivet in a little doubler plate under the flange.
 
Pneumatic squeezers are great but since their increase in popularity as a general dimpling and riveting tool I have seen a lot of damage cause by them.
It would take very little time, and very little grunt, to squeeze these flanges with a hand squeezer. You can elliminate this kind of mistake.

As others mentioned, this is very repairable.
 
Thanks guys I appreciate all the help, I really do! I think this was my breaking point on pneumatic squeezers being used to much!

Looks like I'll be repairing in A couple minutes, take some pliers or something to flatten the area as best I can, drill final size, dimple, and rivet with and squeezer and be done with it.

I think I will just not show people that part of thenplane when they want to look around at it :D.

as for the under driven rivet comment, to my driven rivets.... They fit the Gage or are they all still bad??.... The one to the extreme right ofthe mess hasn't been driven yet
 
Actually, i saw the undriven one but i was referring to the one to the left of it. It just stood out as obviously less driven than the others, but it could be just me.

I am just sensitive to this now, having just found 2 rivets on the belly of my tailcone that departed my plane after 100 hours. It is amazing to me that they could work their way out. I am sure to have measured each rivet on the first kit. I soon realized gauging by sight and feel is more efficient.

Otherwise, rivets looks great. Keep up the good work!

Jae
 
jchang10 said:
Actually, i saw the undriven one but i was referring to the one to the left of it. It just stood out as obviously less driven than the others, but it could be just me.

I am just sensitive to this now, having just found 2 rivets on the belly of my tailcone that departed my plane after 100 hours. It is amazing to me that they could work their way out. I am sure to have measured each rivet on the first kit. I soon realized gauging by sight and feel is more efficient.

Otherwise, rivets looks great. Keep up the good work!

Jae
Click to expand...

Thanks! I decided to finish up the vs yesterday by hand squeezing (pneumatic is in a long needed time out) and found it was a lot easier to control and "feel"! I made sure they were pretty well driven from then on!

As for the fix, I was sent a great visual aid for how to fix it and will be trying that tomorrow :) will post pics of how it goes! Thanks everyone


Ps... Didnt have time today, to busy doing an intense Ohio U visit today! Any Ohio U alumn!!!!? Go bobcats!
 
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