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Baggage floor to center section riveting

LettersFromFlyoverCountry

Well Known Member
And we're back.

Tonite's question involves the RV-12iS, Section 21 page three instructions for riveting the three ribs and baggage floor to the center.

Specifically, this line of rivets -- AN470-4-9's -- 12 of which are need on each floor to the center section. Simple.

IMAG0566.jpg


I am using a TATCO hand squeezer here and you may be able to notice that because the floor interferes, it's not possible to line up the squeezer dies such that you're not going to get either a smiley or an uneven shop head.

IMAG0565.jpg


You can only hold the squeezer on the aft side of the center section because the small space between the two halves of the center section does not allow coming at it from the other side.

I've tried putting the manufactured head forward (even though I think that's a terrible idea; you'd never be able to drill that head off if you ever had to remove it) and I can, if I work at it, get a smiley-freeze squeeze, but I don't like the uneven manufactured head. I tested putting the manufactured head aft, but you're just asking for a smiley there because the floor interferes with getting the squeezer lined up.

I know what you're thinking: "Hey, Bob, just use an offset rivet set in a gun and buck the darn thing." Alas, I sold the rivet gun when the RV-7A was completed. Besides, the RV-12 kit considers that you're not bucking and shooting so there's a probably a way that will work.

Maybe one of the newfangled squeezers has a different profile that will work here but while I'm not real keen and shelling out big bucks for a new squeezer for 24 AN-470-4-9's, I'm not really that interested in smileys either.

Ideas?
 
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Bob

I have both fuselage kits for the RV-12. I just received the iS kit last week and have not started it yet, still working on the wings, but got past this step on the vintage kit before the offer to buy the iS was made.

On Pg. 21iS/U-02, Step 6, the last part of that step describes using 2 thin flush sets and using some tape on the squeezer to protect the floors. That's the same instruction for the vintage kit. I know those aren't flush rivets but I reasoned that the idea was the squeezer could be a bit off center pushed a little bit away from the floor, but square to the rivet and accomplish squeezing the rivets OK. It worked fine, the manufactured heads didn't appear to mind having the flush head set used on the round heads. I used the Cleaveland Main Squeeze tool.

It's just like your 2nd picture, only with the thin, larger diameter of the flush sets it can squarely squeeze those rivets.


Rick Pryor
RV-12iS
 
Probably not the answer you?re looking for, but I just used a good ol? rivet gun and bucking bar. Worked like a champ and only took a few minutes to do them all.
 
Yup

Seriously? They want me to use a flush set on the shop head?

Ricks description jogged my memory, that?s exactly what I did also. The flat die gives you just enough offset to get it done and you?ll have to look close to see any difference on the Mfg head. As I recall it?s an allowable practice also. I tried the offset driver just once. Never again. Need more practice than I had to avoid ?smiles? all over the place.
 
I've tried putting the manufactured head forward (even though I think that's a terrible idea; you'd never be able to drill that head off if you ever had to remove it).

Is there enough room to remove it with an angle drill and a very short bit?

Plan B: If you put the manufactured head aft, could you carefully bend the baggage floors down to provide enough room for the squeezer, then bend them back up after riveting?
 
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Ricks description jogged my memory, that?s exactly what I did also. The flat die gives you just enough offset to get it done and you?ll have to look close to see any difference on the Mfg head. As I recall it?s an allowable practice also. I tried the offset driver just once. Never again. Need more practice than I had to avoid ?smiles? all over the place.

OK, cool. This'll be a first.
 
Ricks description jogged my memory, that’s exactly what I did also. The flat die gives you just enough offset to get it done and you’ll have to look close to see any difference on the Mfg head. As I recall it’s an allowable practice also. I tried the offset driver just once. Never again. Need more practice than I had to avoid “smiles” all over the place.

Guys:

Can't thank you enough for refocusing my attention. There it is on step six, as you said.

I had skipped these two steps on the previous page and jumped ahead because Van's has back ordered on the bag of plate nuts in step five and I didn't want to wait.

The double flush set worked just fine.

Thanks again.
 
Good deal

Glad it worked for you. The other "challenge" I remember having was to clamp the flange flat against the spar so that there would be no gap as I was riveting. Took a few trials to get it to hold flat while a was squeezing the rivets. Got 'er done eventually.
 
Yeah, I stuck the center section on it end, put a block under the floor to take out the strain that tended to pull the flange away, kept a cleco on each side , pressure on the squeezer and started the initial squeeze with one hand while pushing on the flange.

Now if Van's would just get that back/ordered bag in the mail, I could finish it off (the 4 rivets on both ends are in the bag)
 
Yup, that's the "drill". I'm sure there have been many innovative ways to tackle this. All of 'em I could imagine involved growing an extra arm and and having grip strength that is only a distant memory <grin>. Eventually we've all managed, and it's not as hard as we first thought. On to the next challenge! In my case it's the fairings, wheel pants and paint. Just turned 80 hours on the Hobbs. No sweeter bird in the skies.
 
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