Trailing Edge riveting

[Bavafa]

If you have a table saw, almost required to make jigs and what not, it can act as a perfect back plate.
I used my table saw for big pieces to rivet, including the tail cone bottom skin. It worked so nicely and was easy. Did not require any shimming or support since it is a good size table saw.

[Yank]

great timing! Just getting to this step and I’ve been going back and forth between using pro-seal or the double sided tape called out in section 5. Only problem I see with pro-seal is on page 7-10step 2.... it states that the trailing edge will have to be pulled apart “slightly” to access the aft two rivets. Any recommendations?

[kbalch]

No reason whatsoever not to use double-sided tape. While I preferred the bent trailing edges from my old -8 (quick & easy to do and never gave any trouble in service), the riveted edges on my new -14A project, while requiring a bit more time, are also easily done.

This is the tape you want: double-sided tape

[czechsix]

Originally Posted by kbalch

No reason whatsoever not to use double-sided tape.

I pondered the pros and cons of proseal vs. double-sided tape on my trailing edges and ended up going with proseal. My reason is that the tape doesn't form a perfect bond between the skins and the TE wedge, and (from looking at a number of completed RVs with riveted TEs) there are typically some gaps that open up between the wedge and skin. Any time you have a narrow gap between two unprimed surfaces, it's a perfect place for corrosion to start. Just large enough for moisture to get in, but not large enough for it to easily dry out. I've seen this occur on parts stored with the plastic still on in a humid environment...moisture gets in between the aluminum and plastic near the edges and you can see corrosion after a few years that is worse than what you find on the unprimed exposed surfaces of 70 year old spam cans.

Proseal doesn't prevent some gaps from forming when you rivet, but at least both the wedge and skin surfaces have a coat of proseal over them which will inhibit corrosion better than unprimed bare aluminum.

I don't expect anyone will be falling out of the sky due to corrosion on TE surfaces, and most builders won't own the airplane long enough for it to become their problem, but as a matter of principle I felt the proseal method offered the best long-term protection of the airframe.

FWIW...

[Yank]

Originally Posted by czechsix

I pondered the pros and cons of proseal vs. double-sided tape on my trailing edges and ended up going with proseal. My reason is that the tape doesn't form a perfect bond between the skins and the TE wedge, and (from looking at a number of completed RVs with riveted TEs) there are typically some gaps that open up between the wedge and skin. Any time you have a narrow gap between two unprimed surfaces, it's a perfect place for corrosion to start. Just large enough for moisture to get in, but not large enough for it to easily dry out. I've seen this occur on parts stored with the plastic still on in a humid environment...moisture gets in between the aluminum and plastic near the edges and you can see corrosion after a few years that is worse than what you find on the unprimed exposed surfaces of 70 year old spam cans.

Proseal doesn't prevent some gaps from forming when you rivet, but at least both the wedge and skin surfaces have a coat of proseal over them which will inhibit corrosion better than unprimed bare aluminum.

I don't expect anyone will be falling out of the sky due to corrosion on TE surfaces, and most builders won't own the airplane long enough for it to become their problem, but as a matter of principle I felt the proseal method offered the best long-term protection of the airframe.

FWIW...

Only problem with proseal is how do you access the aft two rivets on page 7-10 step 2. I guess you just wait until the end to use the proseal....