Tailcone backriveting

I am a one man show, and have run into my first snag with the length (lack of) my arms and am unable to rivet the bottom skin on the tail-cone to the side skin.

Did anyone backrivet this location and if so, can you provide some input on the best way to accomplish this task

Thanks https://photos.app.goo.gl/BKdCLuJZCM2vDN9u7

I backriveted the lower skins to the side skins with no issues. The post is a bit long and covers the side skins as well, but scroll down to the bottom and you?ll see how I did it. Basically just put my plate on the floor and got it done.

http://tasrv14.blogspot.com/2019/08/10-19-riveting-aft-fuse-side-skins.html?m=1

You can easily backrivet anything you can't reach on the entire tailcone.

I just rested the tail cone on my backrivet plate. Just take it slow and make sure you always have the plate under the rivets.

I had soft pads under parts of the tailcone that were not resting on the plate to stabilize it. Takes a lot of repositioning but still goes pretty quick.

Here's a link to my relevant page: http://n626km.com/rv14log014/index17.html

Awesome. Thank you so much for the replies

Brian,

Just suggestions here, but there are going to be a few places where you need three or more hands or unnaturally long arms. BTW, I back-riveted everything I could manage, even using the little tungsten bars. I felt like I got better results on the appearance.

1. I see you live near Portland. The highest density of RV builders on the planet live near you. Reach out through VAF or EAA. RV builders are easily entertained by mundane and repetitive tasks and many subsist primarily on beer. Two things you can easily supply.

2. Family, friends, neighbors, significant others will cherish the self-esteem and personal pride that comes from a shop head well-formed. Riveting/bucking are very under-appreciated life skills IMHO.

3. Any available teenager? Convince them the dimensions and increased weight of a back rivet plate will give them the hand strength and dexterity to allow for some truly marathon Call of Duty sessions. They’ll be invincible.

Anyway...you’ll need help down the line and it’s nice to have another set of eyes on things sometimes, as you probably already know as a pilot.