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Anyone have issues with The Yard store dimple dies?

nacoblio

Member
So I need a few more dimple dies. I have been doing some searches on a number of the different tool suppliers and have noticed some significant price differences. The yard has dies for 15$ per set. The same size is 40$ from Cleveland. Are the dies from Cleveland any better? I have a number of dies from different sources but have never noticed a difference. Has anyone seen a difference in the quality of dimples produced by a certain companies dies?
Thanks for the input.
 
Cleaveland supply spring back dies - they create a very good dimple. Best to check whether the others are identical or you will get under dimpled dimples :rolleyes:

There are several times it is better to stick to the tried and trusted ;)
 
Yard store tools

I have scratch built a Davis DA2A with yard store tools ( flush riveted -4's)
and my RV7. I am not a perfectionist by any means and found that the tools i got at the yard satisfied me. They also have a ton of used stuff, bucking bars, clecos, sheetmetal, leather hides by the hundreds. Sort of depends what the local aircraft factories are surplusing at the time.

Keith Rhea
RV7
 
Yard store dimple dies worked fine for me, and that's what the majority of my plane was built with - until I borrowed a buddy's Cleaveland dies. There was a noticeable difference in resulting dimple quality. Neither are bad, but the Cleavelands were clearly the superior tool and left a crisper, better looking finished riveted joint. If I ever build another RV, I'll toss the yard store dies in the bin and buy new Cleavelands. The difference in price is next to nothing, in terms of cost per hole.
 
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It sounds like you have made your decision, but I'll add my 2 cents for others. I have both and I think the dies from the Yard Store work fine. I do think they are of lower quality. The type of metal used and the retention spring are both of a lower grade. Having said that I use both types of dies interchangeably.
 
Are the dies from Cleveland any better?

Long story short: yes.

I recently bought five sets of dies from all the well-known suppliers out there, three of those labeled as "spring-back". (It's a hobby, eh...) All of these will produce a fine airplane, but Cleaveland produces a slightly superior dimple with the best aesthetics.

Our building mindsets may differ, of course, but to me the $25 extra on a $100k+ outlay is way down in the noise.
 
The other thing to watch for is corrosion of cheaper dies. I purchased an Economy Die from ACS as I had to butcher it anyway and take one side with a grinder so that I could set some dimples around the inboard edge of my tanks. Six months later I noticed that the dies were already badly corroded, whereas my Avery dies that were 14 years and many thousands of rivets old still have no sign of corrosion or wear.
Tom.
 
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