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Easier way to rivet?

R

Rob H

Well Known Member
I've got the Main Squeeze that came with my RV-12 tool kit from Cleaveland. It works great. I've had a couple situations where the 3" yoke couldn't quite get perfectly straight to make a perfect squeeze, especially next to a flange combined with another piece. Should I buy the longeron c-shaped yoke, or a longer yoke, or maybe purchase a rivet gun kit, or maybe a combination? Just trying to make life easier without excessive spending. Thank you
 
A rivet gun is a nice option. I've used it in several places my 3" yoke couldn't reach. Having said that, the kit is designed to be assembled without a gun so perhaps you might ask yourself or someone else - what am I missing.

If you decide to use a gun - practice practice practice. The old standard is shoot 20 practice rivets a day if you want top quality work when it comes to the plane. You can mess up more stuff with a gun and a rusty technique than you'll be ready for and it can be frustrating. Also, wear hearing protection.

And one last thing - get good at drilling out rivets if you use a gun. I swear by my self centering drill guide and won't touch any rivet I can reach without it.
 
sandpiper said:
On more than one occasion a deeper yoke would have been nice to have.
Click to expand...

Do you recall any places specifically?
In my mind, a 3" yoke either works or it doesn't (in fact in a few places, anything bigger than a 3" wont work).

The RV-12 design was tailored to have all solid rivets reachable with a hand squeezer with a 3" deep yoke. Any rivet locations that this wouldn't be possible were specified to be blind (pop) rivets and the structures were designed with the use of the blind rivets taken into consideration.
 
I agree with Scott. I used a 3" and a smaller (1 1/2" maybe) that could get everything between them. But the gun is much easier on the 1/8" rivets and the baggage compartment floor.
 
Scott,

Can't pin it down other than I seem to remember there were a couple of places in the fuse kit which I did over the 2012-13 winter. Doesn't help, as far as remembering things, that I am in year 6 of a 2 year build.:)

Anyway, I got it done with the 3" yoke but, in my inexperienced builders mind, I remember thinking a deeper yoke would have made it easier in a couple of instances. Actually contemplated getting a deeper yoke at one time but didn't. So, it couldn't have been very important to me.
 
sandpiper said:
Scott,

Can't pin it down other than I seem to remember there were a couple of places in the fuse kit which I did over the 2012-13 winter. Doesn't help, as far as remembering things, that I am in year 6 of a 2 year build.:)

Anyway, I got it done with the 3" yoke but, in my inexperienced builders mind, I remember thinking a deeper yoke would have made it easier in a couple of instances. Actually contemplated getting a deeper yoke at one time but didn't. So, it couldn't have been very important to me.
Click to expand...
For me it was just two round-head rivets on the very aft bulkhead - I remember being (mildly) surprised that I was so inept that I could get a 'smiley' with a squeezer! I ended up driving those.

http://www.schmetterlingaviation.com/2009/12/aft-bulkhead.html
 
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Dgamble said:
For me it was just two round-head rivets on the very aft bulkhead - I remember being (mildly) surprised that I was so inept that I could get a 'smiley' with a squeezer! I ended up driving those.

http://www.schmetterlingaviation.com/2009/12/aft-bulkhead.html
Click to expand...

Hmmmm..... I just measured a bulkhead and the distance from the edge of the rectangular opening to the rivet centers are all under 3". Most are barely over 2.9", but the two upper ones are further, but still less than 3".

Maybe the "Main Squeeze" isn't really 3"?

Another possibility is that rivet set selection/orientation is sometimes a factor.
If rivet sets are positioned so that the part is not centered between the top and bottom of the yoke, the radius at the bottom of the throat of the yolk will have less effective dimension
 
Dgamble said:
For me it was just two round-head rivets on the very aft bulkhead - I remember being (mildly) surprised that I was so inept that I could get a 'smiley' with a squeezer! I ended up driving those.

http://www.schmetterlingaviation.com/2009/12/aft-bulkhead.html
Click to expand...

I remember the same thing. Thought it was just me, but I could not for the life of me figure out how to get the Cleaveland squeezer to access a few of the rivets on that bulkhead too. Used a rivet gun with rivet tape if I recall. B
 
Possibly sticking your tongue out the wrong side of your mouth while riveting. When in doubt, always check this.:D
Cheers
DaveH
 
I remember struggling to do these ones too at first. I remember sitting there trying every different angle and direction and there was one way that it worked out. It would have been quicker to drive them but I did eventually get them in with the mainsqueze
 
sandpiper said:
Just did a rough measurement of my Main Squeeze. It's about 2.9".
Click to expand...

That explains the problem some are having.
A way to avoid messing up the manufactured head is to use flush rivets sets on both sides of the rivet.
It will leave a small flat in the center of the manufactured head.
This is fully accepted under the Mil. Spec. for rivet installation standards.
 
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