What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

9 Elevator leading edge spar to skin riveting

Surfdoc

Member
Just started the right elevator and keep scratching my head as to how to rivet the spar to the skin. There is an option for blind rivets on the bottom on the skin/spar but who is to say not the top? I can not for the life of me figure out how to get my hand in there to rivet that top section of skin to spar on the elevator. I really hope I explained this well...
 
You can bend back the skin quite a way (well over 90 degrees) to get in there with a small bucking bar.

IMG_7230-M.jpg
 
Just started the right elevator and keep scratching my head as to how to rivet the spar to the skin. There is an option for blind rivets on the bottom on the skin/spar but who is to say not the top? I can not for the life of me figure out how to get my hand in there to rivet that top section of skin to spar on the elevator. I really hope I explained this well...

We are in the exact same place, and bruceh's picture shows how to set it up. You will need to reach around / over the spar with a bucking bar and set it with a mushroom set. My tech counselor had to show me how to approach this over this last weekend. I had tried to backrivet it with miserable results.
 
Last edited:
Yep, that's the way to do it - open it up enough that you can slip a small bar in there and hold it in place with your fingers. A tungsten bar helps, if you have one. If I remember correctly this is the point in my project, and the exact reason why, that I bought my tungsten bucking bar.
 
DOH!

Unrelated, I was reading ahead in the plans, and came across page 6-12 which demonstrates this.
 
I doctored a tungsten bar as shown with 1) Duct tape to prevent scratches, 2) 3 narrow 1/8" cork pads along the top to keep the bar square to the web/rivet (the spar flange is not 90 deg to the web), and 3) the square pads are spaced between dimples and help keep the bar square and prevent a shop head from being pounded too thin. The results were pretty good.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jb6Bkj0usuqob1C53
fRJuj7JCr-K6WZncMC09O5uzzJeV7_PNxjeox8XgcGv3G7hetQhdFdDaaBX8SKdNxfLm2Cg5D6dkL49PogYRO0uxCKhf8kn3aTAknSptZSeBwEkEvhwhLesasL-Z2SKw_0fLie60bUo-LROih7PJusP8BK1pUyPG7WOeBOc66FHBKrVl0DguQXqdJV4xMUsClz53ADwggLsxzcYC-AgK280aiE7vgg4gYHmEQNf4tpe26wzwGBxnRkcxHydKGZTfGdBrQSTgik755ZzWVbe2Z1FsHwD1BVkh_wOsHlUAOINiWsFQ2Su5An8gWStLGHWJJJPPpqjUVTSmPrrz_uj2UIxbuQJt78d9rK9S81_C0nWMs6LLWYaGUkhgJ3cnOq8we3-IDzSudt84-gaHjP36ZqLb4jOb6niovfk44YqdV6pw2anPDnXYa8WgFyrM6bNy-HU4_3XWVomNGVoxlM9pTq09IJmIsIcRSvRfR1yAvQ3WQAyBqY_PiGfMtWlm67vOwdDyk23SjvdKk1dAwDLyhzbE5BN5JATgT0ext4P3Ls3vpg3b6cMyfCX0o6Ot7x1BshVAjJcSAkJKG7_DExHMSS7XeeFUa7q79jTbfsJ3wJ2LcUHyQlLI7rA0MT_k3n1_5DDclm1yMw1Ujvf-eCoPnONqxFp_xcM=w1040-h781-no
 
Last edited:
Elevator skin to spar

I don't like pulled rivets, so I used solid rivets top and bottom using a 3/4" x 2" flat steel bar, the length of the elevator.

I tried posting pictures before but I just can't get them to post. If you're interested to see my set-up, just email me. The letters: delta charlie mike sierra at xplornet.ca

I won't lay claim to the design because I borrowed the idea from someone else a long time ago.

The elevators look really good with the solid rivets!
Cliff Jones 9A
Pritchard, BC
 
I did a lousy job on my Right Elevator with the bucking...

starting the left hopefully with better results

I will use a RE that I purchased with a wing kit...
 
Back
Top