Just ordered my -12 kit this week. Placed tool kit order with Cleveland today. Looking over the tool list from Cleveland Tools. To what extent does the -12 kit require squeezing rivets? Is it worth upgrading to a pneumatic squeezer or is the hand squeezer good enough?
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How many squeeze rivets on -12?
- Thread starter jfrank71
- Start date
Phantom30
Well Known Member
Unless it is your plan to develope arm strength....I would go for the pneumatic squeezer. There are "way more" than a couple of hundred rivets!!!
DHeal
Well Known Member
Something like 12,500 rivets??? 
I used a Cleveland Main Squeeze (pricey but well worth it), a Harbor Freight pneumatic pop-rivet puller (such a pneumatic puller is a necessity unless you want to end up looking like Popeye), and a couple of hand-squeeze pop-rivet pullers. A fancy pneumatic rivet squeezer ($$$) is a nice tool to have in your shop but it is not necessary for an RV-12.
I used a Cleveland Main Squeeze (pricey but well worth it), a Harbor Freight pneumatic pop-rivet puller (such a pneumatic puller is a necessity unless you want to end up looking like Popeye), and a couple of hand-squeeze pop-rivet pullers. A fancy pneumatic rivet squeezer ($$$) is a nice tool to have in your shop but it is not necessary for an RV-12.I?m using a Cleaveland Main Squeeze and Harbor Freight pneumatic pop rivet puller for most of the rivets on my RV-12 project. I also have an Avery squeezer and a manual pop rivet puller that I use from time to time. I?m sure a pneumatic squeezer is nice, but it?s not essential.
Main Squeeze for the solids, Harbor Freight pneumatic for most of the pulled, close-quarters hand puller for where the pneumatic puller won't fit.
Jerre
I dont remember how many solid rivets are used on the metal airframe, but it didnt seem like very many. However, there are quite a few on the fiberglass cowling, to rivet on the hinges, and some on the fiberglass parts such as wheel pants and nose gear leg fairing, if you install those. Mostly to install nut plates.
I bet there is a local builder willing to let you borrow a pneumatic squeezer if you feel you need one, but in my opinion you could easily get by with a hand squeezer.
As for the blind rivets, there are about 10,000 of those and you definitely want a pneumatic puller to do them.
Have fun!
I bet there is a local builder willing to let you borrow a pneumatic squeezer if you feel you need one, but in my opinion you could easily get by with a hand squeezer.
As for the blind rivets, there are about 10,000 of those and you definitely want a pneumatic puller to do them.
Have fun!
rv7charlie
Well Known Member
Yes, you can get an 'Amen.'
I've got a nearly complete RV-7 (fuse forward top skin left to rivet) that probably had a grand total of 3 rivets squeezed with an air squeezer, and I squeezed a *lot* of the rivets. Much easier to control a hand squeezer, especially if you won't be using it enough to get proficient with it.
RFSchaller
Well Known Member
I used a hand squeezer on all the 3/32" rivets, but a rivet gun was welcome on the 1/8" rivets. They are a bear to squeeze!
tomkk
Well Known Member
I used a Cleveland Main Squeeze. I found the 1/8" were as easy as the 3/32". It was easy enough that if I were to do it again, I would stay with the Main Squeeze and not bother with a pneumatic.
The airplane was specifically designed for all solid rivets to set with a 3" yoke in a hand squeezer.
Phneumatic squeezers generally have the same access ability that the common hand squeezers have.
My guess on the amount of solid rivets that have to be installed is 800 - 1000.
yankee-flyer
Well Known Member
If you have a local EAA Chapter see if you can borrow
a pneumatic squeezer, especially if you're near the age (69) I was when I started. I could, with a lot of effort, squeeze 3mm rivets but most of the 4mm were just about impossible. Once you get the pneumatic squeezer set using scrap material, you can squeeze perfect rivets all day long. I may be overestimating a bit (doesn't seem like it) but I tell people there are 15,000 rivets in the airplane, of which 13000 are pop rivets.
Wayne 120241/143WM
a pneumatic squeezer, especially if you're near the age (69) I was when I started. I could, with a lot of effort, squeeze 3mm rivets but most of the 4mm were just about impossible. Once you get the pneumatic squeezer set using scrap material, you can squeeze perfect rivets all day long. I may be overestimating a bit (doesn't seem like it) but I tell people there are 15,000 rivets in the airplane, of which 13000 are pop rivets.
Wayne 120241/143WM
Stitch462
Well Known Member
The world may never know....
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