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Opinions please best "Pop" riveter for the elevator ribs

Carlpretzel

Active Member
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I've finally gotten to those pesky "pop" rivets near the aft elevator spar. I'm currently using a cheap Sears brand pop riveter that just won't fit without damaging the skins. Please tell me what tool you guys used to get these rivets set without that much trouble.
 
Have you made a wedge like Van's explains to use between your rivet and gun on the stem to get clearance ?
 
Pop riveter

You can also grid the edges of your pop riveter to get more closely aligned. You would be amazed to see how much I've ground off mine:)
 
I used my stock no-name brand pop-riveter that came with the Isham tool kit.

It fit, just barely, but it fit. I was able to pull without using the shim plate.
 
I tried something interesting after grinding down my pop riveter failed to give the clearance, I went to Lowes and got a piece of hardware, its hex and used to connect two threaded rod together. Anyway, I then lopped one edge off of it at an angle . Then put this over the pop rivet with the angle at the base of the pop rivet, which holds the pop rivet firm in the hold, but brings the stem out at a slight angle, and used my pop riveter there, Worked like a charm, and pulled the stems off cleanly.

*EDIT after the fact*

I just realized we may not be talking about the same places, i used my track attaching the leading edge wing assembly to the main spar on an RV-8, another very tight pop rivet location.
 
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I have this riveter - the swivel head one from Avery but can be had lots of places:
http://www.averytools.com/prodinfo.asp?number=25500

I didnt have any trouble doing all the rivets on the elevators with one exception. On the left elevator with the stiffeners for the trim control, I moved left to right and did the rib to stiffener pop rivets last. For this I lacked clearance, tried to make something work, and failed. I had a **** of a time and messed things up trying to make it right and actually ended up making a new left elevator instead of living with the mess and patching it up (only a $250 mistake - I was glad it wasn't more).

When I did the elevator the second time I did the pop rivets on the stiffeners first and didn't cleco the other ribs until after the stiffener pop rivets were in. That gave me the flex to move the skins out of the way and set the rivets without a problem. I then clecod the rest of the ribs together and pop riveted right to left. The ability to rotate the head on this particular riveter makes it work in that setting. You do have to sort of have your hand upside down and backwards but it works.
 
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