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Removing plastic from under rivet

Tsabean

Active Member
It appears one aileron that came with a project I purchased had the rivets set prior to removing the blue plastic. I searched the archives but didn't see any discussions on how to remove the telltale signs of the plastic.
Picking it out with tweezers seems work intensive. Anyone have an easier solution?
Thanks, Tom
 
If you think you are removing it with a pick, all you are likely doing is removing the portion that is visible around the rivet.
The only way to remove it from under a rivet is to first remove the rivet.
When rivets are installed properly, they fit very tight against the bottom of the dimple or countersink. This would make it impossible to remove the plastic. Even if you could, you would then have a rivet that wasn't tight in the bottom of the dimple.
 
If it were me I'd contact Vans. Even if you can remove the plastic from under the rivet its going to leave an air gap in there increasing the likelihood of rivets loosening up, corrosion, paint difficulites...

Alex
 
If it were me I'd contact Vans. Even if you can remove the plastic from under the rivet its going to leave an air gap in there increasing the likelihood of rivets loosening up, corrosion, paint difficulites...

Alex

He got a reply from Vans in post #2. :)
 
Had a few of these

I had a few of these by accident and figured the only way to fix was to drill out and replace. I am not sure how many you are talking about thou. Good luck.
 
just a data point.....I have a set of quick build:confused: fuel tanks that I purchased second hand that had blue plastic under all the rivets on the outer skins. They have over 600 hrs on them and no leaks.
 
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