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Tight quarter riveting suggestion

M

montanaro

Member
I just dug out my practice wing kit and have proceeded to make every easily avoided mistake...but I guess that is what this is for.

My question concerns the best way to rivet the two rivets on the ribs that are just forward of the trailing edge. I have various squeezer yokes and bucking bars but it is not obvious to me how to do this.

I am assuming someone has figured this out or may be just missing something. Any help would be appreciated. I would have posted a picture but I am not exactly sure how to do that on this site of it is allowed.

Thanks
 
Here are some things you can try:

1. A squeezer with a thin, no-hole yoke.
2. A very small offset bucking bar.
3. Backriveting using a thin piece of steel against the shop head. The steel has to be thin enough to fit between the rib flanges. You also need a steel backriveting plate to go against the manufactured head.
4. Use an MK-319-BS pulled rivet in the last hole.
 
Tight space

rv9builder said:
Here are some things you can try:

1. A squeezer with a thin, no-hole yoke.
2. A very small offset bucking bar.
3. Backriveting using a thin piece of steel against the shop head. The steel has to be thin enough to fit between the rib flanges. You also need a steel backriveting plate to go against the manufactured head.
4. Use an MK-319-BS pulled rivet in the last hole.
Click to expand...

#4 was my choice. Once the plane is painted, the hole in the rivet will be filled and you're the only one who knows. But...
One option is to lay the surface on a back rivet plate. Use a solid flat blade screwdriver. Lay it on top of the shop head and use your gun to drive the screwdriver as close as you can get to the rivet.
 
Axe blade sharp edge as a bucking bar - worked for me. I may have also used slightly shortened rivets too. The mass of blade gave it sufficient inertia to set these with ease.
 
rv9builder said:
Here are some things you can try:
3. Backriveting using a thin piece of steel against the shop head. The steel has to be thin enough to fit between the rib flanges. You also need a steel backriveting plate to go against the manufactured head.
Click to expand...

Mark -
Can you explain this? I also worked on my sample project over the weekend and had the same issue. The Van's instructions tell you to build a small steel plate for this purpose. Why do you need a steel backriveting plate to go against the manufactured head? Can't you just hit it with the rivet gun directly?

Thanks
Charlie
 
rivet tool

I ground off the teeth of a Vice Grip then riveted the handle so it could not lock. Grind the head to slide inside. Works great and it will come in handy for other tight areas.
 
cderk said:
Mark -
Can you explain this? I also worked on my sample project over the weekend and had the same issue. The Van's instructions tell you to build a small steel plate for this purpose. Why do you need a steel backriveting plate to go against the manufactured head? Can't you just hit it with the rivet gun directly?

Thanks
Charlie
Click to expand...

Hi Charlie,

I built my 9A control surfaces long before Van's introduced the practice kit, so I haven't seen the instructions. If they suggest making a small steel plate and riveting the normal way, give it a try. It will probably work!

The reason I used a back-rivet plate is because the piece of steel I had didn't have much mass to it. I didn't think I would be able to hold it firmly enough with one hand to set the rivet, while I used my other hand to hold the rivet gun against the manufactured head. Since I had a back-rivet plate, I decided to flip the control surface upside down and use back riveting.

I used the technique Larry describes in post #3, except instead of using a flat-blade screwdriver, I used a thin piece of steel. As Larry says, lay the screwdriver (or piece of steel) on top of the shop head. Then use the rivet gun to drive the screwdriver (or piece of steel). You want to place the rivet gun as close as possible to the rivet.

I was successful with this technique on some of my control surfaces. On others, I felt it was better to just use an MK-319-BS pop rivet.

I hope this helps.
 
Hi Charlie,

Yes, the indirect riveting technique shown in the video is exactly what I did. The video shows it much more clearly than my written explanation!
 
Doug said:
Axe blade sharp edge as a bucking bar - worked for me. I may have also used slightly shortened rivets too. The mass of blade gave it sufficient inertia to set these with ease.
Click to expand...

Never thought of this myself, but seems like a great "alternate" bucking bar option. Didn't know they made axes out of tungsten... ;-)
 
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