my first "wait, that's not right!"

Working on the rudder today. I was dimpling the edges of the skins, plugging along daydreaming about my RV-4 ride yesterday. When "HEY are those supposed to be dimpled?" enters my brain. I had dimpled the leading edge rivet holes. Anyone else do this? I guess my first call to Vans will be in a little bit.

Are you referring to the holes that are pop riveted. I think they take LP-4s. Dimpling them shouldn't cause any sort of problem. Just use a CS-4 pop rivet instead.

Yep, that's the ones.

All ok now. Called Vans and got this response from Gus(?): No problem, just use CS4-4's if you want. or undimple them and install the AD-41's like the plan calls for. Worrying about nothing, but it's my first real screw-up.

BTW-Steve F. emailed me with the exact answer. What a great network, especially for us remote folks.

Good quote from some builder...

It is now how you screw up but how you fix it that counts

Click to expand...

I guess you could say the same about landing.

hydroguy2 said:

No problem, just use CS4-4's if you want. or undimple them

Click to expand...

Huh? This sounds like terrible advice. Not the using CS4-4s (my recommendation) but "un-dimpling" a dimpled hole? Somewhere in the deep recesses of the archives, somebody did some testing on "un-dimpling" holes. The un-dimpled holes, while looking OK, had only a fraction of the strength of the original material.

A few of these letting go could jam the rudder and ruin your whole day.