21-08: Riveting Flap Structure Components

I really wanted to keep moving on the project, but the compressor was away at the shop. I decided that it wouldn't be that hard to squeeze the AD4 rivet using the hand squeezer. Right? 

I started with the easiest parts - the inboard 2 nose ribs on each flap and their associated doublers. These all went ok, although took a lot of grunt! I used a slim 1/8" flat set which i had previously ground down to fit into the tight space next to the nutplate. It is certainly a lot easier with the squeezer and you get much nicer rivets. 

This ground down flat set, just fit into the space to allow the nutplate rivets to be set.

I was talking with one of the blokes at work who offered me his compressor - so i made an excuse to go and do some "essential work" in order to pick up his compressor - then mine was ready the very next day! Anyhow, crack on. 

I used the squeezer to set the rivets for the hinge brackets to their matching hinges. Much easier with the pneumatic squeezer!

Next up was to double flush rivet the flap hinges together. Again, i used some ground down flat sets to do the job. The hardware was installed in the 1/4" hole to keep the parts in alignment when riveting.

 I also hit the 10,000th rivet on this part - the left hand inboard flap hinge pair! 

Once these components were done i could rivet everything to the spar. This was fairly simple with the exception of one rib - the one circled below. This one needed to be done with the gun and the bucking bar. There was just no way to fit the squeezer in there. The end rivets were done with the hand squeezer because i could not fit the pneumatic squeezer in. 

There just wasn't access for the squeezer - whichever way you did it (nose rib before main rib or vice versa).

No way i can fit the squeezer in here.

I used the hand squeezer for the end ribs

I had a query on the blog about using the plastic tube to keep the flanges together - i realised i had mentioned that i did this a few times, but never posted any photos. So here is an example. I use small diameter water pipe from the hardware store and cut it so it is a little longer than the extended tail of the rivet. Then the squeezer clamps down, it squashes the rib flanges together before setting the rivet. 

You can also use it with a bucking bar - you just need to do a few hits with the tube in place. This expands the rivet a little and holds the flanges together. You can then remove the tube, and finish setting the rivet. 

Tite like a drum.

I only had one issue - this was the rib which i could not get to with the squeezer - the first rivet. I was not current on the gun obviously! It came out easily though, i was able to flatten the flanges of the rib (which had no damage thankfully) and set a new rivet with no problems. 

Ouch. No smiling.

Next up is to level my bench, setup the structure in the flap cradles dad made, and start riveting the skins on.