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r-garrett(at)att.net
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 Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 2:49 am Post subject: Oops! A6 Rivet question |
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TIM- On the rivets that have stems that keep you from drilling and cause the
drill to go off-center and make a mess- Use a center punch and a light
hammer and try to drive the stem back into yhe opposte end . Then try
drilling the rivet hear off. Sometimes it takes a few tries to drive the
rivet center in. Be carefull you don't bend or dent the aluminum skin. I did
have to use a few #6 rivets a couple years ago when I opened the leading
edge on both wings to take out the two aux. tanks but don't remember which
pulling head I used.
Presently, I have both wings off with the topskins removed along with both
leading edge skins. Also, the center section srar is out. I have stripped
both spars fron the wings for easier handling. I have decided bolt yhe new
heavy angles onto the spars after trying unsucessfully to rivet. The left
wing will be closed and finished in about a week or two. Then comes the
right wing and then the center spar and fuselage work. Looks like an all
summer job. If you get a chance take a trip down and see my slow progress.
ROY
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psm(at)att.net
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| Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 6:23 am Post subject: Oops! A6 Rivet question |
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Hi Patrick,
I have found a slightly different approach for removing rivets. I do
nothing before drilling, and use the same size drill bit as the final rivet
hole. I drill very slowly - using a variable speed battery powered drill.
Most of the time the head starts to spin when the drill bit reaches the skin
and I am finished. In cases where the stem gets in the way the drill bit
goes off center and I stop before the bit reaches the skin. Then I use a
normal wood chisel and mallet to tap off the remaining part of the rivet
head. With the rivet partially drilled this goes very easily.
I have done a lot of wood work over the years, so it is easy for me to
position the wood chisel so it doesn't damage the skin. For less
experienced wood workers, I would recommend a little practice in partially
drilled rivets in scrap pieces.
After the rivet head is removed, I use a slightly smaller pin punch and
mallet to remove the remains from the hole. Some times this makes a bit of
a dent in the skin, but this is easily removed with auto body dolly and
hammer.
------
For removing the pre-existing rivets, I used one of those $3 "spring
punches". I ground down the tip so it could fit into the holes in the
rivets. For each rivet I would punch down the stem, and then using a drill
bit *larger* than the existing rivet, I would carefully drill into the rivet
head until it popped off (without touching the underlying skin or enlarging
the existing hole). Then most rivets could be pushed out the rest of the
way with a second pop from the spring punch. Stubborn ones got drilled out
with a smaller drill so as to not enlarge the existing hole.
------
I don't think you need to worry too much about scratches impacting your
polishing. The polishing process is designed to remove them. If you have
deep scratches you should probably smooth them out with emery cloth, but the
shallow ones will be polished out without much extra effort.
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It took a while, but I've got one wing just about done now. By far the
biggest problem I've had is "garage rash" as these skins are taking a
beating and getting all scratched no matter how careful I am. I want to
polish my skins, but I don't know how it will look with some of the
scratches I can already see.
--------
Paul
XL installing changes
N773PM
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afterfxllc(at)aol.com
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| Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 9:53 am Post subject: Oops! A6 Rivet question |
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If your aircraft isn't painted you can use a wood chisel to remove all rivets and leave no dents and it makes the tail removal much easier also.
I use a chisel to remove the solid rivet heads then just punch out the shop end with a punch and hammer over a vise. I have gotten to the point that I can disassemble the center spar and remove all the rivets in 30 minutes. I do the same with the wing spar but I have to drill half way thru them and use my 2X to punch the shop end out.
If you use a chisel you need to smooth the bottom so it doesn't scratch or gouge the aluminum.
Jeff
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w8n2bup
Joined: 09 Apr 2008
Posts: 20
Location: Kansas City Area
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| Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 6:20 pm Post subject: Re: Oops! A6 Rivet question |
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I too, spent 2 years occasionally needing to remove a rivet only to run into the stem and over sizing the hole. Then I heard from Mr. Garrett on the use of a chisel. I absolutely could not believe I had never heard of this technique before. I use a half inch wood chisel and have removed several hundred rivets now and everyone of them left the hole completely untouched. The head just shears right off and the back of the rivet can be pulled out with a pair of dikes or pliers or if necessary, a light tap of a punch. I do not have any painted parts but with the flat side polished a little, it leaves very little in the way of a mark. In addition, you can get to any head at any angle unlike a drill. I don't believe I will ever drill out another rivet. Try it. You just won't believe it !
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