Saturday, December 15, 2012

Left Wing Skeleton Almost Completed

Progress … was able to get a few good hours in and now have all the nose ribs riveted except for two. While pounding the nose rib aft flange rivets into submission with the rivet gun and watching the nice anodizing on the rivets get pummeled, a thought came to mind. Interestingly, decided to try using some Boelube on the rivet set and it works rather well!
Top three rivets were pounded with the rivet gun as usual and the bottom rivet was pounded with Boelube on the rivet set.


Above is a photo showing the top three rivets set without Boelube on the rivet set and the bottom rivet was pounded with Boelube on the rivet set … big difference, so the rest of the pounded rivets are now receiving a small drop of Boelube on the rivet set prior to being pounded with the rivet gun.
                                                   Riveting the forth rib from the inboard end of the left spar.

SPEED BUMP – Up until this point all the ribs have been able to be riveted with solid rivets. Unfortunately, the second and third ribs from the inboard end of the spar will need to receive some LP4-3 pop rivets. The four rivets securing the aft flanges of these nose ribs onto the left wing spar can still be solid rivets, but the six rivets attaching the web of these two nose ribs to the rib clips will need to be LP4-3 pop rivets. There is a clearance issue because the body of the pneumatic rivet squeezer is hitting on the rib clips where the extra rib is for the wing walk area. The interference prevents the squeezer from being able to get squarely (or even close) on the rivet head. At least the four rivets that secure the nose rib's aft flange onto the spar can be pounded, so I don’t feel quite as bad about it.
                                        One can clearly see the body of the pneumatic squeezer hits the rib clips
                                        preventing the squeezer from obtaining proper alignment with the rivet.

Luckily the pneumatic squeezer just barely fit on the rivets securing the inner most inboard rib to the rib clip. Was able to use four solid rivets on the rib but had to use LP4-3 pop rivets on the upper and lower holes because the large spar rivets prevented the squeezer from gaining access to the rivets at those two locations.
                                     The inner most inboard rib with four solid rivets and two LP4-3 pop rivets.

I thought briefly about possibly pounding rivets where the squeezer could not fit but after testing with some scrap metal, decided it would not be a good idea. Pounding 1/8” rivets with an offset rivet set into thin .020 metal results in dented material. I tried several techniques and did not find a way that worked for me to pound a 1/8” rivet correctly AND have no metal deformation.  Not saying it can’t be done, but it is beyond my current skill set.