Rivets

[spitzy]

How do those goofy looking rivits work that we are to use on the lift tab inserts?

 

-Mike

[Wayne Hicks]

Lift tab inserts? Are you referring to the rivets that secure the three nutplates to the "insert" shown in Figure 15?

 

Well, those are called solid rivets. Unlike pop rivets, solid rivets are set in place ("squeezed") using a pneumatic riveting hammer and bucking bar. Or, by using a rivet squeezing tool. Someone in your EAA chapter is bound to have these. An A&P can help you out. If not, find an RV builder.

 

You'll be squeezing rivets a number of times over the years. I bought a rivet squeezer for $75 from one of the aircraft tool companies. (I forget which one...) It was well worth the investment.

[spitzy]

Not sure if you are supposed to counter sink those rivets or squish the ever loving heck out of em...

 

Anyway I thrashed around for a while, got something that looked like it would work then bought the plates from Cozy Girls. Theirs are much better than mine. I highly recommend purchasing these parts. Big time savings and it made it easier to line up / install the lift tabs and bolts.

[Bearair]

There is a gauge for the rivets to measure proper "squish" if you will. You put it over the crushed end, and if the hole (for the size of rivet you're using) goes down over the crushed end, you haven't squeezed it enough. You want the rivet end to be slightly too large for the hole.

[Big Steve]

You do not have to buy a rivet squeezer if you can get the nut plate to a vice or heavy piece of metal. The rivets have a 100 degree angle so you will need to get a 100 degree counter sink. Put the flat face on the flat part of the vice and use a hammer and a flat faced punch It will flatten the rivet out and squeeze the body tight in the hole. If it is set up already in the plane you are going to have to beg borrow or buy a squeezer. Steve

[Cozy Girrrl]

On the lift tab nut plates I believe the only purpose of the rivits is to hold the anchor nuts to the plate while there are no bolts in place, once the bolts are in and properly torqued the bolts are doing the whole job and the rivets are along for the ride. All other riveted parts in the design are secured by the rivets only.

Considering what you get for $15.82 / pair we are giving them away;

-plate with 9 holes, 6 of them countersunk, plate is abraded then plated.

-3 anchor nuts

-6 rivets installed

 

We have been setting rivits with a die now in a hydraulic press, other means did not produce the results we were looking for.

Regards, Chrissi

[Phil Kriley]

I bought the nut plate insert assemblies from CG Products and can vouch for their quality - really a bargain when you look at the time savings and quality - the holes match up perfectly with their lift tabs too.

 

The only thing that has me scratching my head is why we are asked to find two 15" x 2" pieces of 1/8 inch metal (none laying around in MY house... ) for suspending the inserts flush with the face of the shear web foam.

 

Why not bolt a smaller piece of metal to the inserts and sit them flush with the foam surface? (Like was done with the step) What problem is solved by building the "bridge" with the larger pieces of metal across two boards that have to be trimmed to exactly the right height? Seems like a lot of work for no reason.

 

Any thoughts?

[Jason Heath]

The only thing that has me scratching my head is why we are asked to find two 15" x 2" pieces of 1/8 inch metal (none laying around in MY house... ) for suspending the inserts flush with the face of the shear web foam.

 

Why not bolt a smaller piece of metal to the inserts and sit them flush with the foam surface? (Like was done with the step) What problem is solved by building the "bridge" with the larger pieces of metal across two boards that have to be trimmed to exactly the right height? Seems like a lot of work for no reason.

 

Any thoughts?

The "bridge is there to set the nutplates at the same height and inline with each other through the center line of the canard. After the shear web and reinforcements are layed up, you have to be able to find the hole sagain and the "bridge allows you to do so by putting it back in place over the canard and using it as a drill guide. If you just supported them localy with a smaller something or other, it would just be a WAG where the holes were and the lift tabs would look like buck teeth hanging from the canard when bolted on.

[Phil Kriley]

Thanks for the replies here and on the Cozy mail list - I missed the fact that the pieces of metal become drilling guides later.