Rudder – Skeleton Started

Started building the rudder skeleton

Solid rivets drive me crazy.

Not sure why Van’s want the rivets installed with manufactured head outside, on the thicker metal. The shop head deforms the thin metal of the rib quite a bit. It would be much better to have the manufactured head on the thin metal. It would not look as nice but might be stronger structurally.

Anyway I’ve decided to do stuff strictly as per manual and I’ve oriented the rivets as Vans said.

Had to drill out the rivets few times. I getting good at it. Now I need to get good at setting the rivets so I don’t need to drill them out.

I should have bought the better rivet squeezer. They one I’ve got, el-cheapo, doesn’t work very well on solid rivets. It’s yoke is too flexible. Force makes the yoke to flex out a bit and skew the rivet inward of the yoke.
So, I have developed a technique the allows me to set the rivets more or less OK – squeeze the rivet 1/3 way, turn the squeezer around 180 degrees and squeeze the rest of the way. That will only work if you have an opportunity to turn the squeezer around.

I may need to buy and new squeezer. The good one. $400 one. Ouch!

Spend 2 hours