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Date:  3-13-2010
Number of Hours:  4.00
Manual Reference:  None
Brief Description:  Remove the rivets in the wing skeleton

To use Gary's rivet tool for the 3/16" rivets, I needed to disassemble the right wing skeleton that I put together so long ago.

1. As shown in Fig. 1, I set the mail spar on the E edge of the table, supported the rear spar with 2x4 stubs, and clamped a 2x4 with a screwed on top piece (forming a T) to the table to securely hold the wing in place while drilling and punching out the A5 rivets. I used a ratchet quick clamp to hold the 2x4 T in place, moving it to keep it aligned with whichever rib I was working on.

2. I drilled out the center of the A5's with a #40 drill bit. The drilling went very well, except in the few instances that the mandrel stem was extra long. The long mandrel stems were difficult to drill and tended to push the bit sideways.

3. I used a 5/32" pin punch and hammer to knock the rivets loose. Note, I should have settled for hitting the rivet just hard enough to knock the rivets loose from the 1st layer of base metal.

4. When I hit the rivet again, all I did was bend the 2nd layer. So I had to come back later to remove the rivet, and then I had to straighten, as best I could, the bent base metal. I drilled 4 0.25" holes in a 2x2, and screwed it to the table top to provide a support for removing the rivets from the 2nd layer. See Fig. 2. I tried to adjust the holes to match the rivet pattern in the rib's rear spar flange. This work pretty well for removing the rivets w/o further bending the flange. I've got to really support the .025 sheet when I drive out rivets.

5. I used a plastic hammer with the same block as an "anvil" to try to flatten the holes in the rib flanges where the rivet removal created a "dimple" around the rivet hole. I was able to reduce the dimple, but not completely remove it. I hope that pulling the rivets will flatten the layers together sufficiently to give a satisfactory joint. I think I'll use some SS rivets for these joints.

6. I also produced a few dimples in the spar web, which I tried to pound out.
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Set up to drill out rivets

Set up to drill out rivets

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Block to support rivet extraction

Block to support rivet extraction

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