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Date:  2-10-2018
Number of Hours:  1.50
Manual Reference:  
Brief Description:  Drill Out Bad Rivet on the VS Front Spar

The rivet removal tool arrived Friday from Cleaveland Tools so first thing Saturday morning I started to remove the bad rivet with it. It's still a tight fit being so close to the web, but I found I could bend the root rib back without damaging it to give myself the necessary clearance.

This tool is pretty handy for removing bad protruding head rivets. It's like a countersink cage. The fitting on the end contacts the head of the rivet and centers the drill inside over the head. You still need to pay close attention to insure it doesn't slip, but it's much easier than trying to manually drill out the head.

It still took a long time to get the head off because I was going so slowly. Once I did I had trouble getting the rest of the rivet out of the hole. I decided to drill out the other two rivets and separate the parts. Once I got the heads off I still had significant trouble with the rivet shanks. Turns out that when I riveted them together, the part flange was not fully contacting and their was a space between them. Of course the rivet expanded into that space and made it near impossible to get out of the hole. I had to drill through the entire rivet shank with a #40 drill (it's a 1/8 in. rivet) and then finish with a #30 drill.

When I got the holes finally cleared I found one oblonged hole in the rib and rear spar and one hole in the rear spar with a partial countersink on one side. Arrrrgghh!!

Time to step back and consider my options:
1. New parts
2. An oversize rivet. A 5/32 will clean it up, but this option brings other considerations.

Right now I'm going to put the VS aside and focus on the rudder. More &^%#& setbacks!!!
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I really chewed up the rivet head trying to get it out.  Tool at right is a rivet removal tool.

I really chewed up the rivet head trying to get it out. Tool at right is a rivet removal tool.

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Right hole is oblong.  Middle hole has a partial countersink.

Right hole is oblong. Middle hole has a partial countersink.

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