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Debo Cox - Zodiac 601 XL
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Date:  9-23-2006
Number of Hours:  4.00
Manual Reference:  N/A
Brief Description:  Failed Rivet Press and Spacers

Funny thing about this airplane-building. Some days you build on your airplane, and other days you build other things so that you can build your airplane. I've had a couple of those days recently. While on the surface it looks like I haven't accomplished much, I've actually learned several new skills, made some decisions about how things will be built, and had some long discussions with myself about what is acceptable and what is not in terms of craftsmanship - good stuff. I had originally intended to press my solid rivets on my spars into place using my shop press. I'd seen some RV guys do this, and it seemed like a very deliberate, controlled way to do it. After several tries and much experimentation, I just wasn't able to make it happen with the quality and repeatability I need to do the kind of job I'm looking for. The shop press is out. I had seen Dave Clay's little gizmo for setting his rivets, but honestly, I wasn't up for going through another trial and error period of getting something homemade to work like I'm looking for, so I ordered a C-frame riveter from Avery Tools in Texas. In addition, something I thought was going to be a no-brainer turned out to be a bit of a hangup. I tried fabricating the center spar spacers by using a miter saw with a fine-tooth finish cutting blade on it to cut the stock. The cuts were absolutely beautiful, but I was not able to get the spacers to come out flat and square on the ends - we're talking in thousands of an inch. This is going to be one of the most highly-stressed parts of the whole plane, so I'm not settling for anything less than perfect on these. They absoultely MUST sit flat against the spar caps. I've contacted a building buddy who's going to get his machinist friend to make a set for me. Lesson learned - nobody builds an airplane by themselves.
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Solid riveting practice piece

Solid riveting practice piece

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Center spar spacers (not square)

Center spar spacers (not square)

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