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Stevens Web Site
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Date: 7-13-2006
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Number of Hours: 2.40
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Began to rivet left aileron
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Tonight Vicki and I did what has been described as some of the most difficult riveting on the whole airplane. To set the rivets in the top of the aileron, you have to seperate the back of the aileron skin and reach in to buck the rivets. It is a very tight fit and the aluminum makes deep grooves into your forearm while you are trying to precariously hold the bucking bar. I started off by putting a dollup of RTV (room temperatura vulcanizing material which is sort of like silicone caulk) down in the trailing edge of the interior of the aileron. This material will solidify and help dampen any vibration in this area, which has been known to crack. Next, I shot some of the rivets towards the ends of the ailerons myself, since I could reach in to buck the rivets. Only one bucking bar will work, and I had to modify it a bit so that it would sit well on the rivet heads deep in the aileron. I taped a piece of 1/8 in. aluminum strip to the top of the bucking bar as a spacer. That way, I could place the bucking bar (with the spacer) right up against the spar web and the aluminum spacer put the working surface of the bucking bar (the shiny part) right on the rivet head. It worked well. Riveting was tough sledding for a while, but after about 6 rivets, we got the hang of it and set the remaining rivets in the row. It was only one row of rivets, but it took us the better part of two hours to do the whole thing. Now that we have climbed the learning curve a little, I hope that the right aileron will be a little easier. In my next session, I hope to finish riveting the left aileron. The remaining riveting session should be much easier.
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Vicki the riveter, shoots some of the most difficult rivets of the whole project
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A little dab of RTV in the trailing edge of the aileron helps dampen vibration and prevent cracks
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Bucking bar modified by taping an aluminum spacer strip to the top
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