How to rivet

This has turned into a pretty interesting post now, thanks to all who continue to add to it.

Today I recieved a very interesting box containing a kit of tools and rivets plus instructions from a very generous person…so soon I should be able to post examples of my experiments. Now to get hold of some aluminium sheet and start on the door.

Phil, thank you, I’m hoping to come over very soon, perhaps just in to March. Will email you to make sure you’ll be there!

Dom

riveting

Can someone give me a fool’s guide to riveting aluminium, including what tools I will need? I know how to pop rivet, but that isn’t the right type for the aircraft parts I’m making. I’ve seen old film of the hammer gun and the block, but there must be a simple way for the garage-builder to do this. Also, how do I rivet in a tight spot to get to?

Thanks all

come over and we will show you

not far now – no excuse

I was wrong about the middle bit being tapered. When you squeeze a cleco the *J&L* move out from the center piece & that allows then to move closer together to pass through the hole.
Must have been having a brainfart because it’s the outer parts that move, not the center piece.:o

Two minature Tug of War teams sat at rest waiting for the next sheet metal job!

I’m tempted to cut one in half just to see what’s inside it 🙂

ZRX61 I think you did a very good job explaining that.

The next question will be about the english wheel and complex curvature.

Alternatively PM me your address and I will send you one with a couple of bits of scrap metal and you can ponder it in the flesh!

PM on way David. Thanks to all who have posted.

Zrx61 go back through the thread I have linked him to the FAA online version of the AC43-13

Avdel 1/8″ open and closed – ex-Lightning!

That with the pliers David ? 😉

Alternatively PM me your address and I will send you one with a couple of bits of scrap metal and you can ponder it in the flesh!

Just a thought: Pick up a copy of AC43:13

http://www.averytools.com/prodinfo.asp?number=12617

or this:

http://www.averytools.com/prodinfo.asp?number=12633

Probably both 🙂

The easiest(??) way to explain a cleco:
The end that goes through the skin looks like this: JIL… The I (which is tapered… I think?) is attached the other end. The J&L are sprung together, the I keeps them apart. When you squeeze it the J&L spring together allowing it to pass through the hole. When the I is released it forces the J&L apart & they grab the backside of the skin & hold it together.

Did that make any sense :confused: They are actually very simple, just not so easy to describe…

This place has pics of the different types etc:
http://www.averytools.com/products.asp?dept=9

So does it drop off inside (the wing for example) ? It can’t be withdrawn because surely the lug would foul the hole. What is the fastener called ?

It doesn’t work like that. They are temporary clamps that hold thing in place whilst you are working.
It’s a bit hard to explain, but the end of the clamp is the diameter of the hole (different colours mean different sizes), but the shank is smaller. There is a fixed piece on the body that goes in the hole so when you pull the ‘disc’ up, the full size end of the clamp catches on the edge of the hole. You then do up the nut, and it pulls everything together.
To remove it you just undo the nut, push the centre shank down, pull the body of the clamp out of the hole, then pull out the centre.
It sounds very complicated, but it’s one of those things if you saw it in the flesh you’d be amazed how simple it is.
They have various names and all achieve the same results, Skin pins, skin pegs, avdel clamps, grip pins, cleco pins.

When you turn it the other way it just loosens it.

So does it drop off inside (the wing for example) ? It can’t be withdrawn because surely the lug would foul the hole. What is the fastener called ?

They are called skin pins or avdel clips or cleco clips . They are all a varient on the same thing, ie holding two or more pieces of material together.

Steve”P”

Easier to explain how a Bee flies ! No seriously the threaded part is machined so you push the end circular part through and it then has an offset lug -the threaded disc effectively draws the offset lug up pulling the metal together.
When you turn it the other way it just loosens it.

Now that we are all clued up about rivetting can someone explain how those fasteners work which are used to temporarily hold two sheets together for rivetting. They look like a threaded rod (stud) passes through the drilled rivet hole then a knurled knob is tightened down to squeeze the sheets together in accurate register. What holds it on the inside and when the knob is unscrewed does it just drop off?

Thank you all for the continuing flow of information. As a complete novice some of the terminology and methods a passing over my head, but this all gives me a good starting point to refer back to if nothing else! I favour a vice and hammer with appropriate rivets and punch or dolly.

As for the pictures, the tray I got from the SpitfireSpares site, but I have the blueprints to work from so will take the pictures ‘under advisement’!

Is it me or does that compass tray look wrong on the back edge…
For beginners I would use `A` type aircraft rivets as they are soft enough to use with commercial aluminum .That cockpit door looks aweful.;)

Nope, you are right Ross, it is wrong on the back edge. I have some formers for the compass bowl….might make another one….But lots of work!!!