June 23, 2004 - RV-7 Wing Spar Nutplates |
||||
|
Here I am squeezing a nutplate rivet. There were 120 nutplates, with two rivets each. 240 squeezes. |
||||
 |
||||
|
I clecoed five nutplates at a time. I squeezed the rivet on the right side, then removed the cleco, then squeezed the left rivet. I used black electrical tape on the left spar to try and keep aluminum shavings out of the cracks. It kept the shavings out but left adhesive which I had to get off using "goop-off". |
||||
 |
||||
| Then I tried using blue scotch tape which is supposed to not leave residue. However, I left it on a couple of days, and it left a lot of residue. | ||||
 |
||||
| The tools of nutplate riveting. Clecos, boelube, my homemade guide tool, drill with coutnersink bit, and homemade testing device. | ||||
 |
||||
| The fuel tank skin nutplates are done on this spar. | ||||
 |
||||
| Another angle. It took me about six sessions to do all 120 fuel tank skin nutplates. Nothing to do but keep at it. I tried to set a goal for each session, like finish countersinking all the big holes on the right spar top. Then next session finish riveting all the nutplates on the right spar bottom. It was just tedious and time-consuming, but all the nutplates came out fine. | ||||
 |
||||