A lot do build the wings from scratch, and enjoy the process.
Dick B
A lot do build the wings from scratch, and enjoy the process.
Dick B
There are a bunch of rivets. I'm not that far in, but I've already pulled lots of them. The spar lift strut attach fittings, jury strut fittings, a few in the flight control assmebly, flaperon trailing edge, flaperon end rib, flaperon counterweights, the rib reinforcement brackets for attaching the flaperons, and I'm just getting started!
I feel my pneumatic rivet puller was worth it. The only one I couldn't get was a hole that you drill between the ears of the lift strut attach brackets. I think if you planned ahead, you could locate this hole to make it easier to reach, but I ground down the sides of the nose of a hand puller to fit between the ears, and all is well.
After nearly wrecking my hand from manually pulling the rivets in one lift strut attach fitting, I bought a pneumatic puller. Pulling the first rivet on the second fitting was such pure bliss that I felt compelled to call my wife at work so she could listen to me pull a few more. (She is really excited and supportive of my build project.) I did still have to manually pull the one between the ears.
- Gary
S7 SuperSport Tri-gear
w/Rotax 912, Oratex, Dynon
Why is a rivet puller necessary? Is it for pop rivets, or the solid ones?
A rivet puller is for pop rivets.
There are also pneumatic tools that can squeeze rivets, but there aren't many solid rivets on the Kitfox. A hand squeezer should be sufficient for this type.
Phil Nelson
A&P-IA, Maintenance Instructor
KF 5 Outback, Cont. IO-240
Flying since 2016
Why is it necessary to pull rivers? Are some used to temporarily secure things and then are removed? I would rather use a pneumatic rivet gun than a rivet squeezer to set rivets (unless “squeezing” rivets is referring to using a pop rivet tool).
By "pulling", we just mean using a tool, either pneumatic or a hand tool, to pull the mandrel on pop rivets to set them. We don't mean that we are removing them. Squeezing refers to setting solid rivets by applying continuous pressure, as opposed to hammering them. There are no bucked rivets. Most rivets are pop rivets, and those that aren't are easily squeezed.
You can “set” or “form” the “shop head” on a solid (usually aluminum) rivet on aircraft by “bucking” with a “bucking bar” in conjunction with a pneumatic rivet gun (a specialized air-hammer), or you can use a squeezer if the rivet is close enough to the edge of a structure. A “pop” or “pulled” rivet can be set with a hand-powered or a pneumatic rivet pulling tool. There are other ways that rivets can be set or formed also... Google it for more information.
John Evens
Arvada, CO
Kitfox SS7 N27JE
EAA Lifetime
Chap. 43 honorary Lifetime
I had some respond to me concerning a question I had on something. He sent me a link as his answer to my question. I personally got a real chuckle out of it. Here is a link to to the definition.
http://lmgtfy.com/?iie=1&q=Definitio...ulling+a+Rivet
I finally found someone with my sense of humor. I immediately saved the link.
Paul Zimmermann
LSRM-A
Garland, Texas