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Thread: Fitting Cowling

  1. #11
    Senior Member Cherrybark's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fitting Cowling

    The cowling is the most painful part of the project. The initial pieces had such a ridiculous fit that I called the factory to see if something was wrong with my kit. I don't have the proper tool for setting solid rivets and the channel lock method really didn't work well for me. There are multiple "cocked" rivets, really a mess. I need to drill out the rivets, buy a proper rivet setting tool, and start over. Counter sinking the thin metal firewall was also difficult. I was nervous about taking away too much material and not leaving anything for the rivet to hang on. Of course, taking away too little leaves high or cocked rivets again.

    Any recommendations for an affordable riveting tool?
    Carl Strange
    Flying
    SS7, 912iS, Oratex, G3X

  2. #12
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    Default Re:Fitting Cowling

    I hear you on the cowlings. The cowlings fit and finish was very lacking. Curious if the carbon ones fit any better or I am guessing they use the same molds?

    Have you considered vise grips? I ground the vise grips down flat. The trick is to grind them so when the rivet is squeezed the two surfaces are flush or the rivet will bend to the side. I borrowed a rivet squeezer from an AP at the airport to do flapperons. I found if you tell them what your doing most mechanics are very helpful and willing to borrow you stuff. But for the camlocs I decided to try the vise grip trick and it worked good.
    Dustin Dickerson

    Building 7ss STI x 2
    Oratex
    29" shock monster
    EP912STI 155hp
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  3. #13
    Senior Member Cherrybark's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fitting Cowling

    Whoops, I meant to say "vise grips". I have them ground down but maybe should check to see that the faces are completely flush. Haven't figured out how to use the vise grips on the oil door.
    Carl Strange
    Flying
    SS7, 912iS, Oratex, G3X

  4. #14
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    Default Re: Fitting Cowling

    Yea the oil door was a little more tricky. I didn't use the vise grips on the oil door. I used two punches and a hammer. You just need something solid pressing against the rivet and on the other side hit it with a punch and a hammer. Best with two people but I was able to do it by myself. Basically I just watched some videos on how a solid rivet is set and tried to come up with something similar. I used a piece of scrap fiberglass and countersink and practice setting some flush solid rivets. Then I tried the oil door and they came out good. The cam locs I had a few rivets bend to the side slightly but as long as you squeeze them good they will not go anywhere. When I set the camlocs in the boot cowl that attach to the footwell I just used pull rivets there.
    Dustin Dickerson

    Building 7ss STI x 2
    Oratex
    29" shock monster
    EP912STI 155hp
    Garmin
    N33TF......FLYING!
    N53TF......FLYING!

  5. #15
    Administrator DesertFox4's Avatar
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    Default Fitting Cowling

    This thread was moved from “ muffler exhaust pipe length” thread.
    From Flybyjim:
    “ I have the cowl installed and have drilled the side of the cowl as noted in the manual of a spacing 5.5 inches from back to front. I have this in place with clecos and I am getting a bulge on the top cowl between the attached areas along the seam, any suggestions to this? My last plane had a straighter profile from front to back and I riveted an L channel along the top of the bottom cowl to keep it in alignment. This Kitfox cowl has a bit of a curved profile from the front to the rear so I'm not sure I can do the same with it.”


    DesertFox4
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  6. #16
    Senior Member jiott's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fitting Cowling

    One thing I learned about setting solid rivets with vice-grips; it is very important that the rivet is not too long, otherwise there is too much tendency for it to tilt sideways during the squeeze-pay attention to the rules for proper grip length of the rivets. If you only need a few rivets a tad shorter than what you have, you can carefully sand/grind them down a little keeping the ends square.
    Jim Ott
    Portland, OR
    Kitfox SS7 flying
    Rotax 912ULS

  7. #17
    Senior Member Cherrybark's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fitting Cowling

    I was feeling guilty about hijacking Jim's thread. Thanks for moving it.

    Nice tip on paying attention to rivet length. I made a few phone calls and am borrowing a pneumatic gun and bucking bar. YouTube videos show the technique. I'll put a few rivets in some spare material and will surely do a better job the second time around.
    Carl Strange
    Flying
    SS7, 912iS, Oratex, G3X

  8. #18

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    Default Re: Fitting Cowling

    Quote Originally Posted by Cherrybark View Post
    The cowling is the most painful part of the project. The initial pieces had such a ridiculous fit that I called the factory to see if something was wrong with my kit. I don't have the proper tool for setting solid rivets and the channel lock method really didn't work well for me. There are multiple "cocked" rivets, really a mess. I need to drill out the rivets, buy a proper rivet setting tool, and start over. Counter sinking the thin metal firewall was also difficult. I was nervous about taking away too much material and not leaving anything for the rivet to hang on. Of course, taking away too little leaves high or cocked rivets again.

    Any recommendations for an affordable riveting tool?
    Depending on how thin the material is, thin material shouldn't be counter sunk it should be dimpled with a thicker sub material counter sunk for the dimples.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDbTUt3OG9s&t=127s

  9. #19
    Senior Member jrevens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fitting Cowling

    Quote Originally Posted by Hawkertech View Post
    Depending on how thin the material is, thin material shouldn't be counter sunk it should be dimpled with a thicker sub material counter sunk for the dimples.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDbTUt3OG9s&t=127s

    Or, if the "sub material" is also thin enough it should be dimpled also. For 3/32" AN426 rivets, the very minimum thickness for countersinking is 0.032" if I recall correctly. For 1/8" rivets it's 0.040". I would usually prefer
    dimpling over countersinking when you have a choice either way.

    Carl - if you can borrow one, a rivet squeezing tool would be much easier for all of the rivets that are close enough to the edge of material and accessible. You can use it for the dimpling operation also. Having built a metal airplane I have 2 of them... if we were closer I lend one to you.
    John Evens
    Arvada, CO
    Kitfox SS7 N27JE
    EAA Lifetime
    Chap. 43 honorary Lifetime

  10. #20

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    Default Re: Fitting Cowling

    And now that I know about the dimpling issue, I will have to dig through my aircraft tolls and see if I saved any from my brother. When he started cleaning out my dads house, he just through a lot of my dads tool away, He was a 51 year sheetmetal man at Lockheed. So we had every imaginable rivet set, rivet gun, rivet squeezer, etc.

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