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Difficult Nutplate Rivets

NavyS3BNFO

Well Known Member
I don't know why I had such trouble with these rivets. They attach nut plates that sit right up against the inside of the side skins on the RV-8. I'm sure this isn't the only place or model that have nut plates in locations like this so I'm looking for any hints from the pros.

The problem is I can't get my squeezer on the rivets because they sit up against the side skin and I can't buck them for fear of denting the skin from the inside or deforming the thin angle they attached to. At least I don't think I can buck them - I haven't tried for the above reasons.

Any tips, tricks, something I'm missing? As you can see in the pics I resorted to blind rivets after trying to set them multiple times and mangling the shop heads...
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Try knipex pliers

I used Knipex pliers to set most of my nut plates. Smooth jaws and parralel action make them a mini squeezer for flush rivets, esp in tight places like those.
 
I did 2 things for the situation you describe.

1) Ground the end of my rivet puller flat. Allowed me to get in closer (about 3/32”) to edge. Worked in many situations.

2) For even tighter spots, fabricated a small wedge out of aluminum. Wedge was shaped with about a 20 degree angle (sorry, no pics). Drilled hole in middle just large enough for blind rivet stem. Place rivet where needed, put wedge on top with stem sticking out and thick edge of wedge facing the side with no clearance. Bend stem slightly out to get puller over stem. Press firmly down, then pull the rivet stem to set blind rivet.

Section 5.4 of builders instructions gives details and dimensions for wedge.
 
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Thanks Randy but I'm looking for a way to set solid rivets. I gave up on solid and resorted to using blind rivets in this case.
 
Grind or file flat squeezer sets

One thing you could try (if you have excess or some cheap flat squeezer dies laying around), would be to grind or file a small angle onto the dies. This way you should be able to get the squeezer handle at a slight angle while the die surface sits on the rivets. There's similar ground squeezer sets made for elevator & rudder rivets, only in your case you want the flats on the squeezer sets to be parallel.
 
couldn't you just tape some stainless sheet scraps up to protect the aluminum while you use your regular tools?
 
Bucking Problems?

Tape your bucking bar sides and/or put a piece of poster board against the skin to prevent scratching of the surfaces. If you have the swivel mushroom set on your rivet gun, switch to a fixed head mushroom set since it's not centered on the rivet head. I didn't use mine much, as I preferred the swivel type with the rubber shroud around it for 99.9% of riveting. But when you need it that 0.1% of the time, it'll do the trick.
 
Depending on the function of the nutplate and fastener, you may be able to get away with "dead soft" rivets, if setting with a wrench.
I used "dead soft" on nutplates around fiberglass, at the recommendation of my tech counsellor; think wingtip light lenses, etc.
 
I remember no good tool except the cubic$ pneumatic alligator squeezer. My avery worked kinda close to a wall/floor but very limited.

For nut plates the 3/32" CS pull rivets and a wedge under the anvil should work.

The Knipex sounds like a winner. I would use NAS rivets if solid as they are a massive time saver. Section 5 in the Vans instructions talks about them.
 
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