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But how? I missed one rivet on my HS

dmuro2

Member
I am broken. Just finished riveting the skins to the rear spar and as I was wiping the skins down, admiring my work … I noticed one rivet was missing from the front spar. I’m in disbelief. I even remember checking before I started riveting the rear spar, but clearly didn’t check that well.

Am I looking at drilling out the rear spar to access it? Flush pop rivet (shame)? I am beside myself, in total disbelief … not how I wanted to finish out the weekend.
 

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It's Not Worth the Worry

David,

The first time we called Vans' support about an issue that amounted to nothing, they encouraged us to build on, afterall, "it's just an airplane."

We are trying to learn when it's time to be concerned about things. Our durations of paralysis are getting shorter.

Slam in the blind rivet and keep going.

BTW: Your dimples look awesome!

All the best,
Mike
 
Pop rivet

Agree. Insert a MK-319-BS. Tiny adjustment in hole dimension.
If you want to hide it, mix a small dab of epoxy or JB Weld.
Smush it the hole. Just before it cures, slice it clean to the head with a razor.
 
Thanks guys!

Makes me feel a lot better. It’s also on the underside, so I won’t have to look at it, lol.

Thanks for the support!
 
Planned flaw

There is a saying that there needs to be a flaw every so often to allow the evil spirits a place to exit. Kudos to putting on the bottom of the HS. That's good thinking!

v/r,dr

PS: I did the same thing 20 years ago.
 
As others have said MK-319BS. Forget it and move on :)

For the fuel tank, one of those closed back rivets would probably do the same. Unsure which part number for that which is also flat head.
 
Cherry rivets

A comparable rivet I use is the CCC-32, which is a Cherry brand rivet available from ACS, cross-referenced to the MK319BS, however is 3/32 vice needing to drill out to 7/64".
 
re the several mentions of filling the hole in a pull rivet....
I was looking at some planes a few weeks ago at a little LSA show. I think it was some of the Tecnam's that were on display.
Looked to be all the rivets were pulled

And during my examination I was really wondering why they didn't fill all those holes before painting. Very small detail and only really noticeable under the magnifying glass, but it did mar the look of an otherwise beautifully built aircraft. I was thinking something like 3M autobody sealant might be both flexible and very durable.

Could there be a chance with some sort of rigid fill like an epoxy, that the fill could pop out over time....or otherwise maybe crack just enough to let water in but yet not dry easily... as a seed for corrosion?
 
re the several mentions of filling the hole in a pull rivet....
I was looking at some planes a few weeks ago at a little LSA show. I think it was some of the Tecnam's that were on display.
Looked to be all the rivets were pulled

And during my examination I was really wondering why they didn't fill all those holes before painting. Very small detail and only really noticeable under the magnifying glass, but it did mar the look of an otherwise beautifully built aircraft. I was thinking something like 3M autobody sealant might be both flexible and very durable.

Could there be a chance with some sort of rigid fill like an epoxy, that the fill could pop out over time....or otherwise maybe crack just enough to let water in but yet not dry easily... as a seed for corrosion?

The Sling aircraft are all built using pulled rivets, and they fill every one of them with a polyester body filler for a very nice, clean look. I had pictures of the process in our Kitplanes review of the Sling High Wing this past summer.

Bottom line is that it isn’t hard, and only takes time - but not as much time as it takes to build the airplane. I watched a young man in South Africa patiently filling the rivets on a fuselage - he said it would basically take him an entire (tedious) day for the fuse. Figure another couple of days for the wings. He was getting paid about $2.50 an hour for the work…. A homebuilder’s time is free!
 
You are not the only one so don't let it bother you too much. I have done this multiple times and have learned to run/rub my finger on the row of rivets on the shop side to make sure they are all pounded as sometimes you put a rivet in and stays in even without being pounded.

I can't tell how far back that is from each end. Is it possible to reach it with your big/long bucking bar that is used for the left elevator from the end? If not, just as others have said a blind rivet will do the job and by the next mistake (hopefully not), you have forgotten about this one.
 
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