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2NinerFoxtrot

I'm New Here
Hi Everyone,
Looks like I might have messed up my first part. A misalignment with my pneumatic dimpler caused me to hit the side of a hole instead of going through the hole properly. I was able to re-align and then properly dimple the hole after the damage had been done, however. This is p/n VS-704 - one of the vertical stabilizer ribs on the 14. Can this part be saved or should I scrap and replace?

Thanks!
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Scrap it and buy a new rib. That dimpled hole is bound to develop a crack sooner, rather than later.
 
Totally salvageable. Clean up the burr, make a doubler of the same thickness and use a slightly longer rivet.
 
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Thanks for the feedback, both.

If I were to make the doubler, roughly how much area should it cover? Essentially all the way up to the fluting or just enough to cover the "oopsie"?
 
I'd make it 5/8" x 3/4" or so -- it doesn't need to run the entirety of the flange. Just enough to support the old hole + tear out.
 
I would go full width and flute to flute. Make sure to buff out the sharp edges on the original dimple first to avoid cracking.
 
I wouldn’t even THINK about scrapping that part with that minor of damage. A flange doubler shoudl be more than sufficient, but your can go as complicated as you want. I’d do a flange doubler and move on….
 
This type of repair is perfectly acceptable. Span the hole with a doubler long enough to rivet one rivet each side of the hole on the flange . This holds the doubler in place. Nest the doubler under the flange.
This repair method is documented in one of my WWII manuals which has a remarkable resemblance to AC43.
Not sure which came first?
You will forget it’s there.
 
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