M

Mtbguy

Active Member
Hi everyone
I recently bought a new to me RV3 out of state. I’ve been traveling back and forth to work on it periodically. It’s temporarily parked outside until I can get it back home.
The original builder did a good job with construction but when he built it riveted on (each) wingtip with approximately 80 (yes 80) pop rivets per wing. I want to open up wingtips for doing some work to the nav lights and general inspection. I don’t plan on keeping the plane long term (already have an RV4), but don’t want to botch things up either.

I’m thinking drill out the existing rivets and then countersink holes around 40 holes in each wingtip, use a backing strip, and then fill in old alternating holes and touch up. Does this seem like a good plan? (I’m not a builder yet but getting started soon). I was hoping to use soft pull rivets to install the nut plates if possible since it’s an outdoors modification with limited tools available.

Thoughts or ideas.

Thanks!

Rick
 
The normal way to make wingtips detachable is much like you suggest with the exception that you don;t countersink th emetal at the tip of the wing, you dimple it. You then countersink the fiberglas underneath it to make a flush joint. Yes, you can use pulled rivets to attach the nutplates, but in most cases we use soft countersunk solid rivets (or normal harness ones - either work).
 
You'll come out ahead using solid rivets even if you have to buy a hand squeezer (and optionally sell it later). At current prices you'll have around $1000 in CCR rivets for those 80 nutplates.
 
jacoby said:
You'll come out ahead using solid rivets even if you have to buy a hand squeezer (and optionally sell it later). At current prices you'll have around $1000 in CCR rivets for those 80 nutplates.
Click to expand...
To be fair, he certainly wouldn’t need CherryMax rivets for this - Cherry N’s (look up a CCC-32 on Spruce) are $0.20 each, so more like $32 for 80 nutplates…..
 
Check out the CCR244CS3-02 (or -03). This is specifically designed for nutplate installation.
(reduced head/small countersink requirements)
I usually pick up a bag at one of the Osh vendors.

Cherry Nutplate Rivet - 100°, Flush Head, Corrosion Resistant, Diameter: 3/32", Grip Range: 0.063" - 0.125"
 
Ironflight said:
To be fair, he certainly wouldn’t need CherryMax rivets for this - Cherry N’s (look up a CCC-32 on Spruce) are $0.20 each, so more like $32 for 80 nutplates…..
Click to expand...

Are those actually 3/32"? They're listed as replacements for the MK319BS which are a 7/64" rivet. I can't find any actual specs on them with a quick search.

I was looking at the CCR-264SS cherry "nutplate" rivet. Not the cherry max rivets. (The mandrel actually pulls out of the CCR leaving just the barrel). The CCR are ~$6/ea right now.

The CCC also have a 120° head vs 100° for the CCR. But that doesn't matter for a nutplate.
 
I bought a -7 project that similarly had the wingtips pop riveted on and no lighting whatsoever.

I thought I could very carefully drill them out. What actually happened was when the drill bit hit sheetmetal, the bit grabbed and tore an ugly hole (times as many rivets)

I ended up installing piano hinge material as a connection between the wing & wingtip and using oversize soft rivets hand squeezed to secure the hinge.

Hindsight is 20/20. To do it again, I would load a slightly undersized 1/4-28 threaded drill bit (like for a 90 degree air drill) in a birdcage and carefully set the depth before starting.
 
jacoby said:
Are those actually 3/32"? They're listed as replacements for the MK319BS which are a 7/64" rivet. I can't find any actual specs on them with a quick search.

I was looking at the CCR-264SS cherry "nutplate" rivet. Not the cherry max rivets. (The mandrel actually pulls out of the CCR leaving just the barrel). The CCR are ~$6/ea right now.

The CCC also have a 120° head vs 100° for the CCR. But that doesn't matter for a nutplate.
Click to expand...
Well I’ve used them a bunch for this kind of thing….I have never actually looked up the spec to be honest!
 
Ironflight said:
Yes, you can use pulled rivets to attach the nutplates, but in most cases we use soft countersunk solid rivets (or normal harness ones - either work).
Click to expand...
jacoby said:
You'll come out ahead using solid rivets even if you have to buy a hand squeezer (and optionally sell it later).
Click to expand...

This is how I'd do it, and in fact it's how I did do it... soft "A" solid rivets and a hand squeezer, easy peasy and no worries about crushing the fiberglass!
 
Hinges. Not the easiest project, but they sure are nice when a light needs some love and a wing tip has to come off. Seems like I wrote an article, but I don't think AvBrief published it yet.
 
I'm using oops rivets, no need to dimple the nutplate mount rivets just a small counter sink on the skin. Someone here mentioned it and its absolutely works great!
 
Walt said:
Check out the CCR244CS3-02 (or -03). This is specifically designed for nutplate installation.
(reduced head/small countersink requirements)
I usually pick up a bag at one of the Osh vendors.

Cherry Nutplate Rivet - 100°, Flush Head, Corrosion Resistant, Diameter: 3/32", Grip Range: 0.063" - 0.125"
Click to expand...
I used these on my -9A back in the oughts. They sure are spendy now: $4.80 each at the Van’s web store, if they are truly in stock. $330 for a bag of 100 from an outfit that may or may not be legit on Amazon. Better known aviation hardware websites show them out of stock. Are they a type of Cherry rivet in short supply due to the factory fire a (few?) years ago?
 
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jacoby said:
Are those actually 3/32"? They're listed as replacements for the MK319BS which are a 7/64" rivet. I can't find any actual specs on them with a quick search.

I was looking at the CCR-264SS cherry "nutplate" rivet. Not the cherry max rivets. (The mandrel actually pulls out of the CCR leaving just the barrel). The CCR are ~$6/ea right now.

The CCC also have a 120° head vs 100° for the CCR. But that doesn't matter for a nutplate.
Click to expand...
Ah…you had the CCR-264SS multi-dollar price already. (Read the posts thru before replying, why don’t I?)

There’s a note below the Spruce website’s table of Cherry N and Q type rivets that says Pop rivets (MK319BS is a Pop part number) are manufactured 1/64” oversize. Which implies the CCC-32 is 3/32”.
 
Been using them for almost 50 years, and when I install them in wet areas, I often dip in Proseal and wipe with MEK...you can fill the open hole left from the stem pull through and when painted, can't tell it's not a solid rivet. These are the common go-to for nut plates on the big jets where solids are not practical. I can't elaborate on pricing, but we throw away enough to make a home-builder cry.
 

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fixnflyguy said:
Been using them for almost 50 years, and when I install them in wet areas, I often dip in Proseal and wipe with MEK...you can fill the open hole left from the stem pull through and when painted, can't tell it's not a solid rivet. These are the common go-to for nut plates on the big jets where solids are not practical. I can't elaborate on pricing, but we throw away enough to make a home-builder cry.
Click to expand...
Boy, I’ve got a couple of bins of those that I picked up at a fly-market or Oshosh vendor years ago. At the current prices, I’m moving them to my gun safe…..🤣
 
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