Empennage - Rudder

2003-08-23 - Started on the Rudder. (27.0 Hrs).

8/23/03-8/31/03 - I spent the last week working on the rudder. I got a lot of work done, but I didn't take very many pictures. Mostly just working away.

This was my first attempt at back-riveting, and at first, I had a few problems, but the final result was very satisfactory. I thought ATS sent me the wrong back-rivet set with my last order, since I could not find the rivet-set that I have anywhere on their site. I looked at Isham's also, and could not find the tool. All of the back-rivet sets that I found are for a rivet gun, which would have made my job a lot easier. Finally, I found the receipt, and it turns out that I purchased a light duty C-frame back-rivet set from Isham's about two months ago, when I bought my other squeezer dies. Yep, that's what I have. Guess I need to order the one for the rivet gun, also. I hear there is more back-riveting to be done.

Hey, I got a new camera for my wife, so maybe the close-ups will be a little better. Note, that the close-up of the C-frame back-rivet tool is pre-new camera, and the 710 control brace is with the new camera.

Back-riveting using the C-frame and light back-rivet set. At first, it did not seem to work, since I hit the rod several times without hardly denting the rivet. The second night, I figured out just how hard to hit the thing, with just the right rhythm. I takes 5 hits to initially set the rivet, then the sound changes, and you hit it 5-8 more times to mash the rivet. This takes lots of muscle and creates blisters on your finger.

Rudder all cleco'd together, ready to be disassembled and deburred. I have a pain in my chest just thinking about all of the deburring.

One note on the 710 rudder brace, don't forget to match-drill it to the 901 skin and 904 rib. The instructions do not mention this, and the holes are not shown on the plans. But it looks like it would be obvious that this is needed. It took a long time staring at the plans to notice the callout for the rivets used to join these parts, implying that the 710 should be drilled, so I did.

	Back-riveting using the C-frame and light back-rivet set. At first, it did not seem to work, since I hit the rod several times without hardly denting the rivet. The second night, I figured out just how hard to hit the thing, with just the right rhythm. I takes 5 hits to initially set the rivet, then the sound changes, and you hit it 5-8 more times to mash the rivet. This takes lots of muscle and creates blisters on your finger.
	Rudder all cleco'd together, ready to be disassembled and deburred. I have a pain in my chest just thinking about all of the deburring.
	One note on the 710 rudder brace, don't forget to match-drill it to the 901 skin and 904 rib. The instructions do not mention this, and the holes are not shown on the plans. But it looks like it would be obvious that this is needed. It took a long time staring at the plans to notice the callout for the rivets used to join these parts, implying that the 710 should be drilled, so I did.