Riveting wing skins

[JohnR]

Any suggestion on riveting wing skins. I'm getting closer to that and just thought someone might have some good tips on the best way. Did you all backrivet your top skins or buck them? I am planning on backriveting them and ordered an offset backrivet set today. I already have a BIG backing plate so figure I might as well use it if possible. Anything else I will need that I might not have?

[tshort]

If you're gonna backrivet the top skins while they're in the jig a plate might not be the best thing - hard to hold / align and may not have enough mass in line with the riveting.
I think most people use a big heavy bucking bar like this:



http://www.averytools.com/pc-649-19-bucking-bar.aspx

Thomas
-8 wings

[captain_john]

WHOA!!! That is one BIG ASS BB!

I drove them the old fasioned way, each and every one. WS helped out with most, but Antony and Thermos did a few too.

It was a pretty smooth system and I would do it that way again.

CJ

[JohnR]

I should not post after midnight. A little thought would have helped this post make more sense. I plan on backriveting and and the backing plate will not be coming into play on this one, I need to think more beofre typing. I do have a 2 pound tungsten bar that I will try. That monster you posted above looks pretty good also.

[Wicked Stick]

If you plan to back rivet them... even the top skins... you might want to buy the "Extra Long Back Rivet sets" from Avery. (Page 26 of the 2006 printed catalog) Part numbers 4560 and 4653. The standard 4595 won't be long enough and the ribs will interfere with the gun.

It's really not that hard to just rivet them with the gun on the skin side and a good friend to help buck them on the other side. Even if you mess up a couple, access to drilling out a rivet and re-doing it is easy.