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Dimpling

S

srt

Member
Hey All,

First post here, looking forward to starting an RV-8 build next month. Should be picking up wing and tail kits soon.

I'm organizing, planning, gathering tools, etc. I built a Sonex tail kit before deciding that the Sonex was too small and it's worth it to move up to what I really want.

My current question has to do with dimpling. Sonex sells a dimple die set to be used with a pop rivet puller. I flush riveted all external rivets on the Sonex tail using this dimple die set and found it to be very quick and easy. Is there any reason that I could not dimple this way for the RV? Obviously, I would need a different dimple die set (100 deg solid rivets vs 120 deg pop rivets). Is there a source for 100 deg dimple dies to use with a pop rivet puller?

Any other thoughts on this approach?

Thanks,
Scott
 
Before Mike gets in, let me say welcome!
An 8 requires a lot of dimpling. Either a C frame or a DRDT-2 will be quicker and produce better results than a pull-die. But there are a few places where the pull-dimpler works and the others don't. IMHO in skilled hands the C frame may produce slightly better results; the DRDT-2 is easier to use.
 
Yes there are dimple dies for blind rivet pullers for both 3/32 and 1/8 rivets and I recommend getting at least a set of the 3/32 ones. However, using pulled dimple dies are waaaayyyyyy slower than say a c-frame ( or in my case a DRDT-2 ) or putting dies in a manual/pneumatic rivet squeezer. I just can't imagine dimpling an entire RV using the pulled dies.
 
Not sure what thickness skin the sonex' use, but I've not had satisfactory results with a pop rivet dimpler on greater than .020 skins. On my mustang, .032 rules the day and the puller will make a dent, but not deep dimples required for -3 & -4 rivets. Only a c-frame or squeezer will do the job with the standard spring back dimple dies. OR if youre really old school, banging a 426 rivet into the skins backed up by a female die made of a block of steel.....
 
I know of one fairly famous DAR who claims that all of his dimpling has been done with the pop-rivet puller. YMMV!

I prefer my pnuematic squeezer in concert with the C-frame for deeper dimpling. But I do have a set of pop-rivet dimple dies for occasional spots.
 
I have done the vast amount of the work on my -7 alone, and the DRDT-2 and a pneumatic squeezer have been a great help. I am a believer.
 
Thanks for the tips and welcome, everyone. Arnie, I'm in Seattle, btw.

I got good results dimpling up to 0.032 for the Sonex, but the 100 deg dimple would be a little deeper and more difficult. I'm going ahead and getting a c frame, but I'll experiment with the pop rivet style as well.

Do any of the usual tool vendors (Avery, etc) sell them?

Thanks again,
Scott
 
I picked up a Cframe and Pneumatic squeezer from Cleaveland Tools. Struggled with the Cframe until I made a table for it. Now I can rock through dimples using the squeezer and Cframe.
 
Tools

srt said:
Thanks for the tips and welcome, everyone. Arnie, I'm in Seattle, btw.

I got good results dimpling up to 0.032 for the Sonex, but the 100 deg dimple would be a little deeper and more difficult. I'm going ahead and getting a c frame, but I'll experiment with the pop rivet style as well.

Do any of the usual tool vendors (Avery, etc) sell them?

Thanks again,
Scott
Click to expand...

Scott
Welcome
Yes. Avery, Clevelant and others sell sets.
 
Practice on scrap, using various dimpling methods, then set rivets in all. Compare results. A properly dimpled & set rivet feels almost like untouched skin. My best results are with c frame & a *sharp* mallet strike. Light strikes leave rounded shoulders, & the rivet sits proud of the surface.

Charlie
 
I simply cannot imagine trying to build an RV without a C-frame tool for dimpling. The pop-rivet style dimpler would have to add many, many hours and a lot of extra effort to the build. Pick up a used C-frame, they go up for sale here fairly often (mine included, in a few days).
 
Dimple die buried in work bench

Another method to dimple large skins and many other parts that seems to work well for me is to bury my dimple die and bucking bar in my work bench, then come at it from the top with a dimple set that swivels to prevent 'smiles'.

It seems to be a bit easier to maneuver than a c-frame, and is less expensive.

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