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Yokes

rleffler

Well Known Member
As many of you are painfully aware due to my many questions, I'm getting ready to take the plunge into the RV10 world.

I've asked several RV10 builders that are local to me their opinions about what yokes do I need to get for my squeezer. Both replies I got was to use a 4" and a longeron. One indicated that while he had a 3", he didn't use it.

Today, I got the following response from Avery:

"Hi Bob, You need the 7730 three inch yoke. It is the one you will use the most. Change the 7555 into the 7530. That gives you one pneumatic with the three inch yoke. Re-add the 7755 longeron yoke. That gives you three yokes, the 7730 (part of the 7530), the 7755 longeron and the 7760 four inch no-hole. You could try to do without the 3" yoke, but I don't recommend it. I would leave the longeron off, before the 3 inch."

Since I have no experience to base a decision, I would like to solicit opinions from a larger group of builders.

I am on a somewhat constrained budget, which means I'm already spending more than my spouse is aware of at the moment. However, if it will make a significant difference in the ease of construction, I'm not opposed to getting the right tools.

So, what yokes do I need to purchase?

And yes, they will be attached to a pnuematic squeezer.

thanks,

bob
N410BL - RV10
N3493R - PA28-180
 
Bob, If you are building near other RVers, remember, you could ask to borrow specialty yokes and tools from other builders in your area. Short term most don't mind.........I did! :D
 
I have the three inch yoke with my squeezer and there have only been one or two times where having another yoke would have been "nice". Remember that if you need to squeeze a rivet adjacent to a flange you can just turn the part around and reach around the flange with the 'plunger' of the squeezer.

I did this very thing with squeezing the skin to longeron rivets. I simply turned the squeezer around with the squeezer "inside" the fuselage and the plunger reached around the longeron with no problem at all. The only time I was not able to squeeze the rivets was at the very aft end where the fuselage narrows. I think it was something like 10 rivets on each side that I couldn't squeeze. No big deal as I just pulled out the rivet gun and shot them in no time flat.

I also only have the pneumatic squeezer and have never ever seen a situation where I wish I had the hand squeezer. The only possible advantage to the hand squeezer that I can see is if you just want to squeeze something very quickly you won't have to power up your compressor.

I sometimes wished I would have had the no hole yoke but obviously it's only a nice to have and is not necessary to complete your airplane. The only time I can remember where the no hole yoke would be useful is ad the very trailing edges of the control surfaces.

If your budget is a little tight (as was mine at the time I started) I would recommend just starting with the three inch yoke. I can tell you now that you WILL end up ordering more stuff from Avery or Cleaveland so you can always get the other yokes in the future.

Tools are nice, but those yokes are expensive for a simple piece of steel. That's just my humble opinion though...

Best,
 
rleffler said:
As many of you are painfully aware due to my many questions, I'm getting ready to take the plunge into the RV10 world.

I've asked several RV10 builders that are local to me their opinions about what yokes do I need to get for my squeezer. Both replies I got was to use a 4" and a longeron. One indicated that while he had a 3", he didn't use it.

Today, I got the following response from Avery:

"Hi Bob, You need the 7730 three inch yoke. It is the one you will use the most. Change the 7555 into the 7530. That gives you one pneumatic with the three inch yoke. Re-add the 7755 longeron yoke. That gives you three yokes, the 7730 (part of the 7530), the 7755 longeron and the 7760 four inch no-hole. You could try to do without the 3" yoke, but I don't recommend it. I would leave the longeron off, before the 3 inch."

Since I have no experience to base a decision, I would like to solicit opinions from a larger group of builders.

I am on a somewhat constrained budget, which means I'm already spending more than my spouse is aware of at the moment. However, if it will make a significant difference in the ease of construction, I'm not opposed to getting the right tools.

So, what yokes do I need to purchase?

And yes, they will be attached to a pnuematic squeezer.
Ok, here is my .02 worth.

If you are on a constrained budget then the first thing to drop off the list is the pnuematic squeezer! Now I am sure you are convinced you absolutely have to have them and I am sure there are those out there who will tell you that you cannot live without them. Yes, I know they are nice. I know that everyone on the planet loves them. However, the reality is that you can get by just fine without them. You will also find that they are heavy as sin whenever you go to use them. In fact, that is the main reason I find I never want to use the tool. Because it is so heavy and unweilding to use I end up leaving it on the shelf and going with the hand squeezer. They are much easier to get in, around, over, through all the tight areas I seem to be finding I need to get to when squeezing. So at $450+ you can ease your wife's sticker shock considerably by foregoing this expensive tool.

I have found that I much prefer to squeeze rivets and dimple with the squeezer rather than bucking rivets or hammering dimples. If I can at all do it I will squeeze first. The key though is to get a good quality squeezer. Don't skimp on the cheap ones or you will feel it. I have found that the good quality (I use Tatco) hand squeezers are much easier to work with than the pnumatic squeezers. I have a 2" and 3" yoke but have never taken the 3" off of the squeezers since I got them. The 3" is a good all around size for the majority of jobs. I would say to definetly get a longeron yoke too. You will find you will leave the 3 inch yoke on for 99% of all squeezing and occasionally will need the longeron yoke, which will be a godsend when you do have a call to need it.

My .02. Hope it helps and good luck.
 
The problem is that the 4" yoke flexes, as does the no-hole yoke. Personally, I have a 3", 4", longeron, and no-hole, and I have found all of them quite useful. Sure they're expensive, but having the right tool for the job is worth the time you save trying to come up with another way to set that hard to reach rivet.

PJ
RV-10 #40032
 
I will agree completely with Steve that the pneumatic squeezer is heavy! If you don't feel like you have strong forearms I wouldn't buy it. I've never used a hand squeezer. I was simply pointing out that you don't need both a hand squeezer and a pneumatic. Just choose one.

One of the nice things you can do with the pneumatic squeezer (for example when dimpling the umpteen million wing rib holes) is to clamp the squeezer by the yoke upside down in your bench vice. This makes squeezing VERY nice and simple.

BTW: One thing I've discovered about building an airplane is that often with rivets and/or dimpling there can be several right tools and methods for a job.
 
I bought 4 yokes...

I have a pneumatic squeezer, a 4 inch C, a 2-inch C, and 3-inch longeron, a 3-inch no hole, and an Avery hand squeezer (uses the same yokes). I also got the adjustable set for the squeezers.

I wouldn't give up any of these items. They have all some in handy at various times - And I'm just now starting the wings!

My advice is to buy them all. If you decide you don't use one enough to justify it, then I imagine you could sell it pretty quickly on this forum. But I don't think you'll want to part with any of them once they are nestled in your toolbox. Oh and don't forget to buy a vise-grip dimpler and a pop-rivet dimpler. They also are tough to do without.
 
Money an issue? There are ways to save.

There are 2 CP 214 squeezers on Ebay right now and also a Cleco clone of a 214. One sale ends Wednesday just after noon, so far there is one bid for $100. The sale price will surely be higher, and you take a risk going with Ebay, but I have certainly come out ahead buying thru them. Be sure you are bidding on a CP 214 or a clone; there are some that look like 214's but they are bigger, heavier. Check out the seller's track record. And if it doesn't work very well, send it off to Bob Avery for repair; he'll treat you right and fix it right and you'll still be $$ ahead.

Another alternative is the "Main Squeeze" from Cleveland. Cheaper than a pneumatic, lighter and easier to use than other hand squeezers. As far as I am concerned, ignore Tatco's; their yokes won't interchange with CP's.

FWIW, there is at least one place in the -9 plans where they specifically say to use a hand squeezer on the wing. I am sure most with pneumatics used what they had and did just fine, but I borrowed a hand squeezer for this area.

Shop around. Save a few bucks by getting yokes from Clear Air. Get your clecos and Sioux air drill from Brown if you must have a Sioux.
 
Thanks for everyone's opinions......

I wasn't really on a budget, it's just my dry humor and not wanting to overspend.

I ended up ordering a 3", Longeron, and 4" No-hole thin nose.
 
Longeron yoke sooooo worth it!!!

I got through the tail feathers without either a longeron yoke or a pneumatic squeezer, but bought Avery's good squeezer with the 3" yoke right from the get go. I much prefer squeezing rivets when I can, to driving them with the 3x and a bucking bar.

I've been able to borrow a no-hole from time to time but nobody around me has a longeron yoke. I finally got stopped dead in the water without it recently, because of my sequence of riveting the wing ribs (specifically the closely spaced ribs under the wing walk area). I finally broke down and ordered one from Avery and thence made that job a snap to finish up. This yoke will make the rest of the aircraft build go MUCH easier I'm sure!

hey, it's only money right?? :eek: .....but this was sooooo worth it! :D
 
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