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Request for RV-12 info from manual

tomwebster

Well Known Member
I have downloaded section 5 of the RV12 manual
and am impressed on how Van's cleaned up that
section as compared to my RV7 manual.

In section 5 they refer to section 06-02 for information
on a 'wedge tool' for pulling blind rivets in tight places.

My request:
Can a '12' builder check and see if there are any details
on building the "wedge tool' in section 6-2. I have viewed
the 'Hints for Homebuilders' video on the EAA site, but
they don't give any dimensions. I can guess at the size
and angle of the tool but thought there might be better
dimensions in the manual that someone could send me.

Thanks, Tom Webster
 
wedge tool is made from a 3 inch wedge of Aluminum its about 1/2'' wide end tapered from 1/8th to the edge, you simply cut it into squares after driling a series of #30 holes in the centers.
 
Wedge tool fabrication

The kit includes a short length of aluminum wedge extrusion, which you need to drill and cut into a small wedge tools. In a few places this is handy, but bothersome to use. I bought a much, much more useful version of a wedge tool from Avery, which I use both for tight-place riveting, and as a handy tool for persuading the any of the rivets to get into its assigned hole. However, I no longer seem to be able to find the tool on their website. It is about a four-inch long 3/8" wide, 1/4" thick aluminum bar that is bent about an inch from one end, with that end milled to a 10 or 15-degree wedge with a rivet mandrel-sized hole drilled into it. I use it constantly to help insert the rivets, and, in tight spots where the rivet puller can't quite get perpendicular to the sheet, it provides the vectoring of the mandrel pulling force to be perpendicular to the rivet head/skin.
 
Page 06-02 (wedge tool)

Tom,
Here you are:
1079816966_Rgj3s-M.jpg


Tony
 
Thanks for the quick answers and photo.
Now I need to find the leftover piece of
my rudder wedge.
Tom
 
Wedge Tool

"Avery's answer to Van's AEX wedge has re-appeared on their website:http://www.averytools.com/prodinfo.asp?number=5012"

If I recall correctly, this design is courtesy of one Mr. Jim Cone.
 
Aircraft Tools

Tom,
Avery's answer to Van's AEX wedge has re-appeared on their website:http://www.averytools.com/prodinfo.asp?number=5012

I maintain this is about the handiest tool in by tool box for those 13000 pop rivet insertions you'll be doing.

This is the way I am pulling those rivets in tight places
AT_01.jpg



Grind the removable nose to a 5 degree angle then radius the sharp edge to stop the tool from marking the work.
Grind off at an angle the front of the tool and add blue painters tape to prevent marking the painted parts.

I tried the wedges and the Avery tool and that is the reason I did this.

This tool works
Less is more embracing simplicity
 
Last edited:
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