SonexBuilders.net

Are there any videos detailing the hammer/bolt method of spar construction?

Ed
N???nx
Onex 209
Just east of Graceland
Would an IO-550 be too heavy on the nose?




OK, I got my drone license...when does the season open, and what's the bag limit?

I don't know about any videos, but it's pretty straight forward. Just use a heavy hammer/steel mallet. Usually the sound of the strike will change by the 2nd or 3rd strike, and you know the rivet is set.

As far as the IO-550 in the Onex. It would probably be a tight fit. I fit the IO-550 in my Sonex no problem, but kept running out of fuel until I started filling a waterbed mattress with 100LL that I keep in the tail section. Your mileage may vary.

Joe Norris did one for the eaa hints for homebuilders series.

http://www.eaavideo.org/detail/video/41 ... Start=true

kmacht wrote:Joe Norris did one for the eaa hints for homebuilders series.

http://www.eaavideo.org/detail/video/41 ... Start=true

I think Joe's example holes were a little over sized for the rivets.

My first spar took 35 hours to assemble, cleco and rivet. The second one went faster. I made 3 jigs out of plywood to keep the upper and lower spar caps the correct width apart, while allowing the bucking bar to rest directly on my concrete floor, and at just the right height to keep the spar level over the bucking bar. I would caution to ALWAYS do this method on solid concrete. It requires less blows, and makes a better rivet set. Working on top of a table is not rigid and solid enough.

Jig:
http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_l ... 32&row=260
http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_l ... 42&row=257
- more examples if you scroll forward
These photos show the spar on my work bench. It took about 2 rivets to figure out that sucked, and I moved the assembly down to the concrete floor, which produced far superior results.
http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_l ... 64&row=250

Rivet tape to hold the rivets in place greatly sped up the process!
http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_l ... 20&row=249
http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_l ... 88&row=247

And here I am on the concrete floor. Notice the hearing protection, as the process creates an ear piercing sound with each blow.
http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_l ... 32&row=248

http://www.mykitlog.com/users/display_l ... 67&row=246

OK, I see that this would work quite easily for flush rivets, but what about the brazier heads? How do you hold/control the rivet set for these round heads?

Ed

EdW wrote:OK, I see that this would work quite easily for flush rivets, but what about the brazier heads? How do you hold/control the rivet set for these round heads?

Ed

No difference. The round heads just sit on the bucking bar and they get a little flat spot on them. The hammer and bolt method is no different than a rivet gun and bucking bar. It just costs less. But they do the same thing in the same way.

Well, I guess I need to download a copy of "Anvil Chorus" to play while I'm developing my Popeye arm.

Thanks, guys

Ed

I used a regular 3X rivet gun with 120 psi pressure to set the long rivets. The shorter rivets required less pressure. I was able to jig the spar with the web vertical and straight while riveting. Never had to move the spar until finished. I did have to cut a notch out of the side of the rivet set to fit around the spar cap near the root. This method seems easier than the Armstrong method.

Rick Caldwell
Xenos 0057

I did one spar with the bolt and hammer method and the other with a 3x rivet gun. I fould the rivet gun alot faster but was able to get a more consistenty set rivet with the bolt and hammer. Both methods work just fine. If you already have a rivet gun or can borrow one I would say to go ahead and use it but if you dont then the small time savings isn't worth the $100+ cost of a rivet gun so give the bolt and hammer method a try.

Keith
#554