<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
         <<  Lancair Builders' Mail List  >>
         <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hi Pine,

I agree with Dan's assessment of the rivet situation regarding length
considerations... I haven't used any rivets so far in construction that I
didn't have to cut to achieve the proper length.  If you stop by my website
and check out the first horizontal tail construction page
(http://www.olsusa.com/Users/Mkaye/horztail.html) there is a series of
photos in there that show a poor-man's rivet cutter, nothing more than a
piece of aluminum and a chisel.  Once you determine how much shank you need
showing it's easy enough to trim the rivet back to whatever length is
required to provide the proper size formed head.  I don't know about the
requirements where you are, but according to AC(???) Accepted Methods and
Practices, if you leave 1.5 times the shank diameter of the rivet showing
before forming, after forming you wind up with a head that measures 0.5 X
shank diameter in height and 1.5 X shank diameter in formed diameter.  (I
don't have the AC in front of me right now, but am pretty sure those are
the accepted specs.)  You could use the parts you're trying to join as the
length guide by inserting the rivet through them, and then by using a
washer which is 1.5 X the rivet shank diameter placed over the exposed
unformed shank you'll have a precise reference for where to cut the rivet.
You can actully do the job on aluminum rivets with a nice sharp wood
chisel... that's how I did all mine.  When you don't own an actual rivet
cutter you learn to make do <g>.

  <Marv>