My pneumatic rivet squeezer is one of my most used tools. I find it indispensable for riveting small parts, holding the part with one hand an using the squeezer with the other. Can't do that with a manual squeezer.I have a couple different yokes and use it anywhere it will reach the rivets (close to edge or near a large enough hole). I consider it a necessity, not a luxury. Of course you will need to buck most of the wing skin rivets. Haven't checked prices lately but I bought a good used squeezer for $200 several years ago.
Squeezing is always the first choice, buck when you can't squeeze. I would recommend a pneumatic squeezer and a hand squeezer, preferably with both having the same interchangeable yokes. Buy the pneumatic squeezer used and you can sell it for what you paid for it in the end.
The one thing squeezing offers is consistency. Once you get dialed in, every rivet is going to be close to the same. I documented the required dies and shims for most every common thickness in the spars and ribs. Made things easy. For the -5 capstrip rivets, I would rig up a stationary stand for the squeezer, and a couple of roller stands to set the spar on. Bring the spar to the squeezer. A foot control is nice. Find a squeezer on which you can ,"tickle" the trigger. This allows you to come in slowly, engage the squeezer dies on both ends of the rivet, insure everything is square before smashing away. Some squeezers have a hair trigger, I don't know if that can be adjusted out or not. If not avoid them. And of course, practice on scrap. For rivets I can't get to with the squeezer, I just shoot with a rivet gun.
Gerry
Patrol #30
I would jump on the squeezer bandwagon too, for reasons mentioned above. That said, back riveting the spar caps as shown was a pleasure, since it guarantees alignment which you can still get slightly off with a squeezer.
Squeezer or not, you will be bucking rivets at some point, often in very tight and awkward spaces because the gun and bucking bar is the only way to get in there.
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Sorry, I did my squeezing with a big pedestal alligator squeezer. My numbers would probably not apply. You will develop your own as you practice on your scrap. Get all the required rivet gauges to check your progress, plus thick and thin shims.
I’m definitely on the “squeeze when possible” bandwagon. I am doing nut plates for inspection panels now, and the bench mounted pneumatic squeezer is working great-pull the trigger once and get a perfect set every time.
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Pneumatic squeezer for all the reasons given. I got mind second hand, reconditioned from the Yard Store. If I ever build another plane I will also invest in some longer and shorter yolks, and also the one which doesn’t need a die in one side of the yolk. It can fit into really tight places. Some people do well with a hand squeezer but I could not get consistent results, and it was really hard on my arthritic hands. I’m new to metal work. I also bucked the wing skin rivets, of course, and did some back riveting on the boot cowl. I could have used a bigger selection of rivet sets and bucking bars, so if you find some for cheap, get them.
You can set up the pneumatic squeezer with an adjustable threaded ram or use 3/16 AN washers as shims. The first option is faster to adjust but runs the slight risk of self-adjusting during very high volume production. Personally I preferred the adjustable option and never had a problem.
I don't have a pneumatic squeezer. I want one, but don't feel a need for one and never got one or thought I'd need it to get the job done. You'll have 100% control and can feel the squeeze with a hand squeezer. If I were buying almost any big sheet metal tool I'd check the Yard Store first. Aircraft tool supply and Ebay are other sources for squeezers.
Gerald brings very considerable point.... controlling the speed of the squeezer piston.
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can somebody help me with the different dies to purchase? I understand that different parts in the plans require different rivets. Are there different squeeze dies required?
When I got to inspection covers I found I also needed the #6 dimple die set for the screws.
I'm sure I will need to buy a couple more as I work through the build.
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