wrote:




What the fellow at the RV factory was doing was putting a cleco into
the forceps then squeezing until the locking wires were fully extended.
Holding it with the spring fully compressed, he was trying to fly the
pair of locking wires through the hole in the two layers of metal,
which he eventually did. But he was spending a minute or more per
cleco. In the time he took to do one row a real tin-bender would have
secured the entire panel.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I've reached an age where I'm no longer surprised at the things
people don't know but should. My visit to the RV factory showed me
yet another reason why some folks think riveting is hard. And why
others take years to complete a six-month project.

-R.S.Hoover


I respect and read everything you write and I know that you have a great
amount of knowledge, so here it comes "BUT." :-) I built my whole RV-6
using the method that you say the guy was doing wrong and I can tell you
from experience of setting around 12,000 to 14,000 rivets myself that
method works just fine. In fact I will work along side your method
anytime and keep up with you if not be a little faster. I cannot see
where your method is any better than the other way. When the cleco
pliers depress the cleco the two protruding wires come together and it
is easy to slip the cleco into the hole. IMO of course. :-)

Jerry(flying my old RV-6 for to 17 years) Springer