which gives us 0.252. Just remove
metal from the end of the center rod
until the cut rivet measures 0.252
and you are done sneaking up on cut
rivet lengths forever. The tool is now
ready to cut any length 1/8-inch
diameter rivet you need and will
never need tuning again.
One of the nice things about
this tool is that you can cut as
many rivets as you need without
wondering if the correct number
of locating fingers is still in place.
Another nice feature is that you
have the exact length required, as
opposed to using the locating fingers,
which are in 0.032-inch increments.
It may not seem like much, but
0.032-inch increments means that
you can only get to within about
20 percent of the actual length you
need. I don’t know about you, but I
would like to have the components
in my airplane much closer than
20 percent to the specification,
especially the components holding
other components together!
The Aircraft Spruce part number
for the 5/8 by 0.120 4130 steel tube
is 03-04100, and the part costs about
$4.80 per foot. The 3/8 rod is part
number 03-20500 and costs $1.30
per foot. You can craft the tool with
hand tools, but access to a milling
machine would be nice.
Ken White is chief mechanical engineer
for Noah Industries. He owns a
Beechcraft Skipper and is building a
Mustang II.
