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Workflow Overview: From Sheet to Riveted Joint

Fourteen stations take a sheet from the bin to a riveted joint, and a rejected rivet goes round a rework loop. This is the order of the work, with the check at each station and the chapter that explains how it is done.

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From sheet to riveted joint

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Process map: fourteen numbered stations in three rows, identify, lay out, cut, bend, drill pilot, cleco, drill final, deburr, countersink, reassemble, rivet, inspect, torque and wire, remove and replace, with the rework loop back to drilling, a detail of the loop and the station list with sources.
The fourteen stations in the order of the work. A rejected rivet goes round the loop: drill it out, same size if the hole is good, next size up if it is not.

The fourteen stations

#StationKey checkChapterSource
1IdentifyAlloy, head, diameter and length as drawnRivet identificationH-8083-31B p. 4-31
2Lay outEdge distance, pitch, grain, bend linesSheet layoutH-8083-31B p. 4-33
3CutEdge smooth, no nicksCutting sheetH-8083-31B p. 4-9
4BendRadius as drawn, no cracksBending a sheetH-8083-31B p. 4-69
5Drill pilotSquare to the workDrilling a holeH-8083-31B p. 4-40
6ClecoSheets pulled tightClecoingH-8083-31B p. 4-29
7Drill finalRound, to sizeDrilling a holeH-8083-31B p. 4-40
8DeburrNo burr, no chips between the sheetsDeburringH-8083-31B p. 4-40
9Countersink or dimpleHead flush, no knife edgeCountersinking, dimplingH-8083-31B ch. 4
10ReassembleSame holes, same orderClecoingH-8083-31B p. 4-29
11RivetShop head to the gaugeRiveting, blind rivets, Hi-LokH-8083-31B ch. 4
12InspectHeads, gaps, sheetRivetingAC 43.13-1B ch. 4
13Torque and wireValue and directionTorquing, safety wireAC 43.13-1B ch. 7
14Remove and replaceHole not enlargedRemoving a rivetAC 43.13-1B ch. 4

Source: FAA-H-8083-31B ch. 4; AC 43.13-1B ch. 4 and 7. Sizes, spacing and torque values come from the drawing or the SRM, never from this page. Shop safety applies before every station.

How to use the flow

StepActionWhat to do
1Start from the drawing or the SRMIt names the rivet, the sheet, the spacing and the order. The flow below only shows where each chapter fits.
2Work the stations in orderDo not drill the final holes before the pilot holes are clecoed, and do not rivet before the holes are deburred. Check: each station has one key check, listed in the table.
3Send a bad rivet round the loopA rejected rivet is drilled out through the manufactured head. Fit the same size if the hole is good, the next size up if it is not. Check: the hole is round and not enlarged beyond the next size.
4Close out with the inspectionLook at both heads, the gaps and the sheet before the next assembly step. Check: shop heads to the gauge, no sheet damage.
Safety. Glasses on before any station and hearing protection at the rivet gun. The rules are in shop safety at the sheet metal bench. The shop's own rules and the manufacturer's instructions take precedence.

Questions people actually ask

Can I drill the final holes before clecoing?

No. Pilot holes first, sheets held with clecoes, then the final size. Drilling loose sheets lets them shift and leaves the holes out of line.

When is a rivet rejected?

When the head, the shop head or the sheet shows a defect in the riveting inspection table. It is then drilled out, see removing a rivet.

Is this the repair procedure?

No. It is the order of the bench work. The repair itself, its rivets and its spacing come from the drawing or the structural repair manual.

Limits of this guide

A summary of the general order of the bench work.

  • The manual governs. Where the SRM, the drawing or the fastener maker sets a different order or value, follow it.
  • One path among several. Some jobs skip stations: a part that needs no bend goes straight from cutting to drilling. Blind rivets and bolts replace station 11 with their own chapters.

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Calculators

CalculatorRivet Shop Head InspectionCheck a driven rivet's shop head against the FAA Handbook's minimum, preferred and maximum and…CalculatorRivet Inspection GuideAccept or replaceCalculatorRivet Length CalculatorLength from the grip.CalculatorRivet spacing calculatorEdge distance and pitch.

Guides

GuideRivet layoutHow the spacing is chosen.GuideSafetyEyes, lungs, skin and fire in a composite shop

How to do it

Standard practiceRivetingStation 11: set a solid rivet.Standard practiceShop safetyRead first: glasses, hearing, guards.Standard practiceRivet identificationStation 1: head, mark, part number.Standard practiceRemoving a rivetThe rework loop.

Tools

Tool guideRivet gunHow to use a pneumatic aircraft rivet gunTool guideBucking barHow to buck a rivetTool guideRivet squeezerHow a rivet squeezer works and how to use oneBuying guideRivet Guns: Which Size for Which RivetWhich rivet gun for aircraft sheet metal

Books

Sheet MetalBookSheet MetalThe bench reference for sheet metal repair, task by task. Coming soon, also as a Training Edition.

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Sources

  • FAA-H-8083-31B, Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook: Airframe, Chapter 4 — pp. 4-9, 4-29, 4-31, 4-33, 4-40, 4-69: cutting, clecoing, rivet identification, layout, drilling and deburring, bending.
  • FAA AC 43.13-1B CHG 1, Acceptable Methods, Techniques and Practices — ch. 4, riveting and rivet removal; ch. 7, hardware, torque and safety wire.
Educational reference only. not approved data. Always consult the applicable SRM, AMM, or AC 43.13-1B and your certifying authority.
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