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05 June 2013

Shop: Rivet shaver experience.

Update 15-Jun-13:  Go here to see my real rivet shaver.

I have some rivets on the main spar's flanges that are a bit too proud (hey, aren't we all?).  I need to nudge them flush before putting on the skins so they don't gouge out my skins.  So I snagged a rivet shaver bit and planned to use it in a microstop cage with a hand drill.  I experimented with it on some scrap and it seems the drill won't spin it fast enough.  The shaver gets caught on the rivet and starts dancing around like mad.  I'm looking to find a real 20,000 rpm cutter without breaking the bank.


The problem with those high speed cutters is they require a LOT of air.  On the order of 30 CFMMy compressor can do 4.8 CFM max.  So, if I go with this tool (turned out I did get this tool 10 days later), it may need to be used in spurts of a few seconds each, separated by much longer bouts of compressor activity.  Another option would be to snag an auxiliary tank to increase capacity.  That option doesn't excite me.

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