RivetBangers.com

I have heard of this happening to others, and seek repair advice. The original extra dimple was flattened with the squeezer and flat sets, then after the pic was taken I deburred the extra hole (after dimpling the proper one) with a jeweler's round file. The plan is to go ahead and rivet as usual, then fill the adjacent hole with some epoxy and sand smooth. Sound good? Other tips?

Ah, the old trigger finger got ahead of you, huh? Yeah, I did the EXACT same thing. Here's what Van's told me:

"Rivet the good hole and put a new hole/rivet about 3-4
diameters from the damaged one."

It's good to get the first dozen or so screw-ups out of the way early on, so you give up the idea that your going to build the world's most perfect airplane right at the outset.

It's bad luck to build perfect.

I'm still for the oops rivet.

Try to duplicate the goof on scrap and then fill the hole with a regular rivet (don't set it) and then drill it out to #30 and put an oops rivet in and see how it looks. If it doesn't look any better than with the regular rivet, just rivet her up with all the others and move on.

About the worst thing that's going to happen is you lost that grand champion kit build award at OSH.

The good news is that we all do it.

Thankfully, I have not done this ....yet

But if I did, I probably would just order a new skin.
But that's just what I'd do.

Tough choice. I think I would also replace the skin personally. Not because of structural or safety reasons, just cause it would bug me until I forgot about it.

I did that on one of the tank skins ... I just enlarged the hole to #30, redimpled, and set a -4 rivet in there. It is barely noticeable - after paint, it will be invisible to all but the most detailed exam (and anyone looking that close is gonna find other stuff anyway ) You might consider that - won't be that noticeable. Is it along the edge where it will be under a fairing?

T.