Rudder Dimple mishap..any advice

[Jimzap]

While dimpling the rudder skin using my c-frame bench tool, and the skin slipped and I ended up dimpling where no dimple is supposed to be. Pic attached. The die even put a whole in the skin.
I flattened it and drilled a #30 hole because it looked liked a crack was starting.

I continued dimpling and primed the skin, but I'm rethinking it.

Any advice on what I should do?

http://s978.photobucket.com/albums/ae261/jimzap/RV9a/

[bruceh]

First off, welcome to that club.
I finally got my membership on a fuselage skin. Fortunately for me it will be tucked under another skin where it will never be seen.

I would take some clear packing tape. Put a small piece on another larger piece of packing tape to make a a little sandwich with a spot of no-stick surface on the sticky side of the tape, place it over the unwanted hole, then fill with a dab of JB weld. I did this for all of the tooling holes on the tip-up frame. A little sanding to flush on the outside and you will never see it again.

Here is a picture:


I think that drilling out the misdimple is good and that shouldn't affect the strength of the part (edge distance seems good). Call Van's for any questions about the integrity of the part, but my guess is build on...

[Spike]

Another option, if you have the edge distance you could just make that a rivet hole through to the stiffener.

Spike

[cjensen]

Both suggestions are good Jim. It's part of building flush riveted metal airplane...we've all done it!

[Jimzap]

Thanks for the advice. I think I give the JB Weld a try on a test piece before I try it on the actual skin.

Thanks again.

JZ