A Flush-Rivet Milling Tool

The investigation of machine-countersunk flush rivets for aircraft described in reference 1 revealed the necessity of having the height of the rivet heads greater than the depth of the countersunk holes if tightly riveted joints were to be obtained. If ordinary roundhead rivets were inserted from the opposite side of the joint and the countersunk heads formed in the driving of the rivets filled the countersunk holes completely, still tighter joints were obtained. In either case the rivets protruded above the skin surface after driving, and the protruding portion of the rivet heads had to be removed in order to obtain flush rivets. A number of requests have been received for a description of the tool used to mill off the protruding portion of the rivet heads. This report contains assembly and detail drawings of the latest flush-rivet milling tool used at the NACA Structures Research Laboratory. Figure 6 shows the tool in operation. This tool is quite satisfactory for 1/8-inch rivets, but a more powerful motor is recommended for use with larger rivets.