Most metal airplane builders have a set of colored rivet gauges—those little bent pieces of aluminum that tell them the proper height and diameter of a finished rivet shop head. But most still rely on trial and error to set their squeezers to the proper depth. You set it a little wide, test squeeze, then set it a little tighter… and repeat until you get it right. Experience helps get you close from the start—but trial and error are still part of the process.
Well, all that was true until Flyboy Accessories came out with this little 3D-printed gem—a squeezer depth gauge for common rivet sizes that helps you set your squeezer before driving your first rivet. Designed to get you close on the first try, it’s a stair-step plastic gauge that should prove quick and useful in the shop.
It’s clever enough that we convinced them to send one home with us to try out—we’ll report back on how well it works.
