We started riveting the top wing skins to the left wing assembly (skin to ribs at this point) starting from the center of the inboard skin. My wife bucked all but the two inboard ribs. We started by using a flush rivet set on the outside and a tungsten bucking bar on the inside (shop head), but noticed that this method depressed the skin slightly at the rib line. We next used a back-riveting bucking bar (large diameter flat head) covered with packing tape on the outside, with an extended back riveting set on the shop head. This method worked great for the ribs and lessened the slight depression in the skin at the rib line. However, we had to resort to the former method for areas of the skin overlying the wing-walk doublers, largely because those rivets are seated between 0.003-0.005 inches "proud" (i.e., manufactured heads sit slightly above the skin) as recommended by Van's to avoid over-countersinking the top skin. That area will be covered with a wing-walk pad after painting.
My riveting partner (and wife), checking our work:
3 of 5 inboard ribs riveted with my wife bucking:
Closeup of back-riveted line of rivets:
Another view:
Flush riveted from the outside (note scuff marks can and will be removed prior to painting using a Scotchbrite pad):
Riveted the inner-most rib (pneumatic squeezer) and associated nutplates:
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