Drilling out a Zenair (blind) rivet: short tutorial on how to drill out a pulled (pop) rivet

An important part of the Zenith hands-on kit aircraft building workshop experience is learning all about the Zenair blind (or pulled) rivets, and how to rivet correctly, and even how to drill out a rivet when needed. This short video is from the November 2023 workshop class at the Zenith kit aircraft factory, where Roger demonstrated to participants how to drill out a rivet.
00:00 Drilling out a blind rivet
02:46 Zenith Workshop: Riveting the aircraft rudder assembly
03:21 Using the electric cordless blind riveting tool (Milwaukee)
04:32 The Zenith Workshop Experience (photos)
If you’ve always dreamed of building your own airplane, but aren’t sure that you have the required skills, Zenith Aircraft Company provides you with the opportunity to learn all about building your own Zenith Aircraft kit at one of its factory workshops, where you can actually start building your own airplane. With an emphasis on gaining hands-on building experience, the informal workshops are coordinated by Zenith Aircraft staff and held right in the factory. Small group sizes make the workshops very productive and educational.
Come prepared to work and experience first-hand how you can build your own kit airplane! You don’t need any experience, skills or tools to attend. Zenith Aircraft Co.’s factory workshop is structured as an informal “hands-on” workshop, to allow participants to gain introductory hands-on building experience using standard kit parts, drawings and manuals, and basic sheet-metal tools.
The factory workshop makes an excellent getaway for you and your spouse: Spend a couple of days at the Zenith Aircraft factory and meet with fellow aviation enthusiasts - all while gaining valuable hands-on building skills. Demo flights in factory demonstrator aircraft can also be scheduled during the workshop.
Details: zenithair.net/builder-workshops/
#builditflyit #ZenithWorkshop #aircraftsmanship

[@user-qi2ls1ul2e]

This is great content, would love to see more tips direct from the factory.

[@swiftadventurer]

dam, those oops rivets.

[@djtentacle3570]

How about drilling with a slighty smaller drill bit to avoid increasing the hole size? This is how I‘ve done it so far.

[@LTDan-hu5fq]

How about on the thin aluminum skin to skin? I don't want to dent it.