Rivet Installation for the A&P Practical: Drill, Drive and Inspect
The Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) oral and practical (O&P) test includes hands-on work. For A&P practical riveting, rehearse the complete solid-rivet job: prepare an aligned hole, drive the correct rivet, measure the formed head, and remove an unacceptable rivet while protecting the sheet. The assigned repair data controls rivet choice and acceptance.
On this page
- What does the O&P practical evaluate?
- What do I establish before drilling?
- How do I check rivet shop head dimensions?
- Where does edge distance fit into this job?
- How do I drill and prepare the hole?
- How do I drive and inspect the solid rivet?
- How do I remove an unacceptable protruding-head rivet?
- Which defects should I recognize?
- How should I rehearse before test day?
What does the O&P practical evaluate?
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airman Certification Standards (ACS) identify the skills below. A Designated Mechanic Examiner (DME) evaluates the assigned project against its stated performance standard, including your selection of appropriate tools and data. Each project has a skill element and two practical questions. The project is pass/fail: the skill demonstration must succeed on the first attempt, and both practical questions must be answered successfully. These study topics do not promise a particular test assignment.
FAA Order 8900.1, Vol. 5, Ch. 5, Sec. 11, para. 5-5-11-7C3), p. 16
| ACS skill | Exact published skill |
|---|---|
| AM.II.A.S1 | Install and remove solid rivets. |
FAA-S-ACS-1, printed 19, PDF 24
Follow the applicable manufacturer’s instructions and approved data for the assigned work. The ACS safety appendix calls for current maintenance publications, safe tool handling, equipment preparation, safety glasses, hearing protection, and any other required personal protective equipment (PPE). Disregard for safety will result in failure. If a project action would jeopardize safety, the evaluator will ask you to simulate that portion.
FAA-S-ACS-1, printed A-3, PDF 67
What do I establish before drilling?
Use the maintenance or structural repair data to choose the rivet type, material, diameter, length, hole size, and layout. Grip is the combined thickness being joined; total rivet length adds the material needed to form the shop head. Do not decide rivet material from diameter alone or assume every alloy uses the same formed-head proportions.
| Selection | Confirm from the assigned data |
|---|---|
| Rivet identity | Type, material, shank diameter, and length |
| Joint | Grip, layout, hole size, and access |
| Acceptance | Applicable head dimensions and defect criteria |
FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe, printed 4-32, PDF 194
How do I check rivet shop head dimensions?
For the A, AD, B, and DD group in Figure 4-76 of the FAA Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook—Airframe (FAA-H-8083-31B), the preferred formed-head diameter is 1.5 times shank diameter and the preferred height is 0.5 times shank diameter. These are preferred dimensions within the figure’s stated group, not the acceptance limits for every rivet. Illustration only: an AD rivet with a 1/8-inch shank gives a preferred 3/16-inch shop-head diameter and 1/16-inch height. With an illustrative 1/8-inch grip and 1.5-diameter predrive protrusion, the length calculation is 1/8 + 3/16 = 5/16 inch. Select the actual rivet and evaluate the result against the assigned data.
| Illustrative AD-rivet check | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Shank diameter D | 1/8 inch | 0.125 inch |
| Preferred shop-head diameter | 1.5 × 0.125 | 0.1875 inch = 3/16 inch |
| Preferred shop-head height | 0.5 × 0.125 | 0.0625 inch = 1/16 inch |
| Chosen predrive protrusion | 1.5 × 0.125 | 0.1875 inch = 3/16 inch |
| Length with chosen 1/8-inch grip | 0.125 + 0.1875 | 0.3125 inch = 5/16 inch |
FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe, printed 4-32, PDF 194
Where does edge distance fit into this job?
Confirm the layout before drilling. Edge distance is measured from the rivet-hole center to the sheet edge. The general minimum examples are two rivet diameters for a universal head and two and a half diameters for a countersunk head. Illustration only: a 1/8-inch rivet gives 1/4 inch and 5/16 inch, respectively. The repair drawing or structural repair manual controls the actual layout; do not choose a rivet spacing rule without its full conditions.
| Head type | General minimum example | Result for D = 1/8 inch |
|---|---|---|
| Universal | 2D | 0.25 inch = 1/4 inch |
| Countersunk | 2.5D | 0.3125 inch = 5/16 inch |
FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe, printed 4-33, PDF 195
How do I drill and prepare the hole?
Keep the parts correctly positioned, supported, and temporarily fastened. A properly prepared rivet hole is the correct size and shape and is free of burrs. A hole that is too small can scrape the rivet’s protective coating; if the hole is too large, the rivet does not fill it completely, the joint does not develop its full strength, and structural failure may occur at that spot.
- Lay out the hole from the assigned data and support the work before center punching or drilling.
- Use the specified drilling sequence and final hole size. Hold the drill at 90° to the work and use light cutting pressure.
- Deburr and remove chips, then check hole alignment and the fit of the selected rivet before driving.
FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe, printed 4-39, PDF 201 · FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe, printed 4-40, PDF 202
How do I drive and inspect the solid rivet?
Use the correct rivet set and suitable bucking bar, keep the tools aligned, and keep the sheets together. When two people work the gun and bar, establish clear signals before driving. Never point a rivet gun at anyone, and never depress the trigger unless the set is held tightly against a block of wood or a rivet. The bucker must hold the bucking bar in place until the rivet is completely driven; if the bar is removed while the gun is in operation, the rivet set may be driven through the material. Inspect both the manufactured head and the shop head, plus the adjacent skin and structure. A scale or rivet gauge can be used to check the upset head against the applicable requirements. A good-looking manufactured head alone is not enough to evaluate the joint.
- Seat the selected rivet and keep the set square to the head while the bar supports the shank.
- Drive under control while maintaining alignment and keeping the parts together.
- Check head form, sheet contact, and the surrounding structure. Compare measurements and defects with the applicable acceptance data.
FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe, printed 4-36, PDF 198 · FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe, printed 4-38, PDF 200 · FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe, printed 4-40, PDF 202 · FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe, printed 4-43, PDF 205
How do I remove an unacceptable protruding-head rivet?
For the protruding-head removal method, work from the manufactured head, which is more symmetrical and reduces the chance of hole damage. Drill the head, not through the shank: a spinning shank can tear the sheet. This sequence is not the separate countersunk-rivet removal procedure.
- Prepare a flat spot and center-punch the head, backing up thin material.
- Use a drill bit one size smaller than the shank and drill only to the depth of the head, holding the drill at a 90° angle. With a power drill, set the bit on the rivet and turn the chuck several revolutions by hand before turning on the power. If the head breaks away and climbs the drill, that is the signal to withdraw the drill.
- If the head does not come loose on its own, insert a drift punch into the hole and twist slightly to either side until it comes off. Drive the shank out with a drift punch slightly smaller than the shank diameter; on thin metal or unsupported structures, support the sheet with a bucking bar.
- Inspect the hole before replacement. An enlarged or damaged hole requires an applicable repair decision, including edge-distance and spacing checks.
FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe, printed 4-44, PDF 206 · FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe, printed 4-45, PDF 207
Which defects should I recognize?
An angled set, poor bucking, the wrong rivet length, burrs, sheet movement, and underdriving or overdriving can produce unacceptable rivets. Look for a sloping or cracked shop head, a damaged manufactured head, separated sheets, and a buckled shank. Identify the defect and its cause before repeating the installation; do not treat a single head-diameter measurement as proof that the entire joint is acceptable.
FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe, printed 4-43, PDF 205 · FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe, printed 4-44, PDF 206
How should I rehearse before test day?
Our study suggestion: work through the assigned task with an instructor, name the applicable source before selecting tools or values, and inspect the finished work against that source. Keep a note of the step you need to repeat in supervised practice. Rehearse the explanation separately from the physical task.
Frequently asked questions
May the examiner combine separate O&P practical projects?
No. Examiners are not permitted to combine practical projects. Prepare to complete the task assigned for each project and its associated practical questions.
FAA Order 8900.1, Vol. 5, Ch. 5, Sec. 11, para. 5-5-11-7C3), p. 16
What can happen when a rivet is too close to or too far from the sheet edge?
If rivets are too close to the edge, the sheet may crack or pull away from the rivets; if they are too far from the edge, the sheet is likely to turn up at the edges. Check the applicable layout before making the hole.
FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe, printed 4-34, PDF 196
Can I replace a damaged rivet with a lower-strength type of the same diameter?
No, not on matching diameter alone. A lower-strength replacement requires adequate compensation by increased size or a greater number of rivets, consistent with the repair data. Matching size alone does not establish equivalent joint strength.
Rehearse the spoken answer with DMEReady
DMEReady is an AI voice examiner for the A&P oral in your phone or computer browser. You answer out loud, and it asks follow-up questions the way a DME would. You can also rehearse an oral built from the ACS codes on your Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR). It rehearses the oral; it does not train hands-on practical skills. After each session, the report shows what you covered, what you missed, what a complete answer includes, and where to read in the FAA handbooks. You can save the report as a PDF study sheet and share a result image that never shows your answers or name. The first drill is free, with no sign-up. DMEReady is an AI examiner, not a human DME. It is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA; it does not predict or guarantee results.
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Related guides
- A&P Practical Sheet Metal Layout: Bends and Rivet Rows
- Airframe Oral Exam Questions: What a DME Asks
- Airframe Inspection Oral Exam Questions and Answers
Sources
FAA sources checked October 19, 2026.
- FAA-S-ACS-1
- FAA Order 8900.1, Vol. 5, Ch. 5, Sec. 11, Administer an Oral and a Practical Test (CHG 929, 9/17/2024), para. 5-5-11-7C3), p. 16
- FAA-H-8083-31B, Airframe
About this guide: drafted with AI from the FAA sources listed on this page and checked claim by claim against them. Not reviewed by an A&P mechanic or DME. How we make our guides
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