ready961

I replaced all the metal reinforcements on one side of my 60. Used an air chisel with some dies I machined with a handheld buck. Worked fairly well for that section. Now I am working on the rivets around the rear of the body (behind the rear bumpers) and the trunk hinge towers. More delicate area, thinking of buying a handheld rivet squeezer. Anyone have one they have experience with and would suggest?

coralbandit

A decent hand tool for $25 .
RT188M is the model #
I install sheet metal for a living ..

65 Pro Vette

. This won’t do body rivets. This is for pop rivets.

ready961

Sorry. I did a bad job explaining what I meant. The solid aluminum rivets

Roger Walling

I don't think that a hand held rivet squeezer would be strong enough to set solid rivets.
We use a $1300 air-powered one to set 3/16" hardened solid rivets.
It has an air cylinder that closes a mechanical clamping device.
You can buy "Magna locks" which look like pop rivets but they retain a solid steel core and are very strong.
They require the Big Daddy rivet tool or an air-powered rivet gun.
When set, they look like the rivets shown in your first picture, note the round circle in the head.
Your last pic. shown a buck rivet which we use with the rivet squeezer.

ready961

Thanks for the info. The bottom pic is just a replacement of the top pic which is installed. They are 3/16 aluminum. They rivet squeezer Im looking at says it will do it but idk how easily. This is what Im looking at rivet squeezer

pop23235

Using a real rivet gun @ ~25psi and a bucking tool is easy peasy and delicate on the “surroundings”. Hammer the head and buck the tail.

ready961

Yeah, Im sure part of my problem is Im not using a real rivet gun. Using a regulated air chisel. What do you use for a rivet gun? Thanks

pop23235

I bought an old CP 3x gun. Basic difference in a zip gun is the trigger or control valve. Get the convex faced tool, turn the air pressure down, should work. Just tricky on/off the trigger. The rivet gun lets you hit 1, 2, or as little times as needed, where the zip gun is a guess. Mess up, just knock it out and do over. Rivets are cheap.

Roger Walling

[QUOTE This is what I'm looking at rivet squeezer [/QUOTE]
I didn't know they made a hand one. I might just buy one for when mine breaks down.

ready961

Oh wait. These hand operated ones only do a 1/8 solid aluminum rivet 😒

csherman

I set all my rivets with an air chisel
Set the psi to 40 psi
Use a good dolly
You cant set either side
Take the air chisel and cut the chisel off
I took my dremel and beveled the end of the chisel shank to match that of a head of an alum rivet
Buck away !
You can also install faux rivets..... wink wink....

Roger Walling

They are called "Shave Head rivets". You snip off the pin and use the proper tool to shave the head to make it look like a bucked rivet.

https://bylerrivet.com/products/cate...-tools-gesipa/

csherman

not quite what I was talking about
I have seen.....guys take an alum rivet and cut it down and super glue it in
Looks real but not damage to the body from a rivet tool.....

JrRifleCoach

Using a rivet gun is not as easy as it would appear. Rather its an art form. These three guns are different as the stroke length equates to power that is controlled by air pressure and the operator. The squeeze tool is great for the occasional user. Having a selection of rivet sets and bucking bars makes the job easier if the spaces get tight.