Rivet tool?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,640
Likes: 287
From: Ann Arbor Michigan
Rivet tool?
I have to rivet the spare tire carrier support member to the fiberglass tub. I have the aluminum rivets so what did you use to peen them over? Since the rivieted end is on the outside, what kind of tool can I make so it will look decent? Something besides a hammer.
Gary
Gary
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 836
Likes: 26
From: Harrisburg Pa
You can buy a air chisel and then get the rivet tool to fit, snap on tools has them but you will pay for it with your life, KD tool has them for a reasonable price. Then you will need a bucking bar or a thick piece of steel, A good heavy ball peen hammer or small sledge will work to. Of course you need a AIR compressor!!!
Last edited by TOM B1; May 17, 2009 at 03:20 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 763
Likes: 0
From: FBO Florida
rivet set
I used a rivet set which is a piece of tool steel that has a hollowed area on one end. I purchased a few extra rivets and practiced and found that the the hole that is drilled in one side of the set (about half the diameter of the rivet)is a better match for the original peening then the carved out area was. basically it smashed down the outsides of the rivet and left the middle higher. I placed the tub on a stand with a flat piece of metal (buck) to support the rivet from the inside of the tub. I also placed a piece of masking tape to hold the rivet in place and protect the finish of the tub inside. placed the rivet set on the rivet and gave it a whack. 
Worked perfect!
Worked perfect!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 836
Likes: 26
From: Harrisburg Pa
I see that sears has a chisel tool for about 50 bucks but cant find the rivet end, I looked on Ebay under, Air rivet, and found some good sets for about 30 bucks and you get 3 sizes of rivet ends, Not snap on quality but will work for lots of rivets
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,223
Likes: 174
From: Fort Wayne IN
If you don't care about originality, I just used 1/4 carriage bolts. Head on the inside so they don't damage the tire, lockwasher and nut on the outside and then cut the bolt flush with a dremel.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,200
Likes: 4,287
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi Gary,
I used a large finishing nail 'set', which had a slightly hollowed tip, that I found at the hardware store.
The aluminium was soft enough that I could get a nice 'mushroom' shape by moving the tool angle around a little.
Regards,
Alan
I used a large finishing nail 'set', which had a slightly hollowed tip, that I found at the hardware store.
The aluminium was soft enough that I could get a nice 'mushroom' shape by moving the tool angle around a little.
Regards,
Alan
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: London
6th Gear
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
I recently replaced a rear body mount that required rivets, I took one of the attachments that came with the air hammmer and cut off the end then took a drill and drilled out a shallow dish on the end, this worked awesome, start out with low air pressure and slowly increase to get desired rivet dome. as mentioned before place hammer or dolly on opposite side of rivet.
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Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
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From: In Dreams There Is Truth Ohio
I recently replaced a rear body mount that required rivets, I took one of the attachments that came with the air hammmer and cut off the end then took a drill and drilled out a shallow dish on the end, this worked awesome, start out with low air pressure and slowly increase to get desired rivet dome. as mentioned before place hammer or dolly on opposite side of rivet.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,429
Likes: 0
From: Tucson AZ
WOW............
I do sheetmetal everyday (for the past 34 years). Browntool.com has inexpensive metal working tools and the get it to you fairly quick. Mind you, they are a bit like Harbour Freight on some items, but the tools get the job done and professionally looking too.
I just looked at the website. They ain't cheap no more. Get the proper tool for the job, is all I can say.
I do sheetmetal everyday (for the past 34 years). Browntool.com has inexpensive metal working tools and the get it to you fairly quick. Mind you, they are a bit like Harbour Freight on some items, but the tools get the job done and professionally looking too.
I just looked at the website. They ain't cheap no more. Get the proper tool for the job, is all I can say.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 12
From: Massapequa Park NY
The rivet sets are available at any aircraft tool supply company for a standard air chisel. I bought a couple on line at:
http://www.aircraft-tool.com/shop/se...ORY=Rivet+Sets
Just remember to adjust the air pressure down to 30 psi or so IIRC, otherwise the tool will jump around. The soft aluminum doesn't need a lot of pressure to peen over well. Play around with a test piece first. You can use a body dolly to back up the rivet.
Jim
http://www.aircraft-tool.com/shop/se...ORY=Rivet+Sets
Just remember to adjust the air pressure down to 30 psi or so IIRC, otherwise the tool will jump around. The soft aluminum doesn't need a lot of pressure to peen over well. Play around with a test piece first. You can use a body dolly to back up the rivet.
Jim
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,640
Likes: 287
From: Ann Arbor Michigan
The rivet sets are available at any aircraft tool supply company for a standard air chisel. I bought a couple on line at:
http://www.aircraft-tool.com/shop/se...ORY=Rivet+Sets
Just remember to adjust the air pressure down to 30 psi or so IIRC, otherwise the tool will jump around. The soft aluminum doesn't need a lot of pressure to peen over well. Play around with a test piece first. You can use a body dolly to back up the rivet.
Jim
http://www.aircraft-tool.com/shop/se...ORY=Rivet+Sets
Just remember to adjust the air pressure down to 30 psi or so IIRC, otherwise the tool will jump around. The soft aluminum doesn't need a lot of pressure to peen over well. Play around with a test piece first. You can use a body dolly to back up the rivet.
Jim
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Gary
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 5,236
Likes: 898
From: Myrtle Beach SC
The rivet sets are available at any aircraft tool supply company for a standard air chisel. I bought a couple on line at:
http://www.aircraft-tool.com/shop/se...ORY=Rivet+Sets
Just remember to adjust the air pressure down to 30 psi or so IIRC, otherwise the tool will jump around. The soft aluminum doesn't need a lot of pressure to peen over well. Play around with a test piece first. You can use a body dolly to back up the rivet.
http://www.aircraft-tool.com/shop/se...ORY=Rivet+Sets
Just remember to adjust the air pressure down to 30 psi or so IIRC, otherwise the tool will jump around. The soft aluminum doesn't need a lot of pressure to peen over well. Play around with a test piece first. You can use a body dolly to back up the rivet.
This sounds like the ticket but let me see if I've got this straight. you use your air chisel and than pick up a couple of the rivet bits. To reduce "jump" you turn pressure down to 30 psi.
What size did you get for the tub rivets?
What's IIRC?
thanks
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 12
From: Massapequa Park NY
I turn the pressure down to the lowest that the air chisel will still work at and then bring it up a little at a time until I'm at a pressure I can work at comfortably. The majority of the time I'm working by myself & I need to hold the bucking bar &/or the piece I'm working on.
I usually making a jig to hold things, the fender skirts were a lot of fun
I only by the longest rivets, from Doc rebuild, put them through both parts & cut to length. I leave an 1/8" or so to peen over.
Jim
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 5,236
Likes: 898
From: Myrtle Beach SC
I wasn't clear with what I asked "what size rivet tool did you get for the tub?"
Last edited by hunt4cleanair; May 20, 2009 at 05:17 AM. Reason: add
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 12
From: Massapequa Park NY
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,640
Likes: 287
From: Ann Arbor Michigan
I got a little education on rivets today (at least aircraft type). The rivet tool (see pic) I had to use was for a 3/16" semi spherical head rivet. So the head of the rivet fits into the pocket in the rivet tool and the bucking bar is suppose to go on the side you smash over. Unfortunately, the rivets for the tub have a flat head and we had no flat head riveting tool. So, we put the bucking bar on the flat head side and peened over the rivet with the rivet tool resulting in a spherical shape head instead of a flat head. They look great but not original. I think I’ll go back now with just a hammer, dolly and punch to flatten them out. The soft aluminum rivets are very easy to work with. We set the air pressure at 30 PSI which was more than enough. Thanks to everone for your input.
Gary
Gary
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,200
Likes: 4,287
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi Duke,
The procedure you described is how I've always believed the rivets were done on the assembly line... bucking bar on head side and pneumatic smash on shaft side.
Regards,
Alan
PS: NICE looking surface on that tub!!!
The procedure you described is how I've always believed the rivets were done on the assembly line... bucking bar on head side and pneumatic smash on shaft side.
Regards,
Alan
PS: NICE looking surface on that tub!!!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,609
Likes: 12
From: Massapequa Park NY
I got a little education on rivets today (at least aircraft type). The rivet tool (see pic) I had to use was for a 3/16" semi spherical head rivet. So the head of the rivet fits into the pocket in the rivet tool and the bucking bar is suppose to go on the side you smash over. Unfortunately, the rivets for the tub have a flat head and we had no flat head riveting tool. So, we put the bucking bar on the flat head side and peened over the rivet with the rivet tool resulting in a spherical shape head instead of a flat head. They look great but not original. I think I’ll go back now with just a hammer, dolly and punch to flatten them out. The soft aluminum rivets are very easy to work with. We set the air pressure at 30 PSI which was more than enough. Thanks to everone for your input.
Gary
Gary
I think you have that backwards, The bucking bar on the flat & the tool peens the rivet. It looks perfect in the picture to me.
I wouldn't do anything further. Take a look at some of the factory rivets as a reference. They won't look as nice but you'll see the rounded over stub.It may be different on aircraft, but if you think about the tool shape for this application I think you'll agree. In the aircraft tool supply catalogs there are different shape bucking bars as well as rivet sets to access tight areas. Some of the rivet sets are flat at the end as well for other applications.
Jim