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Rivet Gun Recommendations
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=19804		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Trochu [ May 20, 2019, 12:42 am ]
Post subject:  Rivet Gun Recommendations
To the best of my knowledge, I've never operated a rivet gun in my life. I'm going to be welding on the floor, but all the panels will be aluminum, and there fore riveted to the frame. Just looking for some insight from those who know what they are talking about! :D

Is an air gun recommended or not that big of a deal with a manual gun? I've looked for reviews, and, as I stated, I don't really know my rivet guns, but when I see a Stanley gun in the top three recommended tools, I feel a bit skeptical as to the quality of review.... I've looked a Home Dept, Jegs, Amazon, KMS Tools, Princess Auto, Speedway Motors, and Aircraft Spruce. My gut tells to to purchase from Aircraft Spruce, but it also tells me I probably don't need to spend $314.00 on a rivet gun I'm going to use for one project. Seems the majority from the other mention suppliers run from about $50 to $120. I'm wondering if they are all made in the same place, the ones on the left get yellow paint, the ones in the middle get red paint, and the ones on the right get black paint though. Have we gotten to the point where a cheap air gun is actually pretty good, or am I going to do one panel with it before it goes in the garbage?
Author:  horchoha [ May 20, 2019, 2:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Rivet Gun Recommendations
Hey Josh
My Princess Auto air riveter has been through a lot of rivets. It has riveted a rag and aluminum tube plane and 3 Locosts so far flawlessly.
I would be lost without it. I paid ~$80CAN
Author:  davew [ May 20, 2019, 7:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Rivet Gun Recommendations
Yupper (((ditto))) I would be lost without it. $50 on E-bay.
Does a hell of a lot better job then by setting rivets by hand!
Davew
Author:  hfmaxi [ May 20, 2019, 7:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Rivet Gun Recommendations
I've been very happy with my rebuild Huck / FSI PT-100 air riveter. Problem with those is you need to wait around until the right one with the right nose pieces comes up on ebay or wherever and the parts can get pricey but they work really well. If you don't plan on using cherrymax style blind rivets or nutserts it's definitely overkill.
Author:  ZiG [ May 20, 2019, 12:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rivet Gun Recommendations
I just recently finished riveting my panels. Like you I welded the floor, so there weren't actually a ton of rivets to do. I have an older manual rivet gun from Canadian Tire, and it did just fine.
Author:  ChanoquinII [ May 22, 2019, 8:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Rivet Gun Recommendations
My largest panel had some 140 rivets (Too few I thought, but now I think overkill)
Sikaflex brand Polyurethane set time was OK for it not to be too frantic.
I have done floors, Transmission tunnel, Scuttle Shelf, Scuttle firewall and rear firewall all by hand now.
Still to go rear tub and engine compartment sides which will receive a lot less rivets as I will be spacing them more.
If I were to do another car, I´d go manual riveter again.
HTH
Author:  Trochu [ May 22, 2019, 1:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rivet Gun Recommendations
horchoha wrote:
Hey Josh
My Princess Auto air riveter has been through a lot of rivets. It has riveted a rag and aluminum tube plane and 3 Locosts so far flawlessly.
I would be lost without it. I paid ~$80CAN


I bit the bullet and bought the PA 1/4 air gun for $50.00. If mine last as long as yours, I'll be happy.
Author:  rx7locost [ May 22, 2019, 1:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rivet Gun Recommendations
If it is anything close to the same as Harbor Freight sells down here, you will get years of service from it. One thing never mentioned is that the installed rivets have much more consistency than when taking several squeezes with hand riveters. At least mine are. I always seem to tilt as I go for the 2nd squeeze.
Author:  zetec7 [ May 22, 2019, 9:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rivet Gun Recommendations
Another vote for "YES!!" on the cheap air riveter. I, too, have one of the cheap, Chinese, Princess Auto (Canada's answer to Harbor Freight) units. I lent it to my buddy, who did his entire Locost with it, with total reliability and zero issues. I suspect it will last for many years. I got mine on sale, cheap.

Once you use one, you'll rue every, single rivet you ever put in with a hand tool. It really is like the difference between a lug wrench & hammer vs. an air impact wrench.
Author:  turbo_bird [ May 27, 2019, 9:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Rivet Gun Recommendations
My dad bought a princess auto air rivet gun for when he built his stock trailer. It's got a couple thousand steel 3/16 rivets, and it worked great.
Kristian
Author:  JackMcCornack [ May 29, 2019, 2:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rivet Gun Recommendations
Is this a discussion re solid rivets or blind (or as the laity call them, 'pop') rivets? I'm not getting on my high horse, I've never installed a blind rivet, but (obviously Locosts aren't my only experience) I calculate I've installed over 100,000 blind rivets, and three $39.99 HF air-hydraulic riveters have popped most of them. Three, because they do wear out eventually, but since I've always been able to find a 20% Off coupon over the years, I've paid less than a buck per thousand rivets for these things, and you can build a lot of Locosts before yours gives up the ghost.

Of course, if you're talking about real rivets, I don't know jack, as the saying goes.
Author:  nick47 [ June 9, 2019, 12:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rivet Gun Recommendations
I guess I'm old school. Had my first pop-riveting experience when I was a teenager helping my dad build a BD-5. He did the whole thing with a hand riveter and I'm not sure I'd know how to use an electric one.
Author:  Lonnie-S [ June 9, 2019, 12:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rivet Gun Recommendations
JackMcCornack wrote:
. . . . three $39.99 HF air-hydraulic riveters have popped most of them. Three, because they do wear out eventually, but since I've always been able to find a 20% Off coupon over the years, I've paid less than a buck per thousand rivets for these things, and you can build a lot of Locosts before yours gives up the ghost. . . . . .

I've heard things both ways on the HF rivet guns, Jack. Because I never expect to do a high volume of rivets, I'm wondering are there any capability limits to the HF guns, that would justify the purchase of a used, professional-level gun as some have suggested. Anything you know about, Jack?

Cheers,
Author:  JackMcCornack [ June 9, 2019, 9:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Rivet Gun Recommendations
Lonnie-S wrote:
JackMcCornack wrote:
...are there any capability limits to the HF guns...Anything you know about, Jack?
No, just that a couple times a decade they stop gripping the mandrel well and I go buy a replacement. I think one can order parts from HF to replace the jaws, but it's a bit like buying water pumps seals for a Yugo...it's going to be some effort to replace, and how much longer is the rest of it going to last?
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