I'm new at rivets! - Airstream Forums

Yesterday, 03:57 PM   #1 2 Rivet Member     1986 25' Sovereign Wichita Falls , Texas Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 63 I'm new at rivets! I have been doing some work to my '86 sovereign, and have had some trials with the rivets. A friend told me that after I insert and squeeze the gun so the rivet sets, that the tail should always snap off on it's own, only two out of twenty did this, the rest I had to snip off, which is right?? Also, some of the rivets were not real tight, even though I squeezed the heck out of them, and I do have a grip, why is this??? I was using the smallest rivet I could find, 1/8" aluminum. Thanks! __________________   Yesterday, 04:05 PM   #2 2 Rivet Member   1968 22' Safari Paris , Ohio Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 28 Hello, sometimes you must let up on the handle and squeeze it several times,by doing this it will draw the head into the rivet and tighten it and the nail will pop off. __________________   Yesterday, 05:00 PM   #3 Moderator     1975 25' Tradewind Phoenix , Arizona Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 10,929 As Trapperman said, let the gun open, push the gun down to the rivet and give it another squeeze. The rivet shaft should not snap off until the rivet is fully compressed on the back side. You should probably drill out the ones that you snipped and do them again. __________________ Richard Charter Member Four Corners Unit   Yesterday, 08:41 PM   #4 2 Rivet Member     1986 25' Sovereign Wichita Falls , Texas Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 63 Drill out? argh!!! Thanks for the advice though, I will do and try it again. Thanks!! __________________   Yesterday, 09:08 PM   #5 4 Rivet Member     1993 30' Excella Laurel , Delaware Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 281 rivet guns Quote: Originally Posted by frscott I have been doing some work to my '86 sovereign, and have had some trials with the rivets. A friend told me that after I insert and squeeze the gun so the rivet sets, that the tail should always snap off on it's own, only two out of twenty did this, the rest I had to snip off, which is right?? Also, some of the rivets were not real tight, even though I squeezed the heck out of them, and I do have a grip, why is this??? I was using the smallest rivet I could find, 1/8" aluminum. Thanks! Depending on the gun you have there may be an adjustment that is done with the tool to change the head. It is like a flat key and you adjust the screw that compresses the spring that pushes on the fingers that grip the rivet tail, to loose and it slips instead of pulling it tight and snapping it off after 2 to 3 squeezes. __________________   Yesterday, 09:13 PM   #6 Moderator     1975 25' Tradewind Phoenix , Arizona Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 10,929 Quote: Originally Posted by frscott Drill out? argh!!! Thanks for the advice though, I will do and try it again. Thanks!! Rivets that were not fully tightened are harder to remove then ones installed properly. Your rivets will probably spin when you drill them. __________________ Richard Charter Member Four Corners Unit   Yesterday, 09:22 PM   #7 4 Rivet Member   2006 22' International CCD 2007 Base Camp Quesnel , British Columbia Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 281 There is a guide that specifies the length of rivet you need to use for the thickness of material... also, the diameter you need to use should be snug with the drilled hole. You might want to put a rivet in your gun and see how it deforms without fastening anything... aluminum rivets deform quite a bit before they 'pop'... hence the name 'pop rivet'. On your typical cheapo hand rivet tool... this is usually two or three full strokes if you can get them, or several partial strokes if you can't get full stroke on each squeeze (like in tight spots). __________________   « Dent Roller | Top | - » Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)   Thread Tools Search this Thread Show Printable Version Email this Page Display Modes Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode Posting Rules You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off

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