Installing solid steel round head rivets

[Guest Tom Baran]

I am in the middle of restoring a 1965 vehicle and needed to have two new cross members riveted in. I have the rivets 5/16" by about 3/4"L. My problem is the shop that said they could do the work now can't find their rivet squeezer. Does anyone have any suggestions for shops or individuals in the San Diego, CA area that has the equipment to install rivets? I have tried numerous restoration shops with no luck. I would prefer to use a pneumatic squeezer over an air hammer. I really do not want to have to hammer these in by hand. A total of 22 rivets need to be installed and all are easily accessible from both side of the frame.  Any advice would be appreciated. I can be directly contacted at 978-994-2425 as well. 

Thanks,

   Tom

[Guest]

You might look at the illustrated ads in Trade A Plane for aircraft tools. There are many tool suppliers in there that sell pneumatic rivet guns with various size rivet sets as well as different shaped bucking bars. Not expensive. You could do the job yourself, save money and time, and you get to keep the tools. Go out to a local airport where they work on the general aviation aircraft and talk with an A&P mechanic. Take a rivet with you. He can show you the tools. It may be hard to find a big enough rivet set for the heads of the rivets you are working with. I haven't looked to see if Eastwood carries any, but Trade A Plane is full of riveting tools.

[Joe in Canada]

I took a zip gun chisel and cut it back to the round shaft. Then concave cupped the end in the shape of the rivet head. Heat the rivet red hot put it in place with some weight behind the head. Then put the zip gun to work and it will round off the other end very nicely. I did the front cross member on my T this way twenty years ago and has not fallen apart yet.

[Restorer32]

Are steel rivets common on aircraft?

[Restorer32]

1 minute ago, Joe in Canada said:

I took a zip gun chisel and cut it back to the round shaft. Then concave cupped the end in the shape of the rivet head. Heat the rivet red hot put it in place with some weight behind the head. Then put the zip gun to work and it will round off the other end very nicely. I did the front cross member on my T this way twenty years ago and has not fallen apart yet.

We have installed literally thousands of rivets using exactly this method. Wear ear plugs.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Restorer32 said:

We have installed literally thousands of rivets using exactly this method. Wear ear plugs.

 

No steel rivets are not very common on aircraft. There are some, although Huck bolts are often use to join steel forgings. However..... a true rivet gun is not the same as an air chisel or zip gun, although it looks very similar. A rivet gun has much more control.  Also, there is no need to be grinding chisels to make concaved rivet driving tools. That is what rivet "set" tools look like and they are made for various size rivet heads. There are also flat ones for use on flush rivets. Bucking bars are heavy pieces of steel much like auto body dolleys. They come in many odd shapes to fit in tight areas if required. They are inexpensive. My only concern was whether the op would find a set tool with a concave dimple in the end that was large enough for the rivets he is setting, so I did a little looking. Below is a link to a firm that sells all types of riveting tools. I noticed that separate from the kits, they offer some set tools for 5/16" and 3/8" rivets for around $6.50. If he heats the rivets as mentioned, he should be able to do a beautiful job himself.

http://www.yardstore.com/rivet-guns/rivet-gun-kits.html

Edited February 18, 2017 by Guest (see edit history)

[Guest Tom Baran]

Everyone, thanks for the advice. We have the Big Three Auto Parts exchange sale this weekend, 23-25 Feb, at the Chargers old stadium in San Diego. Lots of old stuff and vendors. I will give it one last shot for a hydraulic type alligator or C type squeezer. If not I will go the pneumatic  route.