Rivet gun safety and precautions?

[mhorowit]

can I trigger the rivet gun with the nose not pressed against something or am I likely to hurt the gun? any other precautions i.e. "do not look into barrel of lazer with remaining eye".

[NY86]

Re: Rivet gun safety and precautions?

Press it against a block of wood. You'll need to do this to judge the air setting. If you fire it in open air you run the risk of launching the rivet set, as well as allowing the hammer to bang against the end of the set.

[mulwyk]

Re: Rivet gun safety and precautions?

Mike:
Everyone enjoys reading you here daily on the T-craft forum so....Please do NOT actuate your rivet gun without having it pressed against a wood block or something. Do NOT point it at your head.

[fearofpavement]

Re: Rivet gun safety and precautions?

Mike:
Everyone enjoys reading you here daily on the T-craft forum so....Please do NOT actuate your rivet gun without having it pressed against a wood block or something. Do NOT point it at your head.

Mike, I don't think he meant that your head was a block of wood.

Also, make sure you always use the correct retainer spring. I have "read" about what may happen if you don't...

[mhorowit]

Re: Rivet gun safety and precautions?

Mike, I don't think he meant that your head was a block of wood.

Also, make sure you always use the correct retainer spring. I have "read" about what may happen if you don't...

My inclination is to use the one that will come with it; how will I know if the correct one differes from what is presented? or where you looking ahead to when it's time to change springs? - Mike

[NY86]

Re: Rivet gun safety and precautions?

Mike, I don't think he meant that your head was a block of wood.

Guess I should have made that more clear...

[astjp2]

Re: Rivet gun safety and precautions?

There are 2 styles of retaining spring, one is labeled as a quick change, the other is a bee hive, there are large diameter flush rivet sets that will not fit in the bee hive. I have about5-6 rivet guns and just set up each one for the size of rivet I am doing....-3, -4, -5, large flush, small flush, and they vary from 2x to 7x and from .401 and .498 shank.

I am not a professional rivert pounder because I do not do enough of it lately but I have enough that people usually can come to me and I can loan them what they need or just do a small project for them.

I also have about 10 palm drills. I keep 2-3 set up for counter sinking @ 1k rpm's, I perfer to drill most common and easy to access holes at 2600-3000 rpms, I have one 5k rpm drill, a 3k rpm drill and a few others that i am not sure of the speed, a 45 degree drill and a 90 degree angle head drill, and I am looking at buying a pancake drill for those hard to reach places. I will only buy cobalt drills and I get them by the box of 10, I can usually get them for under 15.00 per box for most common rivet sizes. Alaska Industial Hardware has a real nice Chicago Pneumatic 2600 rpm drill for 109.00 that rivals any drill out there. Its small and has plenty of power and a teaser trigger... I am partial to Aro and the CP is very similar but they were bought out by Ingersol Rand and lost some of the features I like. I do not like Sioux because I dont like the trigger or the cost, most of the drills I looked at were in the 3-500.00 range. I also have a 18v Milwaukee 1/2 inch cordless and use it with my blair hole saw kits, I perfer the air drills because of the weight and ease of use. I do not at all like a chorded drill, they are ok for drilling a hole in your jeep frame but too heavy and not light on the controls.

A rivet cutter is handy and so is a rivet hole gage. if you are into pull type rivets, the harbor freight small pneumatic rivet puller is great and less than 75.00 and even down to 50 on sale. I have pulled up to #6 cherrymax rivets with mine.

Bucking bars are out there for cheap if you shop around, I bought about a dozen for 5.00 each, others I got when I bought someones left overs or excess tools. The last time I looked, I have about 40+ rivet sets, I find that I buy them and wind up grinding the edges or sides down to reach into funny areas.

Counter sinks and bits buy as you need, surplus places like boeing and some at the Yard store have priopritary shanks that wont fit into a 1/4" chuck

Dimple dies I buy in sets, they can be initially expensive but in the long run but handy, I also grind them down to reach in confined areas. and have a special pair that I used to repair the prewar ribs (cub style)...It is ground down #3 to only 1/4" diameter....

Well I think that I have bored enough of you for now. hope this helps and if you have any questions, ask...Tim

[N96337]

Re: Rivet gun safety and precautions?

Mike...key word here is "gun"...... treat it just like one and you'll be ok. When I was in A&P school, the two class 'goof off's" were playing with a 4x gun, complete with rivet set and retainer spring. The one idiot pointed it at the other idiot's knee and pulled the trigger.....the set shot out of the spring and blew the other kid's kneecap off...not a pretty sight. Respect the power it has.
John

[Richard Boyer]

Re: Rivet gun safety and precautions?

John,

how did you get the little "gnat" on your signature.

funny!

[N96337]

Re: Rivet gun safety and precautions?

Magic, Richard.........
John

[VictorBravo]

Re: Rivet gun safety and precautions?

Mike... gotta have safety glasses on whenever you are screwing around with air tools (or most others as well). I know how much of a pain they are, but if you get the small ones that look like a pair of Oakley sunglasses they are not too bothersome.

When I went to A&P school they had a pair of safety glasses hanging on the wall with a piece of a broken air drill bit stuck in them from some strange shop accident. I think I remember the old timers told me the drill was knocked out of the operator's hand by someone else accidentally, and the drill flying up toward his face... doesn't matter.... Somewhere out there is an airplane mechanic who still has his sight 30 or 50 years later because of those safety goggles.

The "gun" comment is right on the money.

[mhorowit]

Re: Rivet gun safety and precautions?

Mike... gotta have safety glasses on whenever you are screwing around with air tools (or most others as well). I know how much of a pain they are, but if you get the small ones that look like a pair of Oakley sunglasses they are not too bothersome.

When I went to A&P school they had a pair of safety glasses hanging on the wall with a piece of a broken air drill bit stuck in them from some strange shop accident. I think I remember the old timers told me the drill was knocked out of the operator's hand by someone else accidentally, and the drill flying up toward his face... doesn't matter.... Somewhere out there is an airplane mechanic who still has his sight 30 or 50 years later because of those safety goggles.

The "gun" comment is right on the money.

I consider the $3.00 I payed for my safety glasses as the cheapest insurance and best investment for the money - Mike