What a frustrating night...

[cjensen]

ok, tonite was one of those that i just wish i would have stopped at the first sign of trouble.

it started off great. i was using my new pneumatic cleco tool (which is WAY !), and then i moved on to riveting the rear vs spar with my new pneumatic squeezer (finally bought one!). i am learning how this little gadget works. i'm squeezing 470 4-6 rivets without a problem...this thing is GREAT! then i switch to 4-7 rivets for the hinge brackets. this is where i should have stopped. it wouldn't squeeze 'em! WHAT!!! this thing is supposed to deliver 3000psi with 90psi of air. it's not working!!!! it just shoots to the shop head and stops. doesn't even phase the rivet! what the hell is going on here?? so, i stop and think...i'll move down to the 426 4-6 rivets for the lower portion. this means i have to switch to the flush sets, obviously. well, these aren't being squeezed either!!! now i'm because i'm thinking that this squeezer has crapped out on me already!!

so, i stop and think about this and get out some scrap metal to run a few without worrying about marring anything up. won't set those either. my sets are too long!! i can't get full pressure on the rivet to set it. if i'm thinking logically here, the squeezer reaches full capacity when full open. well, it can't get there because the sets are too long! right?? ok, ok, ok. then the squeezer stops working altogether. . problem with the swivel attachment. fixed that, and i'll be back in business tomorrow with shorter sets from work. i need 1/8th flush sets to do this, and mine are 1/4 and 3/8.

did i mention that i bumped the trigger on the rivet gun while hooked to the air, and it fired one shot and made a nice small scratch on the front side of the rear spar. no serious damage, and it won't be seen, but it was a dumb move on my part.

ok, i'm alright now. tomorrow will be better.

[captain_john]

Chad, that is about right.

When that happened to me the first time, I totally removed the piston and all the inside of my squeezer. I oiled up the trigger and went through it entirely. It was all totally unecessary. Nothing was wrong with my squeezer! HA!



When I put it all back together, it worked exactly the same! I did have carnal knowledge of it's interior, though!

It turns out that the problem was a combination of operator error and too high expectations.

The first problem is that I didn't know that most of the strength is made at the top of the travel.

Compound this with the old unit I got off ebay being slightly tired. The bigger rivets I need to squeeze in two stages. I try to get as much of a first squeeze on the rivet as I can.

Some of my fellow builders have stronger squeezers, I believe. Mine is a US Tool. It is OK I suppose. It is getting me by, but I should send it back to them for professional maintenance and a few extra yokes!

CJ

[jimrobinette]

Chad,

Similar experience. Since the squeezer only develops max psi at the very end of its travel, it is a balance between using the right die and having your adjustable set holder exactly right. Just work with it a while and you will figure it out.

Take care,

Jim

[LooseNut]

Hi guys,

I'm glad y'all figured out your squeezer problems. I had similar trouble, but the cause was a little different.

My new squeezer got weak and wouldn't dent a rivet. I sent it back to the good folks at Brown Aviation Tool Supply. They must have thought I was nuts ... they couldn't see anything wrong with it ... anyway, they took it apart and cleaned it (it couldn't have been too dirty, it was brand new!) After a couple of weeks I had it back, and you guessed it, it still wouldn't work for me!

So I still didnt know what to do. I took it apart and cleaned it too. I must have the durn cleanest squeezer ever! (... maybe it needs to be dirty?) So, I leave the thing in my tool box and become real handy with the hand squeezer.

Now one day, I'm getting ready to use my drill and I'm plugging the air hose into the quick-disconnect and it just pops right out. I try again and the connector holds ... but wait a minute, a light turns on ... maybe this is the squeezer problem ... and sure enough, I try a few things and figure out that the female connector of the quick-disconnect is just not holding tight. In effect the quick-disconnect fitting is acting like a little pressure regulator! My squeezer just wasn't getting it's 90 pounds!

There I was, blaming the good squeezer when it was some other piece of equipment. Why is it that the problem is always in the last place I look?

Now the squeezer is my favorite tool again ...

[LooseNut]

Hi guys,

I'm glad y'all figured out your squeezer problems. I had similar trouble, but the cause was a little different.

My new squeezer got weak and wouldn't dent a rivet. I sent it back to the good folks at Brown Aviation Tool Supply. They must have thought I was nuts ... they couldn't see anything wrong with it ... anyway, they took it apart and cleaned it (it couldn't have been too dirty, it was brand new!) After a couple of weeks I had it back, and you guessed it, it still wouldn't work for me!

So I still didnt know what to do. I took it apart and cleaned it too. I must have the durn cleanest squeezer ever! (... maybe it needs to be dirty?) So, I leave the thing in my tool box and become real handy with the hand squeezer.

Now one day, I'm getting ready to use my drill and I'm plugging the air hose into the quick-disconnect and it just pops right out. I try again and the connector holds ... but wait a minute, a light turns on ... maybe this is the squeezer problem ... and sure enough, I try a few things and figure out that the female connector of the quick-disconnect is just not holding tight. In effect the quick-disconnect fitting is acting like a little pressure regulator! My squeezer just wasn't getting it's 90 pounds!

There I was, blaming the good squeezer when it was some other piece of equipment. Why is it that the problem is always in the last place I look?

Now the squeezer is my favorite tool again ...

[cjensen]

glad you figured your problem out, loose. that happens to me ALL THE TIME. the problem is always in the las place i look, and in the mean time, i create all kinds of new problems trying to solve the original. that's just the way it goes...don't even ask me about my outdoor garage lights...that just irritates the hell outta me. but, that's life.

[LooseNut]

You got that right!

I can only hope that my sad story will help some other guy remember to look at THE OTHER END OF THE HOSE when befuddled by a problem.