How many rivets do you drive by yourself?

Post by **Spike** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 8:21 am

So, the more I drive rivets with my gun (not squeezing) the more I am finding it difficult to get the hang of driving them solo. So my question is, how often do you drive rivets by yourself (one hand on the gun, one on the bucking bar) and under what circumstances do you do so?

-- John

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 9:44 am

if i'm shooting with the gun, i ALWAYS have someone to help me. i'm too nervous that i won't keep the gun perpendicular to the work surface, and screw it all up. it's hard to concentrate on the correct pressure for holding the gun and bucking bar at the same time. i was just talking to ruepster about this last night at our chapter meeting.

my wife, dad, or some guy off the street...i always have someone helping me buck 'em.

prestwich · Post by **prestwich** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 12:32 pm

Thanks for asking that question, John. The day may yet come when I'm actually ready to drive a few rivets myself, and I've been wondering about this issue. CJ, doesn't the bucker have to be as trained as the shooter? When you break in a partner, do you practice on some scrap? How hard are you supposed to push on the gun and the bucking bar, anyway?

Jon
deburring the HS parts!

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 12:50 pm

prestwich wrote:When you break in a partner, do you practice on some scrap? How hard are you supposed to push on the gun and the bucking bar, anyway?

Jon
deburring the HS parts!

i always practice on a scrap piece with a new partner. use common sense here...

actually you don't really "push" on the bucking bar. maybe a little, but you should be using a bar with enough weight for the rivet being driven to do the work for you. if you push on the bar, you run the risk of pushing the manufactured head up, and you end up with one ugly rivet sticking up that has to be drilled out. push with the gun, not the bar. just hold it steady in place.

Post by **Spike** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 12:53 pm

No problem Jon. In reality I ask because I had always been of the impression that people drove rivets themselves when they could reach both sides. The reality is that Ive marred up a fair number of rivets trying it. Hence I thought I would ask.

-- John

jim_geo · Post by **jim_geo** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 1:55 pm

I have bucked all of the rivets that I can reach by myself. So far I have had Tom help me on the wing skins and the steps only although he has done a fair amount of the back riveting. The secret to not smiling up everything is to move slow, pay attention, stay flush and not lift the gun off the work until it has fully stopped hammering. I've also found that for me the special padded edged flush set drivers cause more problems than they are worth. Then was the question of how hard do you push with the bucking bar. The bucking bar is a mass object and only requires a light pressure on the shop end of the rivet to work, just as John has already indicated. In practice what I do is line up on the rivet using the gun and bar to hold the rivet (kind of like juggling boxes) then slide the rivet down to snug it to the surface and drive. Your bucking bar will tend to bounce around and may try to bounce off possibly smashing one edge of the shop head of the rivet. Try not to let that happen either.

johnk · Post by **johnk** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 2:43 pm

I have completed the HS and VS, and so far, have driven all rivets by myself. I practiced a lot on scrap first, and eventually got the hang of it. For me, I found the key to success is to completely concentrate on the action until the gun stops hammering. First, I position the bucking bar exactly where I want it, then freeze my hand in that position. Then, I position the gun exactly where I want it, then look back at the bucking bar, then look back at the gun and fire. I stare at the rivet set while firing the burst. I also found that the work must be firmly clamped, or I get a bad result. Also, to my surprise, I managed to train myself to use the gun in either hand equally well.
John

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:17 pm

For the tuffies, I call in Wicked Rivet!

CJ

Dan A · Post by **Dan A** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 9:07 pm

I drove all mine except for the ones I couldn't reach on the turtle back. It does turn out better if you have someone help buck. All rivits will be more uniform and the smiles will be almost non existent.
Dan

Wicked Stick · Post by **Wicked Stick** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 8:55 am

captain_john wrote:For the tuffies, I call in Wicked Rivet!

CJ

Thanks for the Kudo's Capt'n

I usually will buck rivets I can easily get to both sides by myself. Using the swivel set with the rubber pad helps to keep the gun more steady.

When driving universal head rivets, I always pay more attention to the gun side than the bucking bar side.

Eventually, when riveting on those bottom skins, your going to have to buck them blind sighted. I always check them with a light and a mirror afterwards.

Having a partner does make it a lot easier... especially if the partner is also building. Then you can share in the fun.

prestwich · Post by **prestwich** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 9:46 am

Hey Chad, just reread this thread and realized I called you CJ, sorry about that, but it *is* appropriate for you, after all. Congrats on the King Daddy Dimpler, by the way. Still waiting for follow-up on the squeezer issues you were having, too. I'd rather learn from your mistakes than my own!

All right, so as far as this thread, just when I think I finally have enough tools to at least build the damn HS, it occurs to me that I still don't have any bucking bars. I'd like to buy a good, complete set somewhere. Any recommendations as to vendors for these? I know everybody has 'em, just looking for good quality and price as usual.

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 9:56 am

prestwich wrote:Hey Chad, just reread this thread and realized I called you CJ, sorry about that, but it *is* appropriate for you, after all. Congrats on the King Daddy Dimpler, by the way. Still waiting for follow-up on the squeezer issues you were having, too. I'd rather learn from your mistakes than my own!

aah, no problem. it does work for me too! i can't wait to use that thing! mebbe (as the other CJ says) tomorrow. i have to figure out where and how i'm gonna mount it.

as far as my hand squeezer goes, i did some minor testing, and decided that something just doesn't line up quite right. i've retired it to dimpling only, and will have to look for another hand squeezer. all my practice rivets with it are slightly to way off center shop heads with that thing.

Rupester · Post by **Rupester** » Sat Mar 18, 2006 12:43 pm

I have bucked 100% of my rivets so far ... no trouble except for the l-o-n-g 1/8" rivets in the spars. It appears I'm gonna have to beg my spousal unit for help on some of those. I do not use a swivel set with collar .. I tried those at the Sportair workshop ... most guys (including moi)didn't like them. I agree with earlier comments about concentrating on "straight and level" and don't let the bucking bar bounce. Once you've soloed

) , a little additional practice will make it second nature. BTW, I use a 1" dia. flush set, not the bigger diameter ones that everybody sells ...easier to assure straight and level.

TomNativeNewYorker · Post by **TomNativeNewYorker** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 9:43 pm

I shoot as many as I can by myself.

After you shoot enough rivets you will be able to shoot with either hand like I do as needed.

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 12:04 am

to the big show tom!! you'll love this place!

Tom Harp · Post by **Tom Harp** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 11:49 am

Something another builder passed along that helped me was to let one convenient finger tip extend past the bucking bar slightly( enough to barely touch the surface of the material being riveted. You can actually feel the shop head being formed as the bucking bar moves toward the skin, flange, bulkhead, or whatever is being put together at the time. Hope this helps.
Blessings:
Tom

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 12:55 pm

that's a great tip tom!

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