Recommend me a...Rivet gun.

[richy_B]

Anyone got a good recommendation for a rivet gun? I've used the hand ones for years and they are always a fight. I tried the small battery Milwaukee and it jams so much it became infuriating. I tried a cheapie Clark air one and it was also sh*t .

 

I don't used them that often, just for repair arb bodies etc but I use them enough to warrant spending a few hundred, particularly if it will lady me a decade. 

 

Battery or pneumatic. 

 

Any ideas?

[woody paul]

Surprised you had problems with Milwaukee, as a mate of mine bought one to do rivets on some kennels he built, he must of put 5000 through it with no problems. 

[Dan Maynard]

As a teenager I used to patch up packing shed doors at the nursery I worked at, using a lazy tong type riveter for the galv sheet. I reckon as long as you've got plenty of space in front of the rivet they work really well.

[Stephen Blair]

The makita 1 that goes on the impact drill or Amazon version of it is about £12 delivered, simple and works.

[GarethM]

I'm guessing the nail was getting stuck inside the mechanism?.

 

I have had that happen usually when the rivets aren't the correct compression length for the application, so you end up going to town and it locks onto the mandrel.

Edited August 24, 2024 by GarethM

[lurch_918]

or you could look out for one of these . 

32" HEAVY DUTY LAZY TONGUE TONG HAND RIVETER POP RIVET GUN + 320 RIVETS NEW 2348

WWW.EBAY.CO.UK

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32" Lazy Tong Riveter Gun + Box of 320 Rivets. 32" Lazy Tongue Hand Riveter Gun + Box Of 320 Rivets. A high-quality heavy duty hand operated lazy tong blind pop riveter gun. PVC coated...

 

[richy_B]

6 hours ago, GarethM said:

I'm guessing the nail was getting stuck inside the mechanism?.

 

I have had that happen usually when the rivets aren't the correct compression length for the application, so you end up going to town and it locks onto the mandrel.

Yes, you couldn't do more than 10 without a jam. 4.8mm stainless steel rivets so not exactly the 'easiest' but they are the correct size for the application.  I only ever use them for securing ally planks on the arb bodies so we don't change size much at all.

[GarethM]

Yeah, stainless can be a right pain in the arse compared to aluminium ones.

 

Have you tried the next size up length wise, sometimes it's better to use the longer size with a washer on the inside.

 

Also helps to reinforce the hole and spread the force so they're less likely to rip through and come loose.

[richy_B]

Most of the time I can't get to the inside, hence the blind rivet but a washer it is a good idea generally. 

 

 I find the stainless steel rivets superior to aluminium - had quite a few ally ones fail over the years which I believe replace with SS.