- Prepare. Before you do anything else, you should put on your safety gloves and glasses. ...
- Load the Rivet. Take your rivet in one hand, and with the other press the trigger, so the holding arms are open. ...
- Install the Rivet. Push the head of the rivet through the holes in the sheets of metal. ...
- Finish. Once the pin has broken, the manual pop rivet gun will pull free of the rivet and hole. ...
How do you attach a rivet to a gun?
Push the metal rivet into the tool as far as possible, so that the rivet is resting on a chuck at the back of the gun. Your rivet should have the pin facing towards the back of the gun, with the head extended between the teeth. Release the trigger so that the rivet is held in place.
Can you use blind rivets with a rivet gun?
Never use standard rivets for situations that require a water-proof seal. If you're working with important structural joints, don't use blind rivets. Instead, use solid rivets with a pneumatic rivet gun.
How do you choose a rivet material?
Select a rivet made from the same material as the metal you're joining. There are many different kinds of rivet materials. Always match the rivet to the type of metal you're attaching whenever possible. For example, aluminum metal should be fastened with aluminum rivets.
What kind of Gun do you use to hammer rivets?
Select a fast-hitting gun when using soft rivets. Also known as 2X guns or vibrators, fast-hitting rivet guns are ideal for soft rivets (which are made of soft aluminum alloy). They continue to hammer as long as the trigger is held down. Keep in mind that they are harder to control than slow-hitting guns.
How to attach a rivet to a gun?
How to drill a rivet hole?
How to get a rivet to snap?
What rivets are best for oversized holes?
What type of gun to use for medium rivets?
How to determine the maximum weight of rivets?
What to do if your gun pops and the rivet is secured?
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About this website
How to Use a Rivet Gun - Pro Tool Reviews
Milwaukee M18 rivet gun; Manual rivet guns and battery-powered tools accomplish the same work. The more expensive battery-powered tools save your hands and automatically collect spent posts after applying the rivet.
How to attach a rivet to a gun?
Slide the rivet long-side first into the nozzle of your gun. Place the longer side of the rivet into the nozzle of your gun. The shorter piece is the end that is inserted through the 2 pieces of material you're attaching.
How to drill a rivet hole?
1. Drill a rivet hole using a standard twist drill. The size of the hole you drill into your materials determines the appropriate rivet size. For example, a 5⁄32 inch (0.40 cm) hole is created with a number 21 drill bit, and you'll need a 5⁄32 inch (0.40 cm) rivet with the proper nozzle attachment.
How to get a rivet to snap?
Put pressure on the rivet as you squeeze the handle. Every squeeze will pull the metal pin in the rivet through the body. Once the pin's head reaches the small end of the rivet, it will begin compressing the 2 metal pieces together. Keep squeezing until you hear a pop and the pin snaps.
What rivets are best for oversized holes?
Select multi-grip rivets for situations that require high-strength fastening. These rivets have a wider grip range and always completely fill the holes in your metal due to their "bulbing" action. They are best suited for irregular, oversized, or misaligned holes, as well as situations where you're unsure of the optimal rivet length.
What type of gun to use for medium rivets?
Opt for a slow-hitting gun for medium-sized rivets. Also called 3X guns, slow-hitting guns are the most common type of pneumatic rivet gun and are best for medium-sized rivets. They are easiest to control, and recommended for first-time users. Medium-sized rivets will be labeled as such.
How to determine the maximum weight of rivets?
To determine the maximum weight your rivets can hold, look at the back of the package for their shear strength. Never use standard rivets for situations that require a water-proof seal. If you're working with important structural joints, don't use blind rivets. Instead, use solid rivets with a pneumatic rivet gun.
What to do if your gun pops and the rivet is secured?
Discard the pin (the longer side of the rivet) after your gun pops and the rivet has secured both materials.
How to make a rivet?
Step 1 - Prepare. Before you do anything else, you should put on your safety gloves and glasses. Rivets are made of light metal, and can sometimes break, so it is a good idea to be fully protected. Next, lay out the sheets of metal. These can be ready-drilled, or you can make small holes in them using a drill.
How to use a rivet gun?
Push the head of the rivet through the holes in the sheets of metal. Make sure that the rivet comes through both sheets of metal at once (you may wish to look underneath and check), and is not impeded. Push down, and pull the handle of the rivet gun until you feel resistance. Release the handle, and ensure that the tool is tight to the top of the rivet, and then pull the handle again. Repeat until you hear a popping noise from the end of the gun. This is the breaking of the pin, and indicates that the rivet is secured to the metal sheets.
How to make a popping noise with a rivet gun?
Push down, and pull the handle of the rivet gun until you feel resistance. Release the handle, and ensure that the tool is tight to the top of the rivet, and then pull the handle again. Repeat until you hear a popping noise from the end of the gun.
What is a pop rivet tool?
There are two kinds of pop rivet tools in popular use - the pneumatic pop rivet tool, and the manual gun. The former uses compressed air to squeeze the rivet pin into the right position, while the latter uses a handle to perform the same job. The rivets in both cases are the same, a small nail-like rivet with a pin shaped bottom, ...
What is a pneumatic rivet gun?
Pneumatic rivet guns are used in large industry from auto manufacturing to the airline industry , while manual pop rivet guns tend to be used by the amateur market, as pop rivets are more suitable for holding light metals together.
Can you use a pop rivet gun to pull out a broken rivet?
Once the pin has broken, the manual pop rivet gun will pull free of the rivet and hole. You can then turn the tool around, and watch it spit out the pin. You can then fit another pop rivet in exactly the same way, or you can choose to smooth down your rivet, in order to get rid of any sharp edges caused when the pin broke away. Check that the sheets of metal are joined, and that the rivet is secure, and then try again on another part of the sheet.
How to make a rivet nut fit?
Increase the size of the drill bit to widen the hole until the rivet nut fits. Swap out the drill bit for one with a larger diameter and place the end of it into the hole you made with the smaller bit. Bring the drill up to speed slowly and apply pressure to it. Drive the drill bit through the hole to create a wider opening. Try sliding the rivet nut into the hole whenever you change bits to see if it fits. Whenever it slides into place, stop increasing the size of the hole .
How to remove a rivet nut?
Start by drilling a hole that will fit the rivet nut. Then, attach the rivet nut onto the rod known as a mandrel of a handheld rivet nut tool. Insert the rivet nut into the hole, squeeze the handles of the tool, and remove the tool from the nut by unscrewing the mandrel. Steps.
What is a mandrel on a rivet nut?
On a rivet nut tool, the mandrel is a rod that holds the rivet nut in place when you’re securing it to the metal and the nosepiece holds the rivet nut on the tool when you’re installing it. Slide it into the tool and screw on the nosepiece that secures it and allows you to thread your rivet nut onto the tool.
What to do if rivet nut won't slide?
If the rivet nut won’t slide into the opening, expand your pilot hole by using a slightly bigger drill bit.
How to make a hole wider?
Drive the drill bit through the hole to create a wider opening. Try sliding the rivet nut into the hole whenever you change bits to see if it fits. Whenever it slides into place, stop increasing the size of the hole. Try to fit the rivet nut into the hole before you widen it further.
What is rivet nut?
Learn more... A rivet nut is a threaded fastener that can be installed in many different types of material including steel, plastic, fiberglass, and composite materials. They’re also really easy to install. Start by drilling a hole that will fit the rivet nut.
How to use a drill bit on a power drill?
Insert a small drill bit into the end of your power drill, hold the chuck again, and squeeze the trigger to close the jaws and hold the bit in place. Make sure the drill bit is held securely by tugging at it. Use a 1⁄8 inch (0.32 cm) drill bit or smaller to start. ...
How to attach a rivet to a gun?
Slide the rivet long-side first into the nozzle of your gun. Place the longer side of the rivet into the nozzle of your gun. The shorter piece is the end that is inserted through the 2 pieces of material you're attaching.
How to drill a rivet hole?
1. Drill a rivet hole using a standard twist drill. The size of the hole you drill into your materials determines the appropriate rivet size. For example, a 5⁄32 inch (0.40 cm) hole is created with a number 21 drill bit, and you'll need a 5⁄32 inch (0.40 cm) rivet with the proper nozzle attachment.
How to get a rivet to snap?
Put pressure on the rivet as you squeeze the handle. Every squeeze will pull the metal pin in the rivet through the body. Once the pin's head reaches the small end of the rivet, it will begin compressing the 2 metal pieces together. Keep squeezing until you hear a pop and the pin snaps.
What rivets are best for oversized holes?
Select multi-grip rivets for situations that require high-strength fastening. These rivets have a wider grip range and always completely fill the holes in your metal due to their "bulbing" action. They are best suited for irregular, oversized, or misaligned holes, as well as situations where you're unsure of the optimal rivet length.
What type of gun to use for medium rivets?
Opt for a slow-hitting gun for medium-sized rivets. Also called 3X guns, slow-hitting guns are the most common type of pneumatic rivet gun and are best for medium-sized rivets. They are easiest to control, and recommended for first-time users. Medium-sized rivets will be labeled as such.
How to determine the maximum weight of rivets?
To determine the maximum weight your rivets can hold, look at the back of the package for their shear strength. Never use standard rivets for situations that require a water-proof seal. If you're working with important structural joints, don't use blind rivets. Instead, use solid rivets with a pneumatic rivet gun.
What to do if your gun pops and the rivet is secured?
Discard the pin (the longer side of the rivet) after your gun pops and the rivet has secured both materials.
