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Which Rivet Gun?

M

mdredmond

Well Known Member
I'm planning to buy a complete kit from one of the major names, but Brown Tool has a Cleco 4X rivet gun on special for $259. Apparently this is normally a $600+ gun and I hate to pass up a good deal even though other brands/generics are cheaper.

From their site:

"The CLECO 4X Rivet Gun has long been considered one of the best rivet guns available. Has a 1/4" aluminum rivet capacity, hits at 1700 blows per minute. Weighs 3.3 lbs, 8.7" long. Accepts industry standard .401 shank rivet sets. Quick change style retaining spring included. Built-in air regulator allows for very precise power adjustment. EXTREMELY SENSITIVE Trigger enables smooth and deliberate riveting."


Now I know a 3X is what most use, but are there drawbacks to buying a 4X gun? Is there a danger of overdriving or otherwise screwing something up?
 
mdredmond said:
I'm planning to buy a complete kit from one of the major names, but Brown Tool has a Cleco 4X rivet gun on special for $259. Apparently this is normally a $600+ gun and I hate to pass up a good deal even though other brands/generics are cheaper.

From their site:

"The CLECO 4X Rivet Gun has long been considered one of the best rivet guns available. Has a 1/4" aluminum rivet capacity, hits at 1700 blows per minute. Weighs 3.3 lbs, 8.7" long. Accepts industry standard .401 shank rivet sets. Quick change style retaining spring included. Built-in air regulator allows for very precise power adjustment. EXTREMELY SENSITIVE Trigger enables smooth and deliberate riveting."


Now I know a 3X is what most use, but are there drawbacks to buying a 4X gun? Is there a danger of overdriving or otherwise screwing something up?
Click to expand...
Matt,

It is very difficult for people to agree on ANYTHING.....whatever the issue. But in this case, I'm sure the overwhelming number of builders with any sheet metal experience would agree that a 4X is simply too much gun for our application. It pounds way too hard for our purposes. I routinely used a 4X to drive 3/16 rivets on the production line, and only used a 4X to set the 3/16 rivets in my 6A wing spars. Where you WILL get a passionate argument is from individuals making the case to use either a 2X or a 3X. I won't get into that one. I refer you to this previous thread for more insights.
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=5767

Rick Galati RV-6A "Darla"
 
One thing to consider is the more X's on the gun, the longer it is. I did the empennage with a 3X and I wouldn't give it up for the world but man I sure coulda' used a 2X a few times when backrivetting the control surface stiffeners. There would have been more clearance. Unless you got a stubby backrivetting set, I'm not sure you could reasonably get to some of them with a 4X. Maybe someone who's worked with a 4X can chime in here and say that I'm way off base.

I'll probably end up picking up a cheapy 2X off e-bay at some point mainly because I think Ellen might prefer shooting with the 2X (it's a little lighter and easier to handle) but it may come in handy when you I need an extra 1/2" of clearance. We'll see....
 
A 3X it is...

Okay. I'm thinking that even with a good deal, the 4X isn't really what I want.

Thanks!

-matt
 
If I had to buy just one gun... it would be the Sioux 2X!

Thermos has one and after using it I feel that it hits as hard as my 3X and is as fast as my 2X!

;) CJ
 
I use a Sioux 3X gun from Brown Tool and have been more than satisfied. You can turn the pressure to 15-20 lbs and drive those little 3's and have great control. It will drive 4's easily with only 30-40 lbs of air.
 
Get The 3x

Matt,
You for sure want to go with a 3X. I work for www.planetools.com and sell a lot of tools to RV builder's. Builder's, including us on our own RV-8A project, find the 3X the best choice. The shorter a rivet gun is the faster it hits the rivet (blows per minute). A 2X is much faster and lighter which makes the rivet gun harder to control. This adds risk that you can slip off the rivet and create some artwork in the skin that you do not want. A 4X gun is the easiest to control but it hits a little too hard for the 3/32 rivets. The 3X works out to be the best choice because it is easy to control -- just make sure you have a good teasing trigger to allow "setting" of the rivets before driving them. Some rivet guns have better teasing triggers than others. The Sioux 3X is an excellent choice. There are some other 3X guns available that perform pretty close to the Sioux and are less expensive. Good luck on your project! Glenna :)
 
rivet gun

im using 2x from aircraft spruce there is no name brand by its made by usatco clone of cp and also have clone of cp from plane tool its 3x im very happy with both i owned sioux but i wasnot happy there is too much reson to list ,both have regulator and work great
 
Sioux 3X on sale

mdredmond said:
Okay, methinks Sioux 3X is the most bang for my buckage then.
Click to expand...

I just bought a Sioux 3X from Brown Tool, on sale for $239.95. PlaneTools.com had it for a little less, but I couldn't get an answer from them on a very simple substitution question. Might work for you if you're making a simple purchase.
 
3X is the best but...

If I were to buy a rivet gun to build a RV I would purchase a 3X. In my opinion a 2X just takes too long to drive a rivet and when driving long 4D rivets it tends to not develop the buck tail properly due to slightly work hardening the rivet.
Now with all that being said? I built my entire RV slow build with a 4X gun. It can be done and is not difficult. I already had a 4x gun and I wasn?t about to spend over $200.00 for another gun.
Let me give a little advice on riveting here and you all can take it or leave it. I?m an A&P and have done a few repairs over the past 29 years.
I leave my compressor set at 80lbs, (when you work in a shop you have no choice), and I have a small valve on my gun. Set the gun up so that when the trigger is pulled all the way it will drive the rivet correctly for the size of the rivet and the amount of time you want to hammer on it. As stated earlier, a good teasing trigger is what you want to start out with. Ease into it, end up with the trigger fully pulled and when you stop the rivet is driven. The gun is not a machine gun so don?t keep giving short burst until you?re happy.

Just my 2cents

Roger Ping
RV-9 85 + hours
Engine torn down to correct an oil leak due to an improper build dimension ( bought it freshly overhauled) ugh!
 
Next time I'll get a 3X

After using both 2x and 3x, I found that it's easier to drive small rivets with a 3x gun than big rivets with a 2x gun.

OTOH, i've been able to get my 2x gun in places where a 3x wouldn't fit.
 
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