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-   -   Sorting Rivets (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=178288)

Ed_Wischmeyer 01-03-2020 11:54 AM

Sorting Rivets
 
So over the years, I've bought packs of unsorted rivets, and sometimes they've provided just what I needed when I needed one or two rivets of some particular size.

It's easy enough to sort them by round, flush and oops head, and by diameter. But when it comes to sorting by length, that's really tedious, and when you get to sorting the 3/32" from the 3.5/32" long, my eyeballs give up in disgust.

Anybody figured out how to do this? Or does everybody else have a life and not waste their time sorting rivets...

David Paule 01-03-2020 12:25 PM

I pick up the occasional dropped rivet and toss it in a container. Then once in a while I go through and use a digital caliper to measure and sort the rivets. There aren't so many that it's a burden.

Dave

rocketman1988 01-03-2020 12:46 PM

sorting
 
They also must be sorted by TYPE, too...ie hard rivets or soft rivets...

https://www.rivetsonline.com/rivet-data

N546RV 01-03-2020 01:15 PM

I remember the first "oops" rivet kit I ordered from Avery, I think. One day in the shop I knocked the open container off the workbench. I "sorted" all those rivets into the trash can, with sadness in my eyes.

scsmith 01-03-2020 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocketman1988 (Post 1397247)
They also must be sorted by TYPE, too...ie hard rivets or soft rivets...

https://www.rivetsonline.com/rivet-data

It's really best just not to have any soft rivets.

pvalovich 01-03-2020 02:17 PM

No Sympathy
 
I live in Ridgecrest, CA, with my-8A and workshop at Inyokern (IYK). I was very proud of the fact that I had all my rivets and screws sorted and labeled into around 80 small drawers sitting on top of long shelves. Then a 6.4 earthquake hit, followed the next day by a 7.1 with the epicenters very close to IYK. Ended up with 80 mostly empty dumped bins and a huge bunch of hardware mixed and scattered on the floor - shaken, not stirred. Took a long time with very boring sorting but everything is now restored.

rocketman1988 01-03-2020 03:49 PM

Agree
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by scsmith (Post 1397259)
It's really best just not to have any soft rivets.

I agree but if you get a bag of mixed rivets and are sorting, there is more to sort than diameter and length...

BillL 01-03-2020 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed_Wischmeyer (Post 1397235)
So over the years, I've bought packs of unsorted rivets, and sometimes they've provided just what I needed when I needed one or two rivets of some particular size.

It's easy enough to sort them by round, flush and oops head, and by diameter. But when it comes to sorting by length, that's really tedious, and when you get to sorting the 3/32" from the 3.5/32" long, my eyeballs give up in disgust.

Anybody figured out how to do this? Or does everybody else have a life and not waste their time sorting rivets...

Everyone must try once. OK crazy . . . I laid them in a row on the head on glass and put a scale on the aft end. The short ones went one way, tall ones the other. I suppose some double stick tape would just pick them up?? What a major pain. Easier to order.

DO NOT place the lengths in a bin/box in progressive order, I alternate with longer rivets 1-5-2-6-3-7 so when one hops over the little wall they are spotted easily. YMMV :D

mike newall 01-03-2020 04:57 PM

I'm onto my 6th Vans kit now.

Each time, I empty the brown bags onto the bench, a little soft rock playing and a frosty beverage to hand.

It may take an hour, maybe two, but it's done. All of the hardware are in their little drawers.

Now earthquake chap....OMG ! That would be a real PITA as it was not your doing !

Rivets.... You will be amazed at how intuitive the human eye is after a while. Group them roughly, then sift, then sift and bingo, they are done.

David Paule 01-03-2020 05:01 PM

With my rivets in plastic water bottles, if they fall, few escape, even with the cap off. They are easy to see besides being labeled. After 7 1/2 years, I'm convinced that this is a very workable, acceptable rivet storage method.



The storage bins contain nuts and bolts and other hardware.

Dave


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