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  #1  
Old 01-30-2015, 01:48 PM
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jnjhirsch jnjhirsch is offline
 
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Default Tools for RV-12

I'm sure this has been discussed before and I'm fine with a redirect to a prior thread.

The RV12 kit that Avery sells, does not include a rivet gun. Is it truly not necessary?

The kit also includes a hand rivet squeezer. For the RV12 build, is it not worth the upgrade for a pneumatic squeezer?

Also, assuming I have no tools (which is a good assumption) what are the common upgrades and additional must have items I can change/add to the Avery kit for the RV12 build?

Thanks.
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  #2  
Old 01-30-2015, 02:50 PM
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I had and used a pneumatic squeezer, but it is far from necessary. You will need a bandsaw and some sort of grinder/buffer motor, and of course an air compressor.. You can browse thru mine and other build logs, we always make a big deal out of getting to buy another new groovy tool!
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  #3  
Old 01-30-2015, 03:03 PM
Dave12 Dave12 is offline
 
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A rivet gun is handy in a few instances, but not at all required. I do like having one around. The pneumatic squeezer is great investment and tool. I have a hand squeezer I use for target practice Check your PM's
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  #4  
Old 01-30-2015, 03:26 PM
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I don't have a bandsaw and haven't missed having one. Would have been handy a couple of times but not necessary for me. I found a hand squeezer perfectly adequate but I had a hard time with a regular one. Once I invested in a Cleveland Main Squeeze (model 22), it turned a real chore into a piece of cake.
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  #5  
Old 01-30-2015, 04:44 PM
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Default Tools...

A cheap inexpensive band saw is very valuable to the build, in my humble opinion. Much cleaner and faster cuts, versus using a hacksaw. Is it necessary? No. But is it worth its weight in gold? Yes, IMHO.

And the rivet puller? Yep, again you could use a hand squeezer. But look at the bags of LP4-3 rivets for the entire build. There are literally thousands and thousands of them. Buy the cheap $30 pneumatic puller from Harbor Freight and thank me later. I built an entire RV-12 with that same puller, and we now use it daily in my office while manufacturing some of our parts. It has never missed a beat, and pulls rivets perfectly every time.

Can't ever recall using my pneumatic rivet GUN. Maybe I did, but if so, it was only because I had it already. And was only for a slight few rivets, which you could do with a hand rivet squeezer.
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  #6  
Old 01-30-2015, 04:48 PM
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I agree with the band saw and bench sander. I didn't have either and I think the parts would have definitely been easier to make and nicer looking with a lot less effort.

You can get by without them, but many is the time I regretted not having one or the other. Oh I did have a Harbor Freight bench sander. It just didn't last long.

Bob
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  #7  
Old 01-30-2015, 06:47 PM
RFSchaller RFSchaller is offline
 
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Maybe I'm a pencil neck, but I didn't want to pull 10.000 blind rivets by hand, so I got a pneumatic puller.

Reminds me of an old sea story from my submarine days where the punchline was: the difference between man and apes --- a man can use tools! 😜😜😜
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  #8  
Old 01-30-2015, 07:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RFSchaller View Post
Maybe I'm a pencil neck, but I didn't want to pull 10.000 blind rivets by hand, so I got a pneumatic puller.

Reminds me of an old sea story from my submarine days where the punchline was: the difference between man and apes --- a man can use tools! 😜😜😜
Can't imagine doing a -12 without a pneumatic puller ...
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  #9  
Old 01-30-2015, 08:51 PM
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Bill_H Bill_H is offline
 
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You need to search TOOLS in the Rv12 forum. Really good advice in a few links. Cleaveland set is very good. Even people that buy the Avery set get the Cleaveland MAIN SQUEEZE squeezer. You do NOT need a rivet gun. Yes, bench size bandsaw and belt sander. Extra 30 and 40 bits. Scotchbrite wheel. Cleaveland vice-grip style edge bender, not the hockey puck style. Power screwdriver loaded with the debur bit. Pneumatic puller is essential plus a manual one. But you do NOT need a pneumatic squeezer unless you have pretty weak hands or arthritis or something like that.

PADDING on the floor where you stand!!!
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  #10  
Old 01-30-2015, 11:48 PM
waterboy2110 waterboy2110 is offline
 
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Highly recommend the scotchbrite wheel - I have two. After 800 hours it's pretty much all I use except for large skins. Unless you have trouble with your hands (not a young man anymore) I don't see a pneumatic of much value but I would highly recommend the main squeeze as it has a cam and is non-linear which really helps when it comes to not bending the parts or trying to keep them in place. The cheap squeezers force you to bear down and move things around. If you are not going to seriously practice pounding rivets you will most likely do more damage than good with a gun. The kit wasn't designed for a gun and there's very few places that it would even make sense.
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