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Replacement Nails for Pop-Rivet Dimpler

Lemmingman

Well Known Member
I know there have been posts about this in the past, but my results have been horrible and I was wondering if anyone had any new ideas.

I have a set of pop rivet dimpler for #40 and the nails that came with it did a good job. I could get 5 or 6 dimples out of them before they would fail. Once I consumed them I tried replacing them with various nails I found at Tractor Supply Co. and Lowes with no luck. The head of the nails always break before I get close to full pressure.

If you have these types of dimplers where do you get decent quality nails for them?
 
Thats what I'm using from Lowes, but the heads just snap off. I usually have to burn through 5 or 6 before I get one dimple done. I chalk it up to poor quality nails.
 
Sounds like you are pulling the dimples too tight.
Set your pressure very low. Do a test dimple an similar material. Keep increasing the pressure until you get a good dimple, then stop. By using this method, I can dimple a complete wing skin with no more than 3 nails.
 
Hi Mel,
Sounds like you've done a few of these. One thing I failed to mention is that this is a manual, hand operated rivet puller. Your suggestions sound like they would be for a pneumatic puller. Is that the case?

The pressure they break is very slight. Let me describe it this way. Lets say that the travel of my handle goes from 0% - 115%. Somewhere around 100% I have been able to set very nice dimples, in the past. With these new nails I can get about a 25% - 30% through the travel before they break. The "dimple" left behind is really not much more than a dent. I insert another nail and repeat. It goes to about 40% - 50% and breaks. The dent is now starting to kind of look like a dimple. I keep doing this until the dimple is fully formed, I then brush away the pile of nail shafts left behind.

I'll look around at some other retailers and see what I can find. Its fairly frustrating as it takes a simple task and turns it into a repetitive chore.
 
Sounds like you need to move back to Texas and buy your nails here.
There's something seriously wrong if you can't get full dimples without breaking nails.
 
I know there have been posts about this in the past, but my results have been horrible and I was wondering if anyone had any new ideas.

I have a set of pop rivet dimpler for #40 and the nails that came with it did a good job. I could get 5 or 6 dimples out of them before they would fail. Once I consumed them I tried replacing them with various nails I found at Tractor Supply Co. and Lowes with no luck. The head of the nails always break before I get close to full pressure.

If you have these types of dimplers where do you get decent quality nails for them?


I had the same problem...and it's not from pulling too hard....it's just poor quality nails.

The problem I had was that when the nail snapped the dimple dies would fly all over the place and tended to get lost (sometimes permanently).

I solved both problems by buying better quality nails (trial and error) and by applying a piece of tape over the dies to contain them when the nail does eventually break. But in the end it struck me as a second rate solution.

So eventually I made my own tool to do the job. I used a standard rivet gun (at VERY low pressure). I drilled a hole in the end of a short rivet set for the dimple die shank (male), and other hole in a bucking bar for the second dimple die shank (female). Just the shortest burst on the gun produces perfect dimples with no effort....much better than the pop rivet approach. Highly recommended and easy to make with a pedestal drill.
 
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stainless steel nails?

Some hardware stores will sell stainless steel nails for special applications. You might try those. Often come in a small box, low quantity, but thats OK.
Austenitic stainless steels not generally or necessarily stronger than alloy steels (depends on a lot of factors), but probably stronger than the junk they make common nails out of.

Another question is how thick is the material you are trying to form a dimple in? I imagine 0.032 takes more pull, and more likely to break nails than 0.025.

Also check whether you are using box nails or common nails. different diameter. Is the nail a pretty tight fit on the dies? On mine, the fit is tight enough that if the pop rivet puller raises a burr, its hard to get the die off the nail.
 
Sounds like you are pulling the dimples too tight.
Set your pressure very low. Do a test dimple an similar material. Keep increasing the pressure until you get a good dimple, then stop. By using this method, I can dimple a complete wing skin with no more than 3 nails.


A "complete wing skin"? Man you are old school...Or just SUPER cheap. ;) Sounds like some kind of torture technique at Gitmo to me.
 
6d finishing nails are correct replacement

I use 2 inch 6 penny finishing nails for my Avery 3/32" dimpler with good results. They match the nails initially supplied. A 4d finishing nail would easily pull through my dimpler. Using 6 penny nails I have broken one only once and then I was aware I was pulling too hard. The shaft of the nail will become roughened and require replacement every few dimples to allow easy disassembly between dimples.
 
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I made this..

for hard to dimple places
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A "complete wing skin"? Man you are old school...Or just SUPER cheap. ;) Sounds like some kind of torture technique at Gitmo to me.

I've built quite a few airplanes using the pop-rivet dimpler. It's not that bad once you get the knack.
BTW, You will NEVER add an extra holes using this method!
 
.......where do you get decent quality nails for them?
When it comes to fitting appropriately sized nails into a pop riveter and getting them to work, the choices are limited. I experimented with various nails I had on hand and happily settled upon these panel nails. If you look closely, you can see the nails have ridges that provide a good grip and they handle close quarter dimple dies just fine. With a box containing hundreds of spare nails, I never worried about running out.;)

qoy2wl.jpg


P.S. Some may remember "Central Hardware" printed on the sticker affixed to the label. For decades, C.H. was the hardware store of choice for many St. Louisans. Its flagship store in "Central City" was practically a landmark in North St. Louis County where I grew up. Alas, it's time passed some time ago when it could no longer compete with the now ubiquitous big box concept. Just my way of explaining how long I've had those panel nails.
 
I've built quite a few airplanes using the pop-rivet dimpler. It's not that bad once you get the knack.
BTW, You will NEVER add an extra holes using this method!

I've used it for all the req'd locals. Just couldn't imagine building a whole airplane that way. I've also found that the dimples aren't quite as "crisp" as they are with the pneumatic or a c-frame.
 
If you are concerned about the "crispness" of the dimple, just use a machine countersink for the "last bit" of depth. Works like a charm.
 
Pop Rivet mandrels for Pop Rivet Dimplers

I have gotten consistently good results with using the steel mandrel removed from a -5 or 5/32 Pop Rivet instead of any kind of nail I ever found. The mandrel is designed from the beginning to resist a significant amount of axial load before the "frangible" stem breaks. Once in a while I will break a stem, but most of the time I get a perfectly acceptable dimple without breaking them. I usually keep two or three stems in my toolbox to have as "ready" spares if I should break one. Once in a while you will probably need to dress the shank of the mandrel with a fine file to relieve the "bite" marks left by the jaws of the tool you are using to make the dimple - I use a Huck 150 hand-hydraulic unit that can be micro applied to yield the same result time after time. 5/32 Pop Rivet mandrels - give them a try.
 
If you are concerned about the "crispness" of the dimple, just use a machine countersink for the "last bit" of depth. Works like a charm.

If you are using an 0.025 skin even a few thousands of an inch starts measurably reducing the strength of the riveted joint...:(
 
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