Dimple dies ? who sells the best quality?

[KC10FE]

The dimple dies i purchased don't produce a crisp dimple, more of a wave in the skin. I am using the DRDT-2......any suggestions?

[Bruce]

Call Bob Avery.

Best sets.

Nice Plane and you will love the 7.

[terrye]

Very happy with my Cleaveland dimple dies.

[chipf]

It may not be the dies. My project was built with a DRDT-2. I used two different die sets, one of which was from Avery. I never could tell the difference between the dimples produced by the two sets.

I did learn that adjusting the DRDT-2 to where it's almost difficult to press made better dimples. I was never convinced I had the press aligned perfectly. It gets worse for thick skins like the tank with larger dimples.

I recommend first adjusting the DRDT-2 to see if that makes a difference. Also, visit a local builder with the Avery C frame dimpler and experiment with that for a while. I have a hunch it makes superior dimples in the hands of a skilled operator, somewhat independent of which dies you're using.

[Vlad]

Originally Posted by terrye

Very happy with my Cleaveland dimple dies.

These. I used several vendors without any issues. But Cleaveland is what I would buy if started again.

[agirard7a]

check out the Yard Store: www.yardstore.com great tools used and new.
nice folks. Get the paper catalog and very happy with USPS priority shipping.

[KC10FE]

Thank you for the great advice, I will try a couple of the suggestions.

[vmirv8bldr]

I only used Avery's, but I did get a standard set and then later a springback set. I will say the springbacks made for a nicer finished product. Understand though, this is nit-picking a bit.

[foka4]

I have some old, non-springback dies I bought with a bunch of tools a while back. When tackling my RV project, I decided to purchase the Cleaveland dies.

Testing them side-by-side, I could see a definite difference in the quality of the Cleaveland dimples. In particular, they leave the area surrounding the dimple much flatter than the other dies. It is worth noting that a wimpy squeeze with the Cleaveland dies leaves a similar result to conventional dies, but if you seat the Cleaveland dies fully, the result is a beautiful, crisp dimple that fits the rivet perfectly and almost resembles a countersunk installation after driving the rivet.

I haven't tried the Avery springback dies, but have generally been happy with their products as well.

M

[rocketbob]

about 3 mos. ago I did some dimples with a brand new set of Cleaveland dies and another set of holes with new Avery's. Both were squeezed with my 24" C-yoke. I could not tell iota of a bit of difference between the two sets of dimpled holes.