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Blind rivet problems

aarvig

Well Known Member
Hey guys...working on my "other project" a 1965 Cobra Shelby replica car. I am riveting aluminum sheet to fiberglass for the firewall of the car. The project calls for 1/8 blind rivets with 3/16"-1/4" grip. So I put them in, put the rivet puller on them and the ball on the blind side of the mandrel breaks after 1 pull (everytime) causing the mandrel to pull through, leaving the rivet with a hole in the middle. Never had this happen on the RV project. Any thoughts as to what is amiss? Its happened on two in a row so I just stopped. Is it something I'm doing or is it the wrong grip rivet? Thoughts?
 
The problem is likely the brand of rivets used. Typical "Pop" rivets from a big box store don't have a "spec"; meaning that they are made out of water was swept up off the floor yesterday.
You shouldn't have a problem with a Cherry, Avex, or other major brand of pulled rivets.
 
Could just be a bad batch of rivets. I bought some closed-end rivets to use while building my leading edge aux tanks, and the 'break point' (crease in the nail that weakens it) was at the wrong place, causing the remaining segment to stick out of the factory head. Replacement batch worked correctly.

If the mfgr used the wrong 'nail', or if the break point was overdone, you could see that problem.
 
I thought cheap hardware store rivets always leave a hole in the middle, they aren't self plugging like a cherymax. If you want it to pop on the second or third pull, go up a size in rivet length.
 
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