Drove my first rivets...

[RayA]

Still in the Toolkit, so not too exciting yet...but it's a "safe" place to mess up.

1) I learned that you should clamp your work...it like to move RAPIDLY if you don't.

2) I learned to hold the rivet gun firmly against the rivet so it doesn't go chattering down the front of the toolbox..

However some questions..

I match drilled, deburred, re-cleco'd and still most of those rivets didn't quite fit. I found myself lightly re-drilling the holes and/or giving the rivets a few gentle taps with the rivet gun to get them in. The latter seems more convenient while possibly being more risky if it doesn't "go in" from the taps and instead starts compressing.

Any suggestions? Is this normal?

[D-Dubya]

As you drill holes, are you clecoing as you go? The clecoes hold everything in alignment before and after drilling. Also, you need to use the numbered drill bit and not just the "rivet size" drill bit. In other words, use a #40 drill and not just a 3/32 drill. Those are some common "rookie errors"...but the toolkit is a great place to learn.

[wirejock]

Welcome Ray
Buy a set of these.
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo...alethrdbit.php
When you start riveting, use the #40 on your deburring hand tool.
Usually it's just a bit of missed debris blocking the hole.
One turn is enough to clear the hole.

[BillL]

Originally Posted by D-Dubya

As you drill holes, are you clecoing as you go? The clecoes hold everything in alignment before and after drilling. Also, you need to use the numbered drill bit and not just the "rivet size" drill bit. In other words, use a #40 drill and not just a 3/32 drill. Those are some common "rookie errors"...but the toolkit is a great place to learn.

Do what Dave says here, but after all your best efforts sometimes one just goes bad, you know what I mean? I take an awl, actually a Starrett scribe, and push in the hole and twist it around a little and the rivets go in smoothly. I tried just using the energy of the gun to align it but that does not work well.

Another trick, probably cheating, but I check all the dimples with a rivet and some just aren't right, so I take a deburring tool and rotate a few swipes and just barely cleans up the dimple and they set perfectly.

Happy riveting!!

[krw5927]

Clecos are great clamps, but lousy precision locating devices. When clamping two parts together with clecos for final riveting, put a couple (or more) actual rivets in the holes and then cleco some of the other holes.

The parts sometimes get slightly mislocated versus where they were when you match drilled. Some rivets will help to set the assembly location a little closer to the original intended position.

[RayA]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll give them a shot moving forward.

Clecoing and drilling - It was several days ago that I match drilled so I can't say 100% but I have been doing mostly every-other-hole clecos, match drill the open ones, then move the clecos over one hole. I'm not sure if this is overkill or not?

Is air pressure set when not riveting, when air is flowing, or do you just set it to whatever works? I wound up around 45psi for the larger universal rivets.

[wirejock]

Originally Posted by RayA

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll give them a shot moving forward.

Clecoing and drilling - It was several days ago that I match drilled so I can't say 100% but I have been doing mostly every-other-hole clecos, match drill the open ones, then move the clecos over one hole. I'm not sure if this is overkill or not?

Is air pressure set when not riveting, when air is flowing, or do you just set it to whatever works? I wound up around 45psi for the larger universal rivets.

I always set pressure when triggered. I use a wood block. For my Sioux 3x, 20 psi and 30 psi for #3 and #4. Every gun and set is different. Back riveting #3s on a solid plate is about 18 psi. #4s with a long offset takes 40 psi or more.