Don
Well Known Member
I can't help be a bit envious when I look at the "new" tungsten bucking bars. They look great for tight spots and somewhere I read about a guy that only used that one bar for his entire RV10. My favorite bucking bar cost $5 used at Oshkosh, so I admit I'm frugal. I "flipped the canoe" this week so I figure I'm getting close to done with my riveting and $150 offends my Scottish heritage, especially considering 5,000 RVs have been completed without a tungsten bar.
However, I was pondering the matter and I wondered if there wasn't an even better cheap solution. In one of my other lives I reload and most of the bullets I buy are "jacketed." They're lead core with a copper jacket. Why couldn't someone come up with a lead core bucking bar with a steel jacket. I'd guess somewhere around 1/8 to 3/16" steel jacket would take the beating and the lead core could give the mass. It might take 2 different shapes - one for tight areas that may have the mass offset and one for the other 98% of the rivets. About the only drawback I can see is you'd have to put a warning label on the bars sold in California.
Anyone out there know how to form steel?
However, I was pondering the matter and I wondered if there wasn't an even better cheap solution. In one of my other lives I reload and most of the bullets I buy are "jacketed." They're lead core with a copper jacket. Why couldn't someone come up with a lead core bucking bar with a steel jacket. I'd guess somewhere around 1/8 to 3/16" steel jacket would take the beating and the lead core could give the mass. It might take 2 different shapes - one for tight areas that may have the mass offset and one for the other 98% of the rivets. About the only drawback I can see is you'd have to put a warning label on the bars sold in California.
Anyone out there know how to form steel?