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Bucking Bar Weight

T

tgmillso

Well Known Member
Sponsor
Hi All,

I weighted my bucking bars today. I have a set I purchased from Avery some years ago, they are:

#1. 24oz
#2. 32oz
#3. 31oz

My tungsten bar (the common rectangular one with the slanted end) was 24.6oz.

Up until now I have used mainly the tungsten bar (which is fantastic) but has only been on 3/32 rivets, as I have squeezed all 1/8 rivets until now. I am about to rivet the ribs to the mainspar, and have purchased a 12" extension for my gun and snap caps, but I am concerned about bucking bar weight, as most sources recommend a 3-4lb bar for 1/8 rivets. Have people had success on this task using the above bars, or should I get another heavier bar shipped to me (I would love a 3lb version of my tungsten bar shape, but I have been unable to find one).
Cheers,
Tom.
 
tgmillso said:
Hi All,

I weighted my bucking bars today. I have a set I purchased from Avery some years ago, they are:

#1. 24oz
#2. 32oz
#3. 31oz

My tungsten bar (the common rectangular one with the slanted end) was 24.6oz.

Up until now I have used mainly the tungsten bar (which is fantastic) but has only been on 3/32 rivets, as I have squeezed all 1/8 rivets until now. I am about to rivet the ribs to the mainspar, and have purchased a 12" extension for my gun and snap caps, but I am concerned about bucking bar weight, as most sources recommend a 3-4lb bar for 1/8 rivets. Have people had success on this task using the above bars, or should I get another heavier bar shipped to me (I would love a 3lb version of my tungsten bar shape, but I have been unable to find one).
Cheers,
Tom.
Click to expand...

I really liked a heavier bar when shooting the larger rivets. Fewer blows required and better bar control. I have no idea what my "heavy" bar weighed, but it was at least 3x the weight of my store bought ones.

Anyway, I just visited the local steel vendor and asked to look through their scrap bin until I found something I liked. Then I used my belt sander and my scotcbrite wheel to clean up and polish the bucking surface, and I was in business.
 
After I got my tungsten bucking bar (same as yours) I haven't used anything else except for spots where it wouldn't fit, then made a custom one. The tungsten bar will do any 1/8" rivet you have as long as your gun (3X recommended) puts enough energy into the rive.
 
Just as a datapoint, I drove the 1/8" rivets joining the ribs to the spar last night, and the 32Oz bar did the best job, although it is possible to drive the rivets with the 24Oz tungsten bar. I can see how a bar even heavier than the 32Oz bar could be of benefit if you had it on hand, but the 32Oz definitely works.
 
I also used a 12" long driver, along with my snap caps and a 3x gun, with plenty of pressure. Very happy with the results, and I'm glad I had the 12" extension.
 
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