Rivet/Rivnut tools?

[Pushboy]

Hello all -- I'm looking for some specific suggestions on both a flush rivet squeezer and a rivnut insert tool.

My experience with rivets it only pop rivets - and mostly the cheap ones from the likes of princess auto/harbor freight -- but I know good tools can make things easier.

Does anyone have any specific suggestions on these -- and the needed dyes/heads?

Thanks in advance.

Dave.

[Geek]

Hello all -- I'm looking for some specific suggestions on both a flush rivet squeezer and a rivnut insert tool.

My experience with rivets it only pop rivets - and mostly the cheap ones from the likes of princess auto/harbor freight -- but I know good tools can make things easier.

Does anyone have any specific suggestions on these -- and the needed dyes/heads?

Thanks in advance.

Dave.

First thing to know about rivnuts is that a bigger tool isn't necessarily better. Especially when using smaller machine screws like #6 and #8 (maybe like M3, 4 or 5 for you there up North). I did not use any rivnuts larger than a 10-32. It takes very little pressure to correctly squeeze those rivnuts and not much more pressure to strip them out. I like this tool because I could set it up so that it would limit the squeeze to just the right amount for the rivnut and metal thickness and kept me from stripping it. The tools with longer handles on them are for larger sizes such as 1/4-20 or -28.

Marson RN-1.jpg

Marson also makes a pop riveter which looks just like the rivnut tool that I have had good luck with. Grips the rivet stem well and gives you enough leverage to set it without being a pain. The stainless steel rivets can be a pain. That being said, I also went on Amazon and bought a cheap pop rivet tool because a few of the rivets you have to place need to have the tool 'modified' on a grinder to make the nose narrower to fit in the space. Full disclosure - I also have this bad boy (that I found at a yard sale so no, I didn't pay $200 for) which is not cheap to buy outright by any means but when you are setting a lot of the stainless rivets on the wing and such, it's REALLY nice on your hands.


Milwaukee pop.jpg

Gary

[efwd]

I only had two places that required tools for rivets. Fortunately I have a full on sheet metal tool kit for my RV4 so it got used to set the Flapperon solid rivets but others have just used a Knipex pliers tool. You should buy one of these tools anyhow, it is really handy. Thankfully I knew I wouldn't be able to pull all those SS pop rivets for the spars before I did this job. I got the pneumatic rivet puller at HF. It isn't all that expensive and it was really helpful. Im sure I would have not been able to finish all those with my hand puller. Bigger guys can do it but my small hands have difficulty reaching to pull the things closed.

[bumsteer]

I was like Eddie and needed both hands for SS rivets and when it did "pop" the tool recoiled with some force and for me a little hard to control. Bought an inexpensive hydraulic puller and it works great. I also bought an inexpensive ($40) squeezer from Wicks during Airventure years ago. Not sure if they still carry it.
.

Rick

[patrick.hvac]

Dave, borrow the pneumatic rivet puller from CYRP EAA and I have a Rivnut squeezer you can borrow.

[Pushboy]

Thanks for all the replies -- I appreciate it, very helpful. I do own a couple Knipex and have access to a M12 electric rivet puller, so I'm pretty good that way. I'll check out some of the other options you guys mentioned as well.
Thanks again,

Dave.