Hand rivet squeezer

[southwind32]

I've never used one, but considering buying one. How are they to use? Does it take a lot of pulling power to squeeze .-3 or -4 rivets? When pulling, is it hard to keep it stable on the rivet?
Thanks
Brian

[jiott]

I used the hand squeezer that came in the optional Kitfox tool kit. No problem to use. Pulling power required is well within normal hand effort. I don't think the kit has enough rivets to justify a more expensive power squeezer. I assume you are talking about a pop rivet "puller". If you are talking about a "squeezer" for solid rivets that's different. Again there are so few solid rivets to install that purchasing a squeezer is hardly justified. Try to borrow one from a fellow builder, or do what I did- use a pair of vise-grips with the jaw surfaces ground flat. Works really well.

[896tr]

Even a Harbor Freight rivet gun will work just fine, most tools today are made in China. Yes even some of the more expensive tools.

[t j]

The stainless steel rivets that hold the wing strut brackets onto the wing spars are pretty hard to squeeze. There's about 40 in each of the 4 brackets. I about wore my hands out on those. now that I'm old with arthritic hands I don't think I could do another 160 of those rivets.

[efwd]

I know I would not have been able to pull all those rivets mentioned above. I was so glad that I had paid something like $60 or less for the pneumatic puller from Harbor Freight. It makes all the rivet jobs as simple as the last. I like mine. I had a pretty good scare when I Hysol'd the strut mount and went to use my pneumatic gun and it didn't work. I then tried to quickly get these pulled before the Hysol got too hard. I got tired real quick. I hustled to figure out my problem and got it resolved thankfully. Working alone sometimes presents you with little predicaments like that.
Eddie

[Esser]

The stainless rivets are more difficult but for how few there are, get two pipes a foot long and increase your leverage.

[southwind32]

I should have clarified my message, I'm talking about solid rivets, not pop rivets. Sorry.
Brian