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Pneumatic Rivet Puller Questions?

RudiGreyling

RudiGreyling

Well Known Member
Hi RVators,

OK I have the Avery Taylor Gun, and have just started using it. I have a couple of questions?
wing_spar_04.jpg


Q1) Adjustment?
Currently it pulls the rivets fine, but it does not automatically discharges the rivet stem into plastic holder. After I release the trigger the stem comes out forward by ?? or so. I need to push it out the back with another new fresh rivet. Sometimes it feels a little sticky and I have to operate the trigger a couple of times to loosen the old stem, before I can insert a new rivet?Should it Auto discharge the stem? Is this normal? How do I adjust it?

Q2) Cleaning / Maintenance?
How often to you open, clean, and lubricate your gun?

Thanks in advance,
Regards
Rudi
 
pneumatic riveter

Rudi ... if you call AveryTools they will walk you thru the process of adjusting the gun. Basically you have to remove the shroud around the front cylindrical portion of the gun and expose the interior mechanism ... then loosen 2 "nuts" (flat areas with the special pliers that came with the "Taylor" ... opposite turn). When loosen adjust the two split grabbers forward (by unscrewing" the housing so the "grabbers" move forward then retighten set nut and that will cause the "grabbers" to release the steel part of the rivet when in use. Then tighten and reassemble and it should be fine. :) I had to do this twice on my wing build. :)

AveryTools will walk you thru the process ... they're super at helping.

Good Luck.

Jerry

P.S. I'm still waiting for my fuselage kit due to credit card mix up.
 
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Rudi,

Also ensure you are using the correct tip for the LP4-3 rivet. If you have the wrong tip installed, the stem will not release easily. IMHO, the plastic chute is useless, my stems just fell out of the front of the riveter into my hand. I removed it and it sits in the box. Otherwise, Bob Avery will help you adjust it. He knows the gun and is very helpful.

With respect to cleaning, the jaws should be cleaned/brushed off periodically. Small metal bits collect there. The only lubrication I have done is to add a few drops of air tool oil to the air connection prior to using it for the day. Worked pretty much flawlessly for the wing kit.
 
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May need cleaning only and no adjustment

Rudi:

I too had the problem you describe about the time I completed my first wing. Just cleaning the jaws of the metal particles and lightly lubricating them as described in the instructions (WD-40) took care of things. I have now done this twice. I suggest doing this prior to adjusting. In theory, the adjustment should only become necessary if things have slipped or the jaw fronts have worn.
 
Rivet puller

We bought one from Spruce A/C after the one from Harbor Freight bombed, and our rivets don't come out the back, we just have to dump the stem on the floor after we've pulled the rivet.
Meade
#16
 
Harbor Freight puller

meadeduck said:
We bought one from Spruce A/C after the one from Harbor Freight bombed, and our rivets don't come out the back, we just have to dump the stem on the floor after we've pulled the rivet.
Meade
#16
Click to expand...

My Harbor Freight works great. One thing to note abut any rivet puller is that if you use the tool in an other than upright position, the oil in the mechanism that works the tool does not drain back into the plunger assembly and it stops working as designed. If you leave the tool upright, the oil will drain back and it will work fine. You can also just hold the tool upright and pull the trigger a couple of times and that will cause the oil to drain back into the plunger. See my previous post about putting the right amount of oil into the tool. If the level of the oil is not right, the tool will either not pull the rivet with one stroke or it will not release the stem after it is pulled.
 
River gun problems

Hi Rudi,

I also had a problem, but found out it was MY mistake. I put a little too much oil in it, and it would not come back all the way and release the pins. I removed a small amount of oil, and it has worked perfectly since. When they say 1/2" below the level indicated, they mean it.

Hope this helps.

John Bender

Iowa, USA
 
Pneumatic/hydraulic riveter

This same riveter is sold under many names. I purchased mine from The Yard Store in Wichita since I live there. It is called an ACAT riveter. It came with very skimpy instructions. How do I service this riveter before use? I understand this is an Pneumatic?Hydraulic unit. Where is the oil installed? What kind do I use? How much do I use?
 
scberry said:
This same riveter is sold under many names. I purchased mine from The Yard Store in Wichita since I live there. It is called an ACAT riveter. It came with very skimpy instructions. How do I service this riveter before use?
Click to expand...

scberry... My Avery rivet gun came with a recommendation to shoot a bit of WD40 down the jaws. I didn't do this at first and the mandrels started to stick in the jaws. One shot of lubricate down the jaws and out the other end and it works fine. I took the mandrel trap off before I lubricated the jaws. Other than storing the gun upright as Jim C. suggest, I have not needed to do any maintenance or adjustments. Of course, you need to put on the 1/8 inch nose tip for 1/8 rivets.

Jeff
 
jamescone said:
My Harbor Freight works great. One thing to note abut any rivet puller is that if you use the tool in an other than upright position, the oil in the mechanism that works the tool does not drain back into the plunger assembly and it stops working as designed. If you leave the tool upright, the oil will drain back and it will work fine. You can also just hold the tool upright and pull the trigger a couple of times and that will cause the oil to drain back into the plunger. See my previous post about putting the right amount of oil into the tool. If the level of the oil is not right, the tool will either not pull the rivet with one stroke or it will not release the stem after it is pulled.
Click to expand...

Like Jim, I have used the same $39 Harbour Feight puller thru the entire wing set and half the fuselage. He is exactly correct...none of em work very long upside down. Plus...if you take one apart and see how it works you'll have alot better understanding of whats going on...and why you don't need to spend $300 on one.

Pete
 
Am I not getting this or what? I am new to this airplane building and haven't used this kind of machine before. Is the riveter ready to use right out of the box, or, since it is a "Pneumatic/Hydraulic" unit do I have to put hydraulic fluid in it to start with? If so how do I do it? What kind and how much?
I'm about to return mine to The Yard and get one where I can get some help.

Steve
 
Mine (Harbor Freight) worked fine out of the box, for about 400 rivets. That is when pulling long-throw, 5/32" Olympic (Gesipa) shaveable rivets. It spits out a miniscule amount of oil on each cycle so after about 350 or 400 it needs to be 'topped-off'. This takes me about 3 minutes and you're off again. They're $35 in the latest flyer received this week from HF.
 
Thanks everybody for your help. I'm sorry I sounded so frustrated. I finally found a web sight (Emhart.com) that had an instruction manual for their PRG 540 that showed me how this thing works and the light came on.

Steve
 
My Harbor Freight puller has been working great since 1984!
It has built SEVERAL airplanes.
 
help

I bought a HF puller a few months ago. Took it out of the box and set it on the shelf. Finally started my build and when tried to use the puller it would not pull the rivet. Anyone have any idea as what the problem may be. I have the pressure set at 90psi and compressor has 5 cfm at 90.:confused:
 
check valves

Hi Harold,
not that I've ever done such a thing (well maybe one or twice) but recommend you double-check that the air hose is plugged in, it is not blocked or kinked, any valves along the line are open, and (drum roll) your "quick connects" are compatible. Some of them from different sources do not fit well, may not seat deeply enough to open the valve in the collett and so on. It's the "dumb stuff" that usually trips me up.

Hard to guess without knowing more about the symptoms, but one more thing to try might be to dissassemble the pulling head and make sure nothing has jammed or just "set-up" during storage. Make sure all is free and lube lightly with whatever the Mfg. recommends. My says use a silicone-based oil such as WD-40.

Good luck!

Dave.
 
and another thing

just re-read your message. In my reply I assumed that your puller is not actuating at all.

If it is actuating but not gripping the rivet mandrel, you'll need to check that you're using the correct "nose" piece for the rivet size and also possibly adjust the stroke following the Mfg. instructions of course.

let us know how you end up solving it.

Dave.
 
unscrew the silver piece on the "puller"....the distance from the edge of where the silver piece screws on to the tip of the puller (minus the jaws) must equal the length of the metal "wrench" that came with the machine. If its not the right distance...it won't pull. Do you have the paperwork that came with it?

Pete
 
thanks guys. I have tried the things suggested but it still does not work right. It will now pull a rivet by doing 4 actuations of the trigger. Checked the oil level and it was barely visible. Put some oil in, not sure how much to put in, but when pulling trigger, it shoots oil out the vent.:(:confused:
 
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