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Rivet Gun / Quick Change Spring - A Better Mouse Trap?

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There's something to be learned in every shop... professional and shade-tree. Today, while visiting a shop at KLVJ where they were restoring a T-6, I ran across this... an alternative to the 'quick change' spring. Yep, nothing more than a small diameter bungee cord with safety wired loops at each end. It holds the set firmly in place and changing sets is quick and easy. :)

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Wow! Did this mod this morning after seeing it here. I?m working on baffles and plenty of the rivers have to be shot because of where they?re at. They?re a multiple sizes, standard and flush heads. I probably saved 15 minutes just today swapping sets. Thanks for sharing!
 
I'm confused, because I have a quick-change spring on my rivet gun. It looks like this:
14011_2.jpg


I can change sets faster with this thing than I can the bungee contraption. In fact, this is the same spring and rivet gun we used on Dad's -6 20 years ago and I didn't know there even were any other kinds of springs (i.e. the "beehive" type you have to unscrew) until very recently.
 
I'm confused, because I have a quick-change spring on my rivet gun. It looks like this:
14011_2.jpg


I can change sets faster with this thing than I can the bungee contraption. In fact, this is the same spring and rivet gun we used on Dad's -6 20 years ago and I didn't know there even were any other kinds of springs (i.e. the "beehive" type you have to unscrew) until very recently.
That's also what I have and suspect what most of us use. I don't think there will be significant difference in time to switch sets. However, the bungee is going to be a really winner in some tight spaces. I'm not going to go out of my way to find such a bungee, but if I see one, I will grab it.

Great idea!
 
Maybe I'm missing something, because I've been using that type of spring, and it takes about 30 seconds to unscrew, then I have to manipulate the set into it, and screw it back on. Straight sets are no big deal, they just slide right in, but it's a real pain to get the back-rivet and the smaller flush sets in there. Granted, I've got a dedicated flush set that I use most of the time, and don't back-rivet that often, but was switching pretty frequently between those two on the latest job.

Am I missing some technique that makes the spring easier to use?
 
Maybe I'm missing something, because I've been using that type of spring, and it takes about 30 seconds to unscrew, then I have to manipulate the set into it, and screw it back on. Straight sets are no big deal, they just slide right in, but it's a real pain to get the back-rivet and the smaller flush sets in there. Granted, I've got a dedicated flush set that I use most of the time, and don't back-rivet that often, but was switching pretty frequently between those two on the latest job.

Am I missing some technique that makes the spring easier to use?

Don't unscrew the spring, just use your thumb to push the spring "tab" out of the way so the set can be pulled out of the gun and the new set inserted.
 
Nothing new

Bungees are quite common with professional aircraft mechanics. You guys have just discovered the wheel.
 
Wow. I?m such an idiot. Gonna have to try that when I get home tonight!

Some rivet guns come with a regular spring. The regular ones have to be unscrewed to change tools. The quick change ones above are much easier to use. The tool suppliers sell them separately if you need to swap yours out.
 
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