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Rivet squeezer or gun?

R

RayA

Member
Soo... I'm tentatively starting the 10 journey and looking at tool choices. I see a lot of threads saying to just use the Cleveland Tools Main Squeeze for setting rivets, and that a rivet gun and bucking bar aren't necessary. However, this was over on the 12 forums.. Does that hold true for the 10? What about all those rivets that look like they're 2 feet away from a sheet metal edge?

Additional consideration: I have a 4 year old and wife.. I find it hard to believe either of them would be able to help with the rivet gun/bucking bar process other than holding the bucking bar.. However, it seems the hand tool requires less practice/skill and therefore I could get them involved and "on-board" easier?

Thanks,
Ray
 
You'll have to use both. The main squeeze is great for a hand squeezer but a pneumatic squeezer is a welcome addition to your tool kit too. I used all 3 on my project.

As for riveting help, my wife became Rosie the Riveter. She shot while I bucked. IMO it's easier for the inexperienced to shoot rather than buck.
 
To build a -10 you have to have a rivet gun and bucking bar. No exceptions here. Also a squeezer is nice to have. I use both the hand squeezer and the air powered one. There are a also few pulled rivets so you will need a cheap gun for that.
 
Ray, congratulations on taking the plunge. You will need both the squeezer and gun, a 2x or 3x. Many of us have both a hand squeezer and a pneumatic squeezer. Given the amount of time you spend riveting, you want good tools.

The 4-year olds may be a bit young, but it is helpful to get your spouse involved in riveting. You will need the help with the hard to reach rivets, and as has been observed in other threads, it is good to get the family involved.

After 100 hours, it still doesn't seem quite real when I fly my -10 .......

-Andy
 
Ray,

I think you are thinking of the threads where people debate a pneumatic squeezer vs a hand one (Main Squeeze, etc). A rivet gun is a must. My opinion is that you really need a tungsten bucking bar similar to this one and by the end will end up with several different ones including improvised ones (I have used random pieces of metal for hard to reach spots)

On the squeezer if you choose to go with a manual one only I would suggest the main squeeze as using the regular one can wear on your wrists and arms. a few different yokes can be helpful as well. I think the pneumatic is a great thing to have, although as I progress in my build I am finding that I pull out the manual squeezer more often as it gives me more control over the squeeze, unlike at the beginning where the pneumatic was the first thing I reached for.

Bottom line as others have stated is that better tools do make the job easier.
 
Thanks all for the warm welcome and good answers!

I don't plan on setting the 4 year old loose unsupervised just yet, but he loves to get involved and letting him think he's squeezing a few rivets would make his day :)
 
What I did..

RayA said:
Thanks all for the warm welcome and good answers!

I don't plan on setting the 4 year old loose unsupervised just yet, but he loves to get involved and letting him think he's squeezing a few rivets would make his day :)
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What I did with my daughter (2 at the time) was to let her use my pneumatic pop riveter (for use with blind, or pop, rivets). It's so easy to use, a child can easily do it.

I'd recommend picking up a cheap one of those to add to your toolbox. If you go with a Harbor Freight jobber, they only cost about $30 - $40, but be sure to pay for the "replacement warranty" for maybe another 8 bucks. That way, when it goes **** up, you can just go pick up a new one for free, no questions asked.
 
Don't skimp here on tools. You'll be getting familiar with 20,000 rivets over the course of the project. Not having the right tools will frustrate you and lead to doing poor quality workmanship.

Get the pneumatic squeezer with an adustable depth setting, lots of dimple dies and rivet dies. I built my RV-9A without a hand squeezer, so you probably don't need that if you have the pneumatic one. get a long no hole yoke, a longeron yoke and a 3 inch holed yoke and that will suffice for pretty much every rivet you can squeeze.

Buy a good 3X rivet gun, mushroom swivel set, single and double offset sets and a back rivet set. Absolutely buy a tungsten bucking bar.

I bought all of this from Avery Tools and the quality is excellent.
 
I'm about 3/4 of the way through my empennage build. You'll definitely need a rivet gun/ bucking bar, a rivet squeezer and a rivet puller. IMHO, you will be very happy if you have:

- Good 3X rivet gun
- Tungsten bucking bar.
- Hand Squeezer (Cleaveland Main Squeeze isn't necessary with #4)
- Pneumatic rivet squeezer with 3", No Hole & 1" Yoke. 1" is optional.
- You can get away with a economic manual rivet puller but the pneumatic rivet puller is great. I smile after every pulled rivet. Love that tool! If you get a pneumatic puller, you'll still need a manual puller for tight places like the elevator rib attach.

Also remember that you can sell every one of these tools after your build for close to what you purchased them - especially if you buy used. I consider these tools an investment in my time and peace of mind. Can you get by with cheaper tools or fewer? - absolutely. But you'll be happy you have them when you could have been wrestling with a problem without them!

Just my 2 cents.

PS - Welcome to the party!!
 
Take the EAA Sheet Metal Basics course for two days and $350 well spent. In addition to hands-on techniques, you will learn about choices in tools and be able to sample some of them.

Also check the EAA website for Hints For Homebuilders videos. There are more than 70 on the subject of sheet metal, some of which illustrate use of the tools that you ask about.
 
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ERushing said:
I'm about 3/4 of the way through my empennage build. You'll definitely need a rivet gun/ bucking bar, a rivet squeezer and a rivet puller. IMHO, you will be very happy if you have:

- Good 3X rivet gun
- Tungsten bucking bar.
- Hand Squeezer (Cleaveland Main Squeeze isn't necessary with #4)
- Pneumatic rivet squeezer with 3", No Hole & 1" Yoke. 1" is optional.
-QUOTE]

You only need a hand squeezer or a pneumatic. I built my RV-10 with a pneumatic and a 3x rivet gun.

As far as yokes go, I used a standard 3", a 4" no hole, and a longeron. I borrowed a 1" for a few places where that was more advantageous. It's nice but not a requirement.

On a RV-10, a $20 blind rivet gun from Lowes or HD is more than adequate, unless you really enjoy buying tools.
Click to expand...
 
Lots of good advice above. For sure get a back rivet set and back plate; it is my favorite way to rivet. Even a beginner can get great results.

Your wife can certainly learn to use either a riv gun or the bucking bar; just takes the desire and some practice. The hand squeezer will be beyond the ability of most women, although I do know 2 women who are high steel workers who would have no trouble squeezing rivets.

Don't skip on riveting tools. Good riveting is a mark of craftsmanship that you can take pride in. On the other hand, other builders will delight in pointing out every crappy rivet.
 
JDBoston said:
I think you are thinking of the threads where people debate a pneumatic squeezer vs a hand one (Main Squeeze, etc).
Click to expand...

Actually he mentioned the RV-12 forum....
The RV-12 can be built with just a hand rivet squeezer for solid rivets.... All of the other models require a rivet gun and bucking bars.
 
Good point, Bob. With the pneumatic squeezer, you don't need a hand squeezer. I have had instances, though, when I was happy I had both. Once I had built up my pneumatic squeezer trigger feathering skills, I've used the hand squeezer less and less.

To the OP - One note about the pneumatic squeezer. It can seem like a digital tool at first - Either it's open or squeezed all the way. With practice, you can feather the trigger to close the mechanism just shy of touching the rivet. You can then fine tune your angle to get a near-perfect squeeze.

One other point - If you go the pneumatic squeezer direction, I'd recommend the adjustable set holder. It allows you to fine tune the gap for a consistent and repeatable squeeze. Much quicker to rotate the set holder by 1/4 turn to get a little more/ little less squeeze. Again, not required but nice to have.

As always - just my opinion :)
 
You don't really need a squeezer at all as you drive every rivet and there are other methods to dimple your holes. However, the squeezer is just easier in many cases.

I often tell people to save their money buy an Avery's squeezer with 3", a 4" no hole, and a longeron yokes. (I also picked up a cheap fixed squeezer which works good for edge stuff.)

Then buy a good 3X and 2X rivet gun. I have found the 2X gun is great for riveting two pieces together with very little risk of denting. The 3X gun is need when there is more structure to rivet together. If you can afford just one, get the 3X.

One other suggestion I like to make is to buy three Microstops. Then you can set up one for each of the most common rivets (-3 & -4) and use the third one for the few other holes you will need to countersink. (I can't tell you how much time I wasted changing bits, test cutting, etc. each time I had to countersink a hole.)

Oh, and buy LOTS of drill bits in standard, 6" and 12" lengths.
 
Rivet Squeezer

I have both a pneumatic and the "Main Squeeze". I always reach for the Main Squeeze and the pneumatic doesn't get used much. The Main Squeeze is easier to set-up, lighter, easier to hang onto, and tends to give me fewer bloopers.
 
On the other hand...

I have both pneumatic and hand squeezers.

I ALWAYS reach for the pneumatic one first. Consequently, the hand squeezer doesn't see much use.

Mine is set up with the adjustable stop, and takes less than 30 seconds to set up. Once it is set for a given rivet, you can squeeze them as fast as you can put the rivets in the holes. As far as bloopers go, as long as you position the squeezer correctly, there are none. Of douse, the same can be said about the hand squeezer. The trick to the pneumatic one is feathering the trigger...it is not "on" or "off".

For some parts, I like to clamp the pneumatic squeezer yoke in the bench vise. This makes it really easy to do small parts...
 
I opted to get the pneumatic squeezer and I can't say enough good things about it.

In fact, in my videos I talk about it a lot in the beginning. It just makes your life so much easier!

I don't have an adjustable stop though, I have to use shims. Getting the adjustable might be a better way to go.

Either way, I can't imagine NOT having one..
 
Palamedes said:
I opted to get the pneumatic squeezer and I can't say enough good things about it.

In fact, in my videos I talk about it a lot in the beginning. It just makes your life so much easier!

I don't have an adjustable stop though, I have to use shims. Getting the adjustable might be a better way to go.

Either way, I can't imagine NOT having one..
Click to expand...

Stop now immediately, pick up the phone and call Bob Avery. After getting the adjustable set holder, you'll wonder why you ever messed with the shims.

http://www.averytools.com/prodinfo.asp?number=274
 
rleffler said:
Stop now immediately, pick up the phone and call Bob Avery. After getting the adjustable set holder, you'll wonder why you ever messed with the shims.

http://www.averytools.com/prodinfo.asp?number=274
Click to expand...

+100 on the adjustable - a huge return on investment! I also have the foot pedal

http://www.cleavelandtool.com/Foot-...tic-Squeezer/productinfo/SNBF70/#.VVZT1HD3arU

This was purely an impulse buy when I purchased my tools, but I can't remember the last time I squeezed a rivet without it. At least on mine the pedal is much easier to feather than the trigger. It is also nice when in awkward spaces to be able to firmly grip the squeezer however necessary and not worry about the trigger. Definitely not the ROI as the adjustable set holder, but much nicer than I originally imagined.
 
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