Advice needed for rivet gun for RV-12

After extensive testing and investigating (and should I add a few mishaps?) I have come to the conclusion that a rivet gun would be a useful complement to my Avery Hand squeezer. As there is not a large number of rivets where bucking is more convenient than squeezing, I would appreciate any advice based on RV-12 experience for a minimum set, including rivet gun, bucking bar(s) and rivet set for those rivets hard to reach.

The Avery pneumatic tool to pull rivets is a must. A rivet gun and bucking bar is NOT necessary for RV-12 assembly. IMHO, it would be waste of $$. I did not use a gun and a bucking bar for a single rivet in the RV-12.

I got the pneumatic rivet puller but my problem is that I do not have the needed strength in arms and hands to squeeze all AN4 rivets depending on their location. In such a situation it's easy to mess the rivet and then removing it is even messier. I believe that for these tough rivets to squeeze, a gun/bucking bar would be easier to work with. I do not want to go with the pneumatic squeezer because I expect to have the same problem in tight corners where a gun with an offset rivet set will do better (IMHO).

I already had a 3X gun and an Avery Hand Riveting and Dimpling Tool. I used these to do the AD470 rivets. The tool makes it very easy to keep things straight as opposed to using a bucking bar. I think I would suggest a 2X gun for you. It's easier to control however you use it. I would think a pneumatic squeezer with the proper heads can get you where ever you need to go, it's just a pain to set up each time
I agree that the AD470 rivets are hard to hand squeeze.
And remember whatever choice you make - you can never have too many tools!

Squeeze, don't buck

Avery's pneumatic puller is a must. Like you, I didn't have the strength to squeeze AN4 rivets with Avery's hand squeezer, though earlier threads said that Cleveland's squeezer was easier to use. I borrowed a pneumatic squeezer from a chapter member and HIGHLY recommend that-- as was suggested to me, buy a used one and then sell it again when you're done. I wound up using it for AN3 and 4 rivets-- once you've got the squeeze set using scrap material, you get perfect rivets every time. I don't think I bucked more than a dozen or so rivets in the whole airplane but that squeezer got a lot of use.

Wayne 120241

For you and me where arm strength is an issue, I prefer the Cleaveland Main Squeeze. It's less expensive than a pneumatic and lighter. It can be used with a number of yoke sizes, including the one on the Avery. However, I use the Avery set up for dimpling and #3 rivets The Cleaveland set up for #4 rivets. As others have stated, you have to set the gap on the Cleaveland 2 or 3 times to make use of the mechanical advantage but I have found this allows me to watch the tail of the rivet as I slowly squeeze it to assure it does not bend over. I have another squeezer with a 1-1/2" yoke. It's great for nutplates and there are locations where a 3'' yoke will not fit, but the 1-1/2" will.
Rivet guns can be used for any solid rivets in the kit, but it will take some experience before you get good looking rivets. The cost of the equipment is too high for the amount of use it would get. If you feel you need to use a rivet gun, take the part to a friend or mechanic who has the equipment and experience.

Art Pennanen

Rivet Gun

I found a rivet gun/bucking bar was not useful. However, the cleveland easy squeeze hand squeezer was and is a huge help as it significantly reduces the "muscle" needed to get the job done. Very easy to use.

After hurting my hand using the manual squeezer I bought the pneumatic squeezer from Avery. I'm glad I did and wish I had bought it earlier during the build. Although most of the rivets in the 12 are pulled, there are still a lot of solid rivets that need to squeezed. The pneumatic squeezer is not cheap but I think it's well worth it.

Manny Enriquez
Yorktown, VA

Avery Squeezer problem solved!

I finally solved my problem with the Avery Squeezer and after squeezing a dozen AN4 in just one shot, I am now confident that I will be able to do all my solid rivets with this MODIFIED tool.
Here is what I did: I bought a 3/4"x30" steel pipe at Lowe's for 8 bucks. I had noticed that this pipe fits snugly over the original handles once the rubber grip has been removed. Cut in half, this provides two 15" long handles for a little more leverage than the original. In addition, now the handles do not show any flexibility: they don't bent when squeezed hard. This allows me to squeeze in one pass and, most important, the adjustment of the gap is much more precise. I can produce a shop head that is consistently compliant to the gauge as no adjustment is needed between rivets.