What is the difference between an air hammer and an air rivet gun (for solid rivets)

[pckeen]

Hi,

The title to this post says it all. What is the difference between an air rivet gun and an air hammer. All I know is that an air hammer can be purchased for very litte, and an air rivet gun (for solid rivets, not pop rivets) is ferociously expensive and hard to find.

Can I use an air hammer for rebucking or installing new solid rivets?

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: What is the difference between an air hammer and an air rivet gun (for solid rive

Can't tell you the difference, but don't you Canadians all get together once a week to talk smack about your southern neighbors, share moose jerky recipes & review best tin boat building practices?

And the rest of my shop time I spent trying to convert my air hammer to a rivet gun.

I chopped the end of a chisel, then used a die grinder with a carbide bit to hollow out or contour the end a bit to sorta match the profile of the rounded "traditional" head on the solid rivets. Finally I added a small inline regulator to try and control the hits.

Tomorrow is rivet day - no more avoiding it!

Pics of the home-brew tool.

:watermelon:

 

[Grandad]

Re: What is the difference between an air hammer and an air rivet gun (for solid rive

Can't tell you the difference, but don't you Canadians all get together once a week to talk smack about your southern neighbors, share moose jerky recipes & review best tin boat building practices?:watermelon:

We haven't been, but maybe we should start. - Grandad

 

[Grandad]

Re: What is the difference between an air hammer and an air rivet gun (for solid rive

Hi pckeen. I was able to install solid rivets using what I call an air "chisel". It was one of three standard tools in a Campbell Hausfeld set. I didn't need to modify anything, just bought the right rivet tip for under $10. - Grandad
Straight Rivets Rivet Tools from Aircraft Spruce

 

[pckeen]

Re: What is the difference between an air hammer and an air rivet gun (for solid rive

No no no no no.

We get together once a week to (1) drink beer, (2) talk smack about our southern neighbors, (3) share moose jerky recipes, and (4) plan on how to invade our southern neighbors in the Canadian Starmada. Unfortunately, (1) gets in the way of (4).

Oh well, there's always next week.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: What is the difference between an air hammer and an air rivet gun (for solid rive

Oh well, there's always next week.

:cold:

Nice, looks like Grandad's got a good plan

 

[colbyt]

Re: What is the difference between an air hammer and an air rivet gun (for solid rive

:cold:

Nice, looks like Grandad's got a good plan

+1 on that. I even bookmarked that page in case I need it.

 

[Kiloecho]

Aircraft rivet guns have a considerable slower action than an air chisel. I don't recall the numbers but the slower beats per minute allow for greater control of the work in progress. An air hammer used for riveting will mug and assault your project in short order. A rivet gun is difficult enough to use and not leave a "Smile" on your work.

 

[g0nef1sshn]

I used the 13$ air hammer from Harbor freight and it worked out fine. The actual rivet ones do cost a ton.

 

[jbcurt00]

Old topic

Closed