Rivet jig

[ENTHUSIAST]

Looking good...

I like your plinker style jig (short rivet) that is the burliest one I have seen yet.

Use tool steel or some really hardened steel for the rivet head ram tool they tend to crack if not when building a PSL.

Edit: What is this Thompson shaft you speak of made from?

Here this will keep you motivated:

[Manic Mechanic]

Lookin' really nice with that rivet jig! From another machinist.

A little time invested gets quality results that will last a long time.

I prefer to buck my rivets. That link had some methods I hadn't thought of that I will use on my current AMD franken pistol. Thanks for posting that.

[kcstott]

I like your plinker style jig (short rivet) that is the burliest one I have seen yet.

Use tool steel or some really hardened steel for the rivet head ram tool they tend to crack if not when building a PSL.

Edit: What is this Thompson shaft you speak of made from?

Here this will keep you motivated:

The Long rivet ram is a 3/8" hardened dowel pin with a 5/16 ball end mill cut in the end. I do need to harden the bucking bars though.

Thompson shaft is a steel bar that is case hardened to 60 RC and has a very tough core. It is used as rails for machinery. You use a pillow block bearing and you have instant machine ways.

Here's a link.
Thompson shaft

We've used the stuff for many other application well beyond what it was ever designed for. The stuff works great for a bunch of applications just don't try to tap it. It's harder then a whore's heart.

[kcstott]

A word on using a pneumatic riveting hammer. Do not use a plain old air chisel as your air hammer. The stroke is too long and will damage your project.

A true air rivet hammer has a very proportional trigger and you can feather the strikes like feathering the throttle on bike. the stroke is short so even at full blast it has a low strike force to ease into the rivet not beat it to death in two strikes.

get a used on off ebay or something as a new one is about $200 or more.
Look under aircraft tools. Which reminds me I need to pay closer attention at the next Good rich surplus auction.

[Alex$]

A word on using a pneumatic riveting hammer. Do not use a plain old air chisel as your air hammer. The stroke is too long and will damage your project.

A true air rivet hammer has a very proportional trigger and you can feather the strikes like feathering the throttle on bike. the stroke is short so even at full blast it has a low strike force to ease into the rivet not beat it to death in two strikes.

get a used on off ebay or something as a new one is about $200 or more.
Look under aircraft tools. Which reminds me I need to pay closer attention at the next Good rich surplus auction.

Well said, the good news about air hammer tools, they are cheap and after your first attempt at riveting you can use the modified tools as punches when bucking rivets, much better result.

[kcstott]

BTW for those that don't know about riveting and rivet lengths
Use the .5 x 1.5 rule

The rivet should be a close fit to the hole. No more clearance then is necessary to allow the rivet to pass through. i.e. one drill size larger is fine i.e. .015"

Now the .5 x 1.5 rule
Your rivet should protrude 1.5 X the diameter pasted the last piece it will go through. In aircraft talk that would be the "skin"
How do you know you've deformed the rivet enough??
The rivet should be .5 diameters tall and 1.5 diameters wide.
Now that only applies to say the front trunnion rivets. But the stick out rule is the same. 1.5 x the diameter.
On Domed head rivets like the long rear trunnion just be sure the head is shaped like the preformed head on the rivet. Good to go.

This is the spec that Boeing, General Dynamics, McDonald Douglas, And Goodrich (formerly Rohr industries) Uses on all their aircraft solid rivets. It applies to any alloy Mild steel, aluminum, Stainless,

Hey know theres an idea.... A stainless AK47.....Hummm I wonder if Curtis would be interested in a small run of flats?? Well I think I found my nest build

[kcstott]

Thanks for everyones input.
The jig is now two jigs.
It just made more sense that way.

[novass]

I have made my own rivet jig also. I used a peece of drill stock and ball milled it for the rivet die. Do i need to heat treet the whole thing? And do you press the new rivet head on the top?