Best Manually Operated Pop Rivet Gun

[Deleted member 36384]

Hi,

What Pop Rivet Gun would the forum recommend. I have a few small jobs requiring pop riveting: dinghy boom goosneck fitting and hatch lever garage. So far I am not having much success with cheepo hardware store tools having failed with two of them; one will not extract the mandrel far enough to pop the rivet and the other jams on the mandrel shaft. I believe I am using the right rivets, holes and diameters.

Thanks,

BlowingOldBoots

 

[nigelmercier]

Are you trying to pop the rivet in one hit?

 

[alahol2]

I've had one of these for the last 20 years or so. Used many times, loaned out to others etc... http://www.drapertools.com/en/awards/award_winners/draper-lazy-tong-riveter-13701.html

 

[nigelmercier]

I've had one of these for the last 20 years or so...

So that's £2.50 a year

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0001K9PDC/dolcetto-21

Personally I'd go for this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0039697ME/dolcetto-21

 

[Martin_J]

and if you prefer one of the non-'lazy tongs' variety then I could not fault the Faithfull Long Arm riveter .. It saves you having to push too hard against the workpiece.

 

[maxi77]

I have a Stanley riveter and find it almost good as my lazy tongs one and much handier to use.

 

[maej]

I bought a long arm rivet gun for replacing a couple of 6.4mm rivets on my mast. One of these... Faithful FDLAHR heavy duty long arm riveter

It did the job, and does smaller rivets with ease, much easier than the single hand operated ones. Do have to pump it 2 or 3 times to pop the rivet, and push it down the mandrel all the way between each pump which might take a gentle tap to achieve if the mandrel is squashed by the gripper.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Are you trying to pop the rivet in one hit?

No, I have riveted before, it looked to be two stroke job, the rivet pulled up nearly tight just as the gun stroked out. With both guns (one taken back, the other in bits on my kitchen table), the rivet gun would not release, the first eventually did and I thought good here we go for the second bite, but the gun will not grip the mandrel again, it keeps stroking out.

Thanks for the links folks.

BlowingOldBoots

 

[alahol2]

So that's £2.50 a year

But it only cost about £20 20 years ago.

 

[VicS]

I bought one of these lazy tongs from Toolstation a couple of years or so ago

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Hand+Tools/Engineering+Tools/Lazy+Tong+Riveter/d10/sd190/p64474

£16 is less than a couple of days hire would have been , even if I'd found somewhere convenient to hire one.

Used it on 5/32 and IIRC 3/16 Monel rivets with no problem.

Despite its low price seems to be well made. Very pleased with it. Not usually happy with cheap tools.