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Rivet gun adapters for cordless drills
Mike Wood - 15/12/21 at 08:41 PM

Hi

Any recommendations please for rivet gun adapters for cordless drills? Or even cordless rivet gun adapters. One of these? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94oqJPZgYXc

I was not aware that rivet gun adapters for cordless drills existed until seeing Guy Martin use one or a cordless rivet gun to pop rivet wide arches on to his Trabbie racer project. Sounds like a good way to rivet my Locost side and other ali panels on in my lock-up garage that has no power and no scope to use a petrol compressor for an air rivet gun. And less keen on lazy tongue or lever arm hand riveters.

Standard rivet size for Locost panels is 1/8 inch?

Thanks
Mike

[Edited on 15/12/21 by Mike Wood]

[Edited on 15/12/21 by Mike Wood]

[Edited on 15/12/21 by Mike Wood]

[Edited on 15/12/21 by Mike Wood]

jacko - 15/12/21 at 09:43 PM

We use Milwaukee battery pop rivet guns at work they are very good

40inches - 15/12/21 at 10:07 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mike Wood
Hi

Any recommendations please for rivet gun adapters for cordless drills? Or even cordless rivet gun adapters. One of these? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94oqJPZgYXc

I was not aware that rivet gun adapters for cordless drills existed until seeing Guy Martin use one or a cordless rivet gun to pop rivet wide arches on to his Trabbie racer project. Sounds like a good way to rivet my Locost side and other ali panels on in my lock-up garage that has no power and no scope to use a petrol compressor for an air rivet gun. And less keen on lazy tongue or lever arm hand riveters.

Standard rivet size for Locost panels is 1/8 inch?

Thanks
Mike


I got a cheap £9 one from eBay about a year ago, not expecting much but for the price thought it was worth a try.
It has done around 50 rivets so far, mainly the standard 3mm? size, but a few 4mm and 5mm, about a dozen 5mm in stainless
and it still works

Slimy38 - 15/12/21 at 10:21 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 40inches
I got a cheap £9 one from eBay about a year ago, not expecting much but for the price thought it was worth a try.
It has done around 50 rivets so far, mainly the standard 3mm? size, but a few 4mm and 5mm, about a dozen 5mm in stainless
and it still works


Same, I have one and it works perfectly. You have to use them with a cordless drill though, they need some ridiculous torque from stationary and a powered drill just can't get moving. Air might be ok, but cordless is definitely the default option.

shindha - 16/12/21 at 08:29 AM

Looks good only issue I can see is them tight spots where you will have to resort to hand riveter and some complex contortionist maneuvers.

nick205 - 16/12/21 at 08:49 AM

Seriously, what's wrong with a normal manual pop rivet gun?



https://www.screwfix.com/p/arrow-rivet-kit-9-232mm/858jf

I already had one and it's what I used building my MK Indy. Admittedly that's a GRP body with ally floor, rear bulkhead and transmission tunnel. I didn't see the value in spending out on more kit really.

40inches - 16/12/21 at 09:59 AM

quote:
Originally posted by nick205
Seriously, what's wrong with a normal manual pop rivet gun?



https://www.screwfix.com/p/arrow-rivet-kit-9-232mm/858jf

I already had one and it's what I used building my MK Indy. Admittedly that's a GRP body with ally floor, rear bulkhead and transmission tunnel. I didn't see the value in spending out on more kit really.

The standard one as illustrated works fine, however as with most rivet guns you need to apply pressure, and as the rivet pops can skid across a finished surface, ask me how I know
I have Air/hydraulic, scissor and lever riveters, but for small or delicate jobs I always reach for the drill attached one.
Horses for courses, but use what you feel comfortable with

Slimy38 - 16/12/21 at 11:26 AM

quote:
Originally posted by nick205
Seriously, what's wrong with a normal manual pop rivet gun?



For me it's the almost complete lack of body strength. I got a manual one initially and did a few as trials, then I looked at the car floor and thought 'I need something more'...


Edit: The body strength I'm referring to is my own, not the car!

[Edited on 16/12/21 by Slimy38]

Mr Whippy - 16/12/21 at 02:56 PM

quote:
Originally posted by nick205
Seriously, what's wrong with a normal manual pop rivet gun?



https://www.screwfix.com/p/arrow-rivet-kit-9-232mm/858jf

I already had one and it's what I used building my MK Indy. Admittedly that's a GRP body with ally floor, rear bulkhead and transmission tunnel. I didn't see the value in spending out on more kit really.


I used one of them for decades, then got an air powered one. Completely different world, total bliss using it, 1000% improvement could not recommend one highly enough and wish I had one years ago. They also have no recoil whatsoever so do not bounce back and whack and dent the panel unlike hand riveters.

nick205 - 16/12/21 at 03:49 PM

Good feedback people.

I've never used anything but a manual one so don't have the comparison. As mentioned the body panels on my MK Indy were GRP so not rivetted. If they'd been Ally panels maybe I'd have felt different.

Doctor Derek Doctors - 17/12/21 at 07:57 AM

I bought a cheap Chinese £12 air riveter off eBay when I started making wings, wasn't expecting alot but I have put over 30,000 rivets through it and it's still working perfectly.

40inches - 17/12/21 at 08:52 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Doctor Derek Doctors
I bought a cheap Chinese £12 air riveter off eBay

Same here, what would be cool, would be a magazine feed like a nail gun

nick205 - 17/12/21 at 09:16 AM

Can you not get busy and fabricate a magazine feed for it?

If you've got kids you could get them busy of an evening taping rivets in lengths to feed into it

Doctor Derek Doctors - 17/12/21 at 09:51 AM

quote:
Originally posted by 40inches
quote:
Originally posted by Doctor Derek Doctors
I bought a cheap Chinese £12 air riveter off eBay

Same here, what would be cool, would be a magazine feed like a nail gun


They do exist for industrial use (I checked) but they are industrial tool expensive!

Also you have to load the magazine beforehand which is the same as loading the gun.

jester - 21/2/22 at 07:55 PM

quote:
Originally posted by jacko
We use Milwaukee battery pop rivet guns at work they are very good


Second that on the above pop rivet gun.

I done some riveting years ago with a old hand style rivter that worked ok.

But I had a lot of riveting to do again two month ago.

When looking how much it was to rent for weekend the above pop riveter it was a no brainer

No kick back or skidding.

A few seconds the rivet was done each time

If I was to do anymore in the future.

I would buy one myself


Another good tool that I brought at the same time as I rented the pop riveter was this tool below I could see it would be good for tight spaces


https://www.ffx.co.uk/product/Get/Milwaukee-4932471274-4058546289027-Shockwave-Right-Angle-Drill-Attachment-11Pc-Set

Neville Jones - 24/2/22 at 04:51 PM

Right angle drill drives are also good for the end of brake balance bars, to change the drive from the dash to the bar.