Anyone used a rivnut tool that they would recommend a supplier for ? Ive seen two in car builder solutions catalogue but one is about £20 and one is £60, would the cheaper one do for one kit car build or should i fork out for the dearer one ?

Any advise would be helpful...

Also, im gonna use stainless pop rivets and have been advised to get either Lazy tongs or the long handled ones (bit like bolt cropper design) ? as these rivets are very hard to pop ! Which type would you recommend ?

Cheers....Andy

[Edited on 13/1/05 by Andybarbet]

Are you using SS for the ali panels. This will cause dissimilar metals corrosion, best to use ali headed rivets on ali panels.

I used the cheap rivnut pliers similar to a rivet pliers. They work just fine.

No, using stainless panels through out the build and stainless rivets too, to avoid the dissimilar metal corrosion.

andy
see my posting in the mk indy section second page 5th or 6th posting called rivnut tools and that should answer your question
tony

if i were you, id definitely try and get a screw type rivnut gun, rather than one like a pop riveter.
i did 35 of the damn things, and managed to break my thumb in the process.
by far the worst jobs ive yet done in by build, and hopefully will remain the worst.
all the best,
Tom

as far as pop rivets go, i used a cheap halfords one, and managed to do the whole car with no probs / injuries.

I had a seized up lazy tong riveter given me. WD soon sorted it. It's brilliant as long as you have 2' of space to use it. I have a king klik one that I've had over 20 years and as long as you remember not to lean on it as you squeeze it's o.k. I have trapped various parts of my anatomy in the handles and received some cracking bruises when the rivets give way unexpectedly.

After years of bruises caused by the small plier type clinchers, I bought one of the "boltcutter" type rivet clinchers.

air riveter given to me attached to my compressor works a treat no more hand riveting for me

get yourself one of these from just-of-base tools

i got mine from stoneleigh last year and it's the best £60 I have spent so far.

will easily do stainless rivnuts and blind rivets

Link
[img]http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/core/media/media.nl?id=1923&c=317638&h=1db699ce512a44fd8eb4[/img]


Bugger - piccy doesn't seem to want to work - but at least the link does

[Edited on 14/1/05 by DaveFJ]

A nut bolt and washer and 2 spanners works just fine for clenching Rivnuts

i've got the £60 rivnut tool. works well but is often difficult to get into tight areas.I would recommend one for neat, easy fixing of components in engine bay etc.

can you explain the working of that washer nut etc..rivnut way...

TKS

quote:

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Originally posted by tks
can you explain the working of that washer nut etc..rivnut way...

TKS

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1. Thread the nut onto the bolt.
   
2. Place the washer on the bolt.
   
3. Thread the Rivnut onto the bolt.
   
4. Insert the Rivnut into the hole in your panel (or whatever).
   
5. Hold the head of the bolt still with one spanner.
   
6. Turn the nut with another spanner so it pushes against the panel and withdraws the bolt.
   

I tried the nut-bolt-washer approach, and found that the bolt got chewed up after 3 or 4 rivnuts. Plenty of grease helps though.
I have details of a slightly more advanced home-made one on my website (link below). This uses a thrust bearing to ease the work, to the point where you can set a rivnut using your fingertips (OK, a slight exageration, but it really isn't much effort). I used a lathe to make it, but it would be just as easy to drill a hole in a couple of bits of metal. The bearing came from a local supplier and cost me around £1.

David

I have a £60 tool which is excellent but difficult to get into tight spaces...
the cheapo plier type ones are worthless in my experience

Link




[Edited on 5/12/05 by DaveFJ]