C 3 Riveting ? Questions

[Steve Wallach]

I'm riveting the underbody plates back on my 68, and as long as I have straight access with the air hammer and rivet bits, the compression rivets turn out great, but the rivets in the tunnel or between the jack tub and front pan areas are hard to get at and those rivets aren't turning out very well. Anyone have any suggestions? Is there a tool, bit, or technique that was used to make those compressed rivets turn out like the rest?

Thank you for any help,

Steve

[Dick W.]

Re: C 3 Riveting ? Questions

Special tool is called a 4# hammer and a heavy steel backer plate to hold the rivet in place. I have always done the body rivets with either two hammers or a hammer and a backer plate.

[Steve Wallach]

Re: C 3 Riveting ? Questions

No room to swing a hammer in these areas?

Steve

[Chuck S.]

Re: C 3 Riveting ? Questions

You might try using the flat end of a heavy wrecking or crow bar on the rivet shaft, and striking the handle with Dickey's 4# hammer as close to the flat end as possible. If the distance between the flat end and the strike point is not too far, you may get some effective results.

The rivets you're using should be dead soft (Dr Rebuild's "Rivet Rivet" rivets work gud)...if they are hardened, it becomes more difficult to peen them properly. You may not notice the difference with the air hammer.

[Steve Wallach]

Re: C 3 Riveting ? Questions

Thanks,

I'm using the soft aluminum rivets, may try using hammer and a bar?

Thanks again,

Steve

[Chuck S.]

Re: C 3 Riveting ? Questions

Or, try finding or making your own offset bit for the air hammer. This assumes that the gun is not designed to rotate the bit as it hammers.