Correct Riveting Tool

[Fred M.]

Could use some advice on determining the correct riveting tool (for original type rivets) to use in attaching the small rectangular plate to the fire wall that attaches the top bracket of a C2 Power Brake Booster. Thanks for your time.

[Doug L.]

Re: Correct Riveting Tool

Hi Fred,
There may be other replies by people that know of some tool. From my experience on the '64 I am restoring, you won't find a "tool" that can get you on both sides of the firewall / pannel at the same time, to squeeez the rivet. You have to be on one side to hold pressure on the head of the rivet and on the other side to flatten the shaft of the rivet. I had to replace rivets on the panel separating the seat area with the storage compartment, and to reattach several brackets that attach to the floor. What I used is a "tool" I bought from Long Island Corvette, their P/N 55-02 a, b or c depending on the size of the rivet. The tool has a cup-like indentation and a blind hole, either of which will fit on the shaft of the rivet. You then use a hammer against the tool to flatten the shaft of the rivet. Naturally you have to have someone on the opposite side of the pannel to hold something against the head of the rivet while you beat away. The rivets are aluminum so it doesn't take long to set one.

[Ronald L.]

Re: Correct Riveting Tool

I have not tried it yet but I have to believe those electric hammers could be a real time saver. If they can drive a framing spike, they can flatten these rivets in no time too.

[William C.]

Re: Correct Riveting Tool

an air driver with a tool made from the shank of an unused air chisel modified with a drill to give an indent to center the mushroom also is a useful item for aluminum rivet work.

[Fred M.]

Re: Correct Riveting Tool

That's an excellent idea. I've got to wonder how they installed those rivets at the factory. They must have had a quick, dependable method but no one seems to know how it was done. Allot of information has been handed down over the years but this bit of info seems to have eluded everyone. Thanks

[Ronald L.]

Re: Correct Riveting Tool

The parts were not glued together yet and or they had big jaws on the rivet presses.

[John H.]

Re: Correct Riveting Tool

That's an excellent idea. I've got to wonder how they installed those rivets at the factory. They must have had a quick, dependable method but no one seems to know how it was done. Allot of information has been handed down over the years but this bit of info seems to have eluded everyone. Thanks

Body rivets were done the same way we do it today - with air hammers (actually rivet-set hammers - much more precise and faster cycle) and bucking bars of various sizes and shapes. Most body rivets were set in subassemblies, before the panels were bonded together, where there was easy access to both sides of the panel.

[W L.]

Re: Correct Riveting Tool

I'm a little confused and certainly not much of a mechanic, but I think both sides of this bracket can be easily accessed through the windshield wiper panel, and a tool may be available to compress the rivets.

[Donald H.]

Re: Correct Riveting Tool

As John said above, I bought a pneumatic riveting hammer from Harbor Freight. It comes with 5 heads of different sizes to fit different sized round head rivets and a flat head. I replaced a number of the 3/16" round head and counter sunk head rivets on my 1960. The tool works great, you just need to make sure and set air pressure low, about 20 lbs. I used a number of different things to buck the backside of the rivets, mostly chisels. You would be hard pressed to tell them from factory installed rivets.

Don

[Bob H.]

Re: Correct Riveting Tool

Fred

You supply the riveting hammer and I'll supply the air plus hang on to one side!

Bob