Sheetmetal riveting

[wrndln]

I will need to rivet the quarterpanel back on my 29 phaeton in the near future. I made a special tool to rivet the quarterpanels on my 28 special coupe 3 years ago, but the tool was made of metal that wasn't hard enough. By the time I was done, the waffle on the tool was pretty messed up. I am pasting a picture of what I used on the coupe (before the riveting), which worked fairly well, but the tool is not good enough to do another car. The rivet end that needs peening with a waffle tool is up inside the subrails, so getting a waffle tool in a rivet gun on the end of the rivet is impossible. Reriveting quarterpanels back onto most model A's are pretty much the same. I would like to know if anyone has found a good method of forming the "waffle" on the 3/16" rivets inside the subrails.
Rusty Nelson

[Fred K-OR]

Rusty, I know this is not the way it should be done, but would a pop rivet work and not look like a cheap way to do it?

[Roadster62]

Google Big Flats Rivet Co. and but the proper tool and rivets from them. Bob

[wrndln]

Bob,
I don't think Big Flats (Jim Dix) has a tool that will fit up inside the subrails. He has the straight bit that fits in a air hammer or rivet gun. I have the waffle bit he sells, but it only works for straight on setting rivets.
Rusty Nelson

[SSsssteamer]

Ever thought of using the waffle faced carpenter's hammer? It is heat treated and the waffle should last for years. Cut off of the hammer head what you need and weld it on to your rivit setting tooling. Just a thought.

[wrndln]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

SSsssteamer,
That might be worth a try. I am not sure the waffle on the hammer is close to the waffle tool, but it might be close enough for all practical purposes. The hardened hammer head would certainly hold up well for riveting, unlike the metal I used before. Thanks for the suggestion.
Rusty Nelson

[rexrogers]

I have the head off a autobody shrinking hammer welded to a piece of stock, the pattern is a little closer than the stock Ford one but might be better than the carpenters waffle hammer.

[Cape Codder]

wrndln,
I have always been taught that the gun is used on the head to drive the rivet and the bucking bar is used for the tail end of the rivet. Why don't you try to make a bucking bar from Big Flats straight waffle set you have? Forgot to ask, is the subframe on the frame or off?

[wrndln]

Thanks to all that offered suggestions especially SSsssteamer and RexRogers. I stopped by the Harbor Freight store and looked at the mill faced framing hammers that they had. I found one that has a face (well hardened I hope) that is almost identical to the metal block in the first picture in this post. I think I can cut off the handle and maybe part of the claws or whatever to be able to weld the head to the 1" diameter heavy steel rod, also in the first picture in this post. I think I can make a "buck" that will work OK.
Rusty Nelson

[TommyCoupe]

Let us know how this works.

Tommy-

[1931 flamingo]

Rusty: Before going to the trouble (and expense) of modifying the new hammer, I would suggest trying it the way it is to tell if the "waffle" head will hold up=Harbor Freight. JMO
Paul in CT

[wrndln]

Paul,
I was thinking of doing that. It shouldn't be to hard to clamp the hammer in a vice and try to rivet two pieces of sheetmetal together. Harbor Freight isn't known for high quality, but it sure seems like a hammer would hold up OK for the few (maybe 10 or 12) tough to get to rivets I need to peen with the setup. I will post the results here after I try it.
Rusty Nelson