FILENAMES:

ALRIVET.JPG
ALRIVET1.GIF
ALRIVET2.GIF

DESCRIPTION:

These are pictures and a short tutorial about setting rivits.  
Posted by Ted Edwards <Ted_E@bc.sympatico.ca>. Ted provided the
following description:

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                             Aluminum Rivetting
                            by E.M. (Ted) Edwards
                            Ted_E@bc.sympatico.ca

See also ALRIVET.JPG, ALRIVET1.GIF and ALRIVET2.GIF.

The following is oriented toward Aluminum rivets but I don't see why 
the techniques wouldn't apply to other metals.  My only experience 
with steel rivets has been in my blacksmithing activities (e.g. making
tongs) and those were home-made rivets driven hot with a hand hammer.

The photo, ALRIVET.JPG shows five rivet sets and two bucking bars.

The set with the large, flat, circular face has a rubber gaurd around
the edge and is for driving flat head (countersunk) rivets.  The
"bent" one lets you get close to an obstruction such as when rivetting
in a partition.  The length of the sets is a matter of convenience of
access and doesn't affect the end result.  For head shapes other than
flat, the dish on the business end should be a reasonable fit on the
rivet head.

The fancy shape of bucking bars is also a matter of convenience of
access.  I have used auto-body dollies and even my anvil for bucking.
The important thing is to have lots of inertia (the bucking bar should
weigh, in pounds, at least 25 to 30 times the rivet diameter, in
inches) and the bucking surface square to the rivet.  On occasion, for
cosmetic reasons, I have wanted both ends of the rivet round-head.  I
have then used an appropriate set in something massive for bucking.
You would think that perhaps the holes in the bucking bars are for
this purpose but no, neither end of the sets fit.  I have no idea what
the holes are for - enlighten me, someone.

>From Ron Wanttaja's book "Kitplane Construction" and other sources:
        Diameter:  One of my sources says to use about three times the
thickness of the thinner of the pieces to be joined.  This seems to me
to be on the large side but ... .
        Spacing:  At least three times the rivet diameter bewteen 
holes and twice the diameter to any edge.
        Hole:  The hole should be a gentle push fit on the rivet and
should have no burrs.
        Length:  The rivet should be long enough to go through the
combined thickness of the pieces being joined and protrude 1.5
diameters.  After driving, the shop head (where the bucking bar was)
should be at least 1.5 rivet diameters in diameter and at least 0.5
rivet diameters thick.  See ALRIVET2.GIF.

Rivet heads carry marks to indicate the alloy used in making them. 
ALRIVET1.GIF (coppied from a sign at Boeing Surplus) shows some of 
these.