Riv-nut tool

Malcolm · 04-16-07, 10:14 AM

I am wanting to get a riv nut tool, preferrably air driven. Can anyone recommend any particular tool they have or where I could get one at a decent price. I tried Ebay but nothing showing. Also anything worth knowing before I buy?

Thanks in advance....

David Morton · 04-16-07, 11:15 AM

Malcolm,
I've got a manual one you can borrow. I've no experience of an air driven one and having used rivnuts for a while it seems to be a case of softly softly very much feely as you put them in. Air operated might be a bit of overkill. It's made by Eclipse and its called a Spiralux. Inserts (RIVNUTS) vary in quality and my experience is the ones with vertical grooving are slightly harder to pull but do a better job and never seem to fail where as the other 'non grooved' ones can rotate quite easily on very thing gauge panels - but thats not a problem as you just reverse assemble the tool again and pull them a bit tighter. The thinnest of the mandrils (4mm ) can also easily shear off if you don't know your own strength.
Dave M

David Morton · 04-16-07, 02:23 PM

for thing on line 6 read thin. My keyboard doing its own thang ....

Mark Worthington · 04-16-07, 02:28 PM

Malcolm, check McMaster Carr. I got mine from Bolhoff back when they had a distribution center nearby in New Hampshire. It looks like a pop rivet tool and you can change mandrels depending on the thread size of the Rivnut you're using. I would also think a pneumatic one would be overkill for anything other than a production environment.

Peter Olliviere · 04-16-07, 02:39 PM

Malcolm,
Try this Blind Rivet / All Safety Supply - Product Catalog

look down the page to item 39213. This is the one I built my RF with, a search shold give you a cross section of priceing.

I also agree with everything said here as to typ and use of the Riv-Nuts.

Peter

Malcolm · 04-16-07, 03:32 PM

Thanks guys, all helpful

91740Gt · 04-16-07, 04:21 PM

Malcolm,

Davids spot on with his advice.

I,ve been using rivnuts for years without any problems. I ALWAYS use the nurled variety and you will have no problems in pulling them by hand. I think you would be ill advised to use air tools, if in fact you can get one, because riv-nutting requires a certain feel that only the wrist action can give. It is not just sheet metal that they can be used with and if you need any other advice you can always call me.

Graham @ GTA.

Phil · 04-18-07, 02:16 AM

Malcolm
As david said the grooved rivnuts are harder to pull, but definitely hold much better. Also stay away from the aluminum nuts, they are good for a few ins and outs and then become loose, or don't hold well right from the start.
You may want to look on the web for Lawson Products. They have a distributor in the U. K. and they make a super well holding rivnut (IMHO), also they have a couple of nice installation tools including a hand operated hydraulic unit that really takes the effort out of pulling them up tight...and you can control the tension which is not the case with the pneumatic tools. By the way, the hydraulic tool will also pull pop rivets even stainless up to 3/16 with minimal effort.
Cheers
Phil

JohnStanden · 04-19-07, 04:48 AM

Malcolm
Try this mob :- zygology.com
they have what you need and are pretty helpful
cheers
john

Brett James-McCall · 04-19-07, 08:56 AM

Malc,
I'll send you a pic of what I bought when I get home. Its a hand variety but pretty good.

Brett

Malcolm · 04-19-07, 05:05 PM

Again, thanks guys.

Brett James-McCall · 04-21-07, 11:14 AM

Hi Malc,
Here's a picture of my manual Rivnut tool that I have had for a few years. The handles fold down to allow you to get into smaller spaces. The only issue I have had with it is not knowing my own stength... when using the M4 mandrel, I have at times pulled the handles together a little too quickly and snapped the mandrel... but altogether I've found it good, and it saves the forearm

Brett

Malcolm · 04-21-07, 04:16 PM

That looks useful. Can you let me know make and model if at all possible?

SteveB · 04-22-07, 03:35 PM

Malcolm

The rivet nut setting tool is available in the Sealey Tools product range

Steve

SteveB · 04-22-07, 03:43 PM

I have tried to attach the details in a PDF file

See if this helps

Stephen

Brett James-McCall · 04-22-07, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveBarker

Malcolm

The rivet nut setting tool is available in the Sealey Tools product range

Steve

Sealey will charge you an arm and a leg. Mine is made by a company called NCT. ANyway, I got it from my local engineer supply shop a few years back. It was only £30 then (to me anyway)

Brett

SteveB · 04-23-07, 05:42 AM

Sealey dont supply direct only through tool/trade outlets, so if you have trade connections discounts apply. PVRDirect.co.uk have them on offer at £59.17 inc vat

Regards

Steve