Tacking a Rivet

This is another little trick which is helpful when working alone.  It is a quick-and-dirty alternative to the rivet buck helper.

In the case shown in these images I made the rivet by upsetting the end of a 3/8” round rod with torch heat to form the rivet head.  I then placed the rod through the tong holes and tacked the head.  The tongs were then flipped over and the rod was trimmed to proper rivet length with a cutoff disc.  The end was then heated with the torch and peened.  Finally, the tack was removed with the cutoff disc to erase the evidence of the kludge. 

Rivet head upset on 3/8" rod and MIG weld tacked.

Tongs flipped over.  Rod cut to length and peened.

Tack weld removed and rivet head finished.

Another Rivet Buck Helper

Back on 12/14/13 I showed one type of rivet buck helper. http://persimmonforge.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-rivet-buck-helper.html  This is just another version with a cross bar for supporting the reins of tongs while the rivet is being peened.

I have a project coming up which will use some short curved chisels.  I had one holding tong for sizes up to about 5/8” but no larger.  I made this pair which holds up to about 1” and another for holding up to 1.5” shafts.  I’ll show how they worked out in the project which is making a die set for stamping tree ring lines on the face of a stump cut or branch collar cut.

I only use the helper until I get the rivet peened enough to not fall out.  From that point I take the tongs in my left hand and use the torch in my right hand alternating with a ball peen until the job is done.

The Rivet Buck Helper

I recently made a monogram boot scraper for a client.  He will mount it on a heavy rock of Flint Hills limestone from his property and present it to a friend in Colorado to whom the VA lettering applies.

The client had prepared a sketch which I only slightly modified to suite my construction plans.  The changes were mostly based on strength considerations.

The light surface texturing, rust patina and rivets were added to enhance a rustic appearance.  I like the rust finish color with our limestone rock and it is essentially maintenance free.  The finish was created with my standard hydrochloric acid/hydrogen peroxide treatment, washed, and coated with a quick drying satin polyurethane.  My final sealer coat is something of a “shop secret”, although not a highly guarded one.

There is some hidden interior MIG welding in the construction to make it easier to handle the collection of pieces before drilling the rivet holes.  I only have a helper for a couple of hours a day so we have to work fast to get everything done which needs doing.  In this case I wanted to get all the rivets placed in advance so, when Ken came, I could light the torch and we could finish the peening quickly.

I put the appropriate rivet buck in the vise and built a socket around it and added a support arm.  That allowed me to rest the boot scraper on the support arm and position each rivet hole over the buck.  Then I could insert the 1/4” x 1” rivet and peen it just enough that it couldn’t slip back out.  The plan worked slick as a whistle. 

Rivet buck and set.

Rivet buck helper.

Rivet buck helper in position.

Helper detached from the buck.

The helper at work.