Air hammer

[prasmussen]

Can an air hammer be used as a rivet gun?

[WLIU]

I was told that it can not be used as a rivet gun. I will guess that it does not provide the control and the standard rivet sets don't fit.

You want a rivet gun that lets you lightly press the trigger to get a "teasing" tap to make sure that the rivet is fully through the material being fastened and to signal your partner that you are about to start expanding the rivet. Once your partner has the bucking bar ready, you squeeze the trigger harder to expand the rivet. Even if you are handling both rivet gun and bucking bar yourself, you use those first low impact taps to make sure that everything is together and the bucking bar is in place for the next step.

Used rivet guns are not expensive. Mis-bucked rivets are a pain to remove. Your "friends" will point out all of the "smilies" in your skins if you don't get each rivet in right.

Best of luck,

Wes
N78PS

[turtle]

Yes it can. It takes the same size bits as a rivet gun. The triggers suck pretty bad but a regulator make it slightly tolerable.

For a few rivets you'd be fine. Doing a full panel, no way. Sort of like using a pair of pliers on a bolt instead of a wrench.

[martymayes]

Doubtful and inline regulator will help and even if you could dial down the power, the hammering action is different, not really suited for rivets.

[prasmussen]

How's it different? Not to put you on the spot Marty, just don't know.

[Auburntsts]

The air hammer will hit hard and fast making control an issue. A 2X rivet gun typically hits soft but fast. A 4X gun hits hard but slow, and a 3X is in between. With an air gun, you greatly increase the risk of a smiley on an AN470 universal head rivet and skin dents around both the 470 and 426 flush head rivets. Bottom line this is not the tool to go cheap on. If a new one is too expensive, try looking at sites like Van's Air Force where folks sell used tools all the time. The Yard Store is another source.

[martymayes]

How's it different? Not to put you on the spot Marty, just don't know.

This discussion came up a few yrs ago on another board and someone posted pics showing the difference. I searched but couldn't find it. For sure you should be able to drive a rivet with an air hammer, but you can also drive a rivet with a ball peen hammer.