Bought a new Weaver Rivet Press

[Colt W Knight]

I make GPS tracking collars for livestock as part a part of my research interests ( I am a livestock specialist for the University of Maine). When I was a PhD student, I developed a way to make inexpensive GPS tracking collars for cattle, and that project has snowballed quit a bit, and now multiple Universities are using my collars. I got so many requests to build collars, I setup a Grazing Behavior Lab on campus where I can manufacture and sell tracking collars to other institutions. This provides my lab with some income to help further my research and work related travel expenses. One of the largest time sinks was actually punching holes in the Biothane and riveting buckles on with #8 copper rivets by hand. Plus it was killing my hands ( I have essential tremors), and making a ton of noise. I searched around, and called Weaver leather and they recommended their new steel construction Press with their autofeed rivet hopper. Man, this thing works great. I was able to attach 40 buckles in less than an hour. Something, that I would probably have taken me 12 or more hours with the hole punching and rivet setting. The biggest plus, no banging, cutting, or peening, and the tube rivets are corrosion resistant, Stainless Steel.

 

 

 

 

[Gregspitz]

looks like an old machine gun...show a video of it in action!

[bikermutt07]

That is really cool. I'm glad to hear it's saving time and your hands. Mine hurt all the time.

And it's auto feed. Do you still have to punch a hole?

[JaspaJami]

Selling those collars? Last summer i was trying to find some gps collar for the cattle (and for horses) because our field is quite far away from home.

[Colt W Knight]

 

That is really cool. I'm glad to hear it's saving time and your hands. Mine hurt all the time.

And it's auto feed. Do you still have to punch a hole?

No, it punches the hole and sets the rivet in one action. 

 

 

Selling those collars? Last summer i was trying to find some gps collar for the cattle (and for horses) because our field is quite far away from home.

Yes, the collars are available through the University of Maine. However, these collars just store data, they are not real time tracking. 

 

looks like an old machine gun...show a video of it in action!

I'll, try to get that done

[bikermutt07]

Awesomeness

[Trox]

Nice machine. But nobody makes a autofeed machine for those good old copper rivets.  

[Mark842]

Yep, hands down one of the best time savers we ever purchased for our shop. What used to take 2-3 hours a day for two people is now done in less than one hour for the entire week.

[JaspaJami]

 

Yes, the collars are available through the University of Maine. However, these collars just store data, they are not real time tracking. 

Ok. I need real time one. Also one that is automatically alarming if limit border is breached.

 

[Colt W Knight]

 

Ok. I need real time one. Also one that is automatically alarming if limit border is breached.

 

There are some RFID tag systems that will do that, but they are expensive. Real time GPS trackers require monthly subscriptions that make them unaffordable for research. 

[Trox]

What makes those real time systems expensive is that they need a GSM phone card subscription along with the GPS system. Then the system will send you lots of SMS or emails with updated position (on time intervals, one a minute or so). Then of course it's a computer program that manages it all and display it graphically on your GPS receiving unit. This is how most of these such systems works today. Then the GPS unit is also backed up with GSM position and need of coverage of Mobil internet (for greater accuracy) . It's all in one package and it's a limit of how many collars you can use on one system. It's much used on hunting dogs here where I live.  

[JerseyFirefighter]

On 5/2/2017 at 6:54 PM, Trox said:

Nice machine. But nobody makes a autofeed machine for those good old copper rivets.  

I would be all over that. 

There's nothing like getting a new machine like that and realizing how much time youre saving and that the purchase was completely worth it. For me the top four would be the clicker, the sewing machine, the 4 sided edge beveler, and the heritage dye box. I increased my capacity ten fold. 

[Colt W Knight]

8 hours ago, JerseyFirefighter said:

I would be all over that. 

There's nothing like getting a new machine like that and realizing how much time youre saving and that the purchase was completely worth it. For me the top four would be the clicker, the sewing machine, the 4 sided edge beveler, and the heritage dye box. I increased my capacity ten fold. 

I have the weaver dye roller for edges, and it's awesome. 

[JerseyFirefighter]

22 hours ago, Colt W Knight said:

I have the weaver dye roller for edges, and it's awesome. 

 I forget what the dual sided edge finisher cost, but it was ridiculous compared to the $50 dye box. Going from hand finishing with a dauber for fifty dollars is a no brainer. Much cleaner for me as well. Then again I only use black dye for the edges and it's not conducive for cleaning. I just use what I have in the box and forget cleaning the applicator sponge. Ill buy a new one if/when it becomes an issue. 6 months and no issues. 

[Colt W Knight]

1 hour ago, JerseyFirefighter said:

 I forget what the dual sided edge finisher cost, but it was ridiculous compared to the $50 dye box. Going from hand finishing with a dauber for fifty dollars is a no brainer. Much cleaner for me as well. Then again I only use black dye for the edges and it's not conducive for cleaning. I just use what I have in the box and forget cleaning the applicator sponge. Ill buy a new one if/when it becomes an issue. 6 months and no issues. 

Same here. I have Henry Ford's philosophy on color, you can have whatever color you want as long as it's black. 

[treyman]

On 5/8/2017 at 2:07 PM, JerseyFirefighter said:

 I forget what the dual sided edge finisher cost, but it was ridiculous compared to the $50 dye box. Going from hand finishing with a dauber for fifty dollars is a no brainer. Much cleaner for me as well. Then again I only use black dye for the edges and it's not conducive for cleaning. I just use what I have in the box and forget cleaning the applicator sponge. Ill buy a new one if/when it becomes an issue. 6 months and no issues. 

I have the heritage dye box and hated it. It's sitting under the bench and now use sponge paint brush, and works like a champ. $100 and somebody can take it

[JerseyFirefighter]

9 hours ago, treyman said:

I have the heritage dye box and hated it. It's sitting under the bench and now use sponge paint brush, and works like a champ. $100 and somebody can take it

The dual sided one or the single sided blue box? I'll take you up on it if it is the dual sided heritage II box. 

[JaspaJami]

On 3.5.2017 at 1:54 AM, Trox said:

Nice machine. But nobody makes a autofeed machine for those good old copper rivets.  

What kind of rivets you mean?

[JerseyFirefighter]

27 minutes ago, JaspaJami said:

What kind of rivets you mean?

Rivet and burr I gather he was referring to. 

 

[JaspaJami]

If in not wrong i was offered an automatic machine that was doing that kind of riverts. But it was bloody big machine. I have some bad pictures at my phone, havent seen those machines yet.

Either one of these

Edited May 19, 2017 by JaspaJami

[Matt S]

Jaspa, that looks like a BUSM automatic riveter I almost bid for on eBay. Went for beer money but I would have had to pick it up halfway across the country.

[JerseyFirefighter]

3 hours ago, Matt S said:

Jaspa, that looks like a BUSM automatic riveter I almost bid for on eBay. Went for beer money but I would have had to pick it up halfway across the country.

I dont have room for it, but I would make room considering how many copper and brass rivets I set.

[Matt S]

8 hours ago, JerseyFirefighter said:

I dont have room for it, but I would make room considering how many copper and brass rivets I set.

Sadly I think most automatic riveters like this are only suitable for splash/machine rivets. Nothing wrong with them in the right context, but not what the majority of us here need.

I have a couple of manual presses which do jiffy rivets as fast as I need them. Still looking for a mechanical solution to saddlers rivets.

[Trox]

On Friday, May 19, 2017 at 10:01 PM, JaspaJami said:

What kind of rivets you mean?

Its the ones that JerseyFirefighter posted about, copper rivets and burrs. I doubt that machine in your picture takes the copper rivets and burrs. That's a very complicated way to set them. Haven't seen any machine that does them yet.