rex riveter vs Little Wonder

[Squilchuck]

I have a newer Rex riveter from Weaver and about 25% of the time it sets Weaver steel 104 rivets crooked.  I try to make sure I use a proper sized rivet and the shaft and cap are aligned. Also, I have to press hard to set the rivet and often still hit it with a hammer  to set the cap down well.  Is it me or the riveter? I'm thinking of getting a Little Wonder to solve these problems.  I'd hope the LIttle Wonder sets rivets straight wo me getting a hernia pressing on the handle.   I can't get the Rex to punch a hole and set a rivet w cap - will the Little Wonder do this? Any advice on using the Rex, or using a Little Wonder?

--John

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

Part of it are these dang stainless steel rivets.  I have the MT900 press from Weaver, as well as an older Heritage brand press, neither one of them set perfect, in fact depending on what I'm riveting, they'll miss as many as 5 out of 10.  Extremely frustrating.   I have an old Rex type bench top riveter that I bought a splash anvil for years ago, and it doesn't do any worse or better than the presses.  And if I'm setting SS rivets, I have to use a maul on the handle too!  The best riveters are the old ones (like from 75-100 yrs old) IF you can find them.  They sell crazy high on auctions, and I've seen a bunch of them sell, and I always thought "I can go buy a new one for just a little more".  Well, I finally realized why they sell high, because they work. I also finally bit the bullet and bought one of these old ones last spring on an auction. Paid way more than I wanted to, but it DOES set rivets way more consistently than any of my others.  SS can still be a bitch though, and I'm not so sure it isn't the rivet design as much as the material. I think they are thinner walled than they used to be, which makes them crush rather than set properly if the point of the anvil doesn't hit the hole exactly dead center.  So no it's not just you, I cuss when I set tube rivets.

Edit: And I gave up on trying to set them with caps.

Edited December 20, 2017 by Big Sioux Saddlery

[oltoot]

It's all about picking the right size rivet for the work

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

2 hours ago, oltoot said:

It's all about picking the right size rivet for the work

I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one Toot.  The jaws have to hold the rivet solid enough so that when it comes through on the anvil side, it hits the point of the anvil pretty much dead center.  If it doesn't, it is going to miss a large percentage of them.  From what I've seen, none of the new riveters hold the rivet steady enough.  Old timers (older than me) have told me that the Rex's and Best Yet type bench riveters never did do that great of a job.  They were made for farmers to have in their farm shop to do an occasional simple harness repair job back when that task was a necessity.  I've occasionally come across some old stock rivets that set better than anything I buy today.  And stainless is not a nice material to work with in the first place. It's hard to peen when using a solid rivet, and brittle.  Stainless steel spots chew up the anvils on my spotters and do not set as easily as brass or NB.  It IS very important that the length of the rivet is right for the work, but it is not the only affecting the poor setting of the rivets available to us today.

 

[bikermutt07]

On that note I have had ss snaps that have buggered up my hand setters.

[Mark842]

I have 2 heritage presses. I use each press for setting one specific size rivet for a specific product. I went this route because every time I had to change rivet length (all I use are tubular rivets) I'd by screwing up rivets left and right. With the adjustments dialed in I probably get 1 or 2 bad rivet presses per 50.

I'm curious what brand and model older rivet setters Big Sioux knows about that they would recommend. I set a ton of rivets and while I have these two presses dialed in I would like to be able to set rivets in other things also. I just dread messing with my adjustments and going back to noodling up 2 out 10 rivets.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

48 minutes ago, Mark842 said:

I have 2 heritage presses. I use each press for setting one specific size rivet for a specific product. I went this route because every time I had to change rivet length (all I use are tubular rivets) I'd by screwing up rivets left and right. With the adjustments dialed in I probably get 1 or 2 bad rivet presses per 50.

I'm curious what brand and model older rivet setters Big Sioux knows about that they would recommend. I set a ton of rivets and while I have these two presses dialed in I would like to be able to set rivets in other things also. I just dread messing with my adjustments and going back to noodling up 2 out 10 rivets.

I think mine is made by The Tubular Rivet Company.  I can't even find a mention of the company on the internet.  But there are others that I'm sure work as well.  It is the design of the jaws that hold the rivet that I think makes a difference.  On your heritage presses, what adjustments do you make other than anvil height?  I took the rivet setter off my heritage press long ago and use it solely to punch holes, so I can't remember exactly what it looked like, but I don't remember there being anything I could really change other than anvil height.  I sure understand what you mean about dreading messing with adjustments though: the same goes for stitchers and automatic spot setting machines. Once I get them set to a specific task, I don't want to touch them.  A fellow harness maker that I know runs 4 Union Locks.  He has each one set to sew a certain type of work, and then there's no messing around changing back and forth and not being able to get it set back to where it was.

Edit: If I think about it, I'll take some pictures of my riveter.  The jaws hold the rivet tight until the head slips through the jaws, at which point they spread apart to release the rivet.  Busy days coming up, so I'm not sure when I'll get a chance.

Edited December 22, 2017 by Big Sioux Saddlery