[TheForge] rivets revisited

[Thomas A. Troszak]

> One reference I have noted that the rivet head should be made with a
> continuous, straight-on use of the (power) header.  This is not how 
> they
> did it in a demo I watched.  Rather, they headed down, then rotated the
> tool around the rivet head to make a bead on the edge that they could
> later caulk.  What's your take on the proper procedure?
>
> Bruce

Dear Bruce,

Almost everywhere on a boiler is curved, so you have to swivel around a 
bit to get the head to lay down all the way around, and I usually have 
to swivel around a fair bit just to keep the head on straight.  If you 
bear down around the edge, you shouldn't have to caulk much. I think it 
really depends on how big of a head you are trying to make, and how 
much you practice, and how big your ass is, a lot of rivets I have 
worked with take four people to drive, two on the gun and two on the 
bucking tool. The guys on the gun are basically just hanging on for 
dear life and trying to keep the bullet in. It's brutal, but manly 
stuff.

Tom Troszak