Rivet press

Steve Cook

Steve Cook

Flying Squad
I've been using a Metalsmith's press for the etched kits I've built and have no complaints. Doing it again, I'd mount it on a longer piece of wood so there was more sticking out at the front, currently the front edge of the wood is behind the handle (see below) when forming rivets which can on occasion cause the whole thing to tip forward. I suppose you could mount the press in a vice or some such which would negate that issue...or you could press more lightly...

Metal Smith Rivet Press.JPG

I have got a GW press to try out too but as is Murphy's law, as soon as I bought it, the next kits to take favour required no riveting :) Truth be told, I don't think you'll be disappointed with either.

I like the mods Overseer, very nifty :thumbs:

Steve
 
T

Tim V

Western Thunderer
I don't have a rivet press, but do have a Unimat. So using the vertical drill, machine vice, a turned anvil and point, I could make a rivet press for a few pence.
 
adrian

adrian

Flying Squad
Steve Cook said:
I've been using a Metalsmith's press for the etched kits I've built and have no complaints. Doing it again, I'd mount it on a longer piece of wood so there was more sticking out at the front, currently the front edge of the wood is behind the handle (see below) when forming rivets which can on occasion cause the whole thing to tip forward.
Click to expand...
When we were making them there was no handle, just tapping it with a pin hammer sufficed. However light night modelling with kids meant I had to switch to silent mode. So I made my own handle, copying the metalsmith arrangement, and sure enough I had the same problem with it tipping forward, also that my hand seemed to be getting in the way of seeing the punch and anvil. So I re-arranged mine so that the handle pivot was in front of the punch and the handle goes to the rear of the rivet press. As the handle is now over the main body of the press it doesn't tip over and my hand is out of the way. Unfortunately it doesn't seem like the Metalsmith version can be modified in that way.
 
Steve Cook

Steve Cook

Flying Squad
No it can't :( The handle mount is cast into the frame and there really isn't enough material in front of the punch to create something new. However, your observations have given me a thought - the main reason for not mounting it to a longer piece of wood is that it makes storage more of a pain - if an extension was available that could be easily removed then the tipping issue would be resolved. I need to go shopping :)

Thanks for the thought tangent :thumbs:
Steve
 
Steve Cook

Steve Cook

Flying Squad
Like it, coming at it from the other end as it were :)
The big thing (IMO) is to keep the positioning free to suit whatever is being riveted...
Steve
 
Arty

Arty

Western Thunderer
A piece of stripwood fixed to the underneath of a timber base makes a good way of clamping the assembly in your vice, it raises the workheight and means you don't need G clamps or other devices to hold the riveter.leaky2.jpg

mm4.jpg
 
Osgood

Osgood

Western Thunderer
If that is 7mm or below and the padlock on the tender toolbox actually works, I'm going to have to consider throwing in the towel even before I start......


See what I did there? Left a back door open for an escape just in case it does, so that my current tool collecting phase isn't completely wasted!
 
S

SteveO

Guest
From a technical point of view, how sturdy would a press have to be – and what is the typical thickness of a 7mm model sheet?

I'm guessing that 0.5mm (or imperial equivalent) is the usual standard for etched sheets – from my limited experience that seems to be the case – so would a smaller and cheaper device work just as well, something the size of a stapler maybe?
 
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