Long-lasting copper rivets can’t be beat for fastening planks to frames. Here’s a faster and easier way of peening rivets.
Patrick Dole is using a pneumatic riveter. It’s noisy, but much faster than by hand with a ball-peen hammer.
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Jeffrey Bursic says:
I saw copper nails being peened over in another video and wondered if they could be done with a rivet gun, well here is my answer it sure can. I’ve used them many time in a previous life as an aircraft mechanic and they make short work of it.
William Dyer says:
By the way, I think this is a marvellous website. Great videos and really wonderful real world examples that help newbies like my group. Thank you…Bill
William Dyer says:
My friends and I are building a 15 ft. flat bottom lapstrake with a wineglass stern using copper nails and (dished) roves – available from Lee Valley here in Canada. To date – six P/S planks, have all been nailed by hand; two more pairs to go. I was thinking about using a pneumatic tool, however, I think the method we employ works well for us. It may not be as fast, but we get into a rhythm that makes it seem to go by faster. We use a driving tool, also available from LV, that helps to set the rove on the nail. We simply pinch off the top of the nail once the rove is set, no need for an extra washer since the nippers leave the correct amount of nail to mushroom. Peening is performed using a small ball peen hammer. The flat part is used to mushroom the nail first, followed by flattening down the outer edges of the nail with the rounded end of the hammer. I have a few pictures and video if someone needs to see them.
David Hourdequin says:
Are you using roves or burrs with the air hammer? Advantages/disadvantages?
Maynard Bray says:
Not sure of the correct terminology, but the burrs/roves we used were flat—like copper washers. I believe the riveting machine will work on either flat ones or domed ones, since it hammers only on the end of the copper nail. For our application, where there’ll be ceiling planks over the frames (and over the peened ends of the rivets), the less intrusion into the boat (and above the frames), the better.
Nathanael Bray says:
Isn’t this cheating?!
Maynard Bray says:
Luna is Patrick’s dog, and she keeps us all on the straight and narrow.
Duane Muzzy says:
Who’s Luna?
Anne Bray says:
Where’s Luna?