Buy the high speed double sided 1/8" bits in bulk packs of ten from fastenal. They work great and you get twenty sharp cutting bits (10x2) for under ten bucks.
Jayray5, what's you're drilling time using those bits?
I've noticed a good bit, pun intended, of my 3 minutes is being careful not to apply too much pressure with the drill or the bit rides to the side. That's the purpose of the training devices but I suppose the rivet masters don't use training wheels and rely more on experience. As for me I've only drilled out maybe 50 rivets...so far...
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Todd
“Complications arose, ensued, were overcome...savvy?”
We haven't used the rivet removal tool...but I just ordered one! If it's anything like the shaver...I'll love it! Even still, I would say we spend less than a minute per rivet w/o the tool.
Center punch > set the bit by turning by hand > drill to pop the head off > after all the heads are off > go back and punch in the shanks with a springloaded center punch. It takes longer to pull all the heads off the drill bit than to actually drill them out ~
If it's a pop rivet it even takes less time because of the hole in the middle. Steel ones take a bit longer...but a sharp bit is key. Occasionally, if you get a spinner, it may take a minute...I usually grab it with needlenose pliers to keep it from spinning...or if there are two of us, one will hold the back of the rivet with the pliers. We removed all the interior lower panels, the back window, rain gutters, door (down to metal bits to replace the screen) and are getting ready to replace the streetside panel on each of our two trailers and a friends in two weeks (30' of aluminum!) - thus the reason for ordering the tool, we'll give it a try!
Shari
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Vintage Airstream Club - Past President 2007/2008
WBCCI #1824 - DenCO Unit Past President (2005)
AIR #30 - Join Date: 2-25-2002
It usually takes as long as a single whack with a hammer takes. I use a shaprened putty knife to lop the top of the rivet off. Only works with aluminum rivets, but it is a great time saver. When I removed the old Armstrong a/c from our Argosy, I had all the rivets off in 5 minutes flat.
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Terry You repair things with tools. You fix things with a hammer.
AIR#2611
But don't you have a higher risk of scratching the skin Terry?
Shari
You do, but there is little risk of anyone seeing scratches on the roof of a painted trailer.
As in all things common sense should prevail. If you're removing rivets on belly pan, roof, inner panels, it saves a bunch of time.
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Terry You repair things with tools. You fix things with a hammer.
AIR#2611
It usually takes as long as a single whack with a hammer takes.
Terry, I'm not sure your method qualifies as a drilling time! But you should definitely get at least honorable mention for the most ingenious rivet removal technique.
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Todd
“Complications arose, ensued, were overcome...savvy?”
I'm still not hearing from anybody willing to race me for slowest time ever!
My slowest time to date is 2.5 hours. I broke the drill bit off, and had to remove the broken bit before I could continue. It was in an inccessible location, among other complications.
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Terry You repair things with tools. You fix things with a hammer.
AIR#2611
My slowest time to date is 2.5 hours. I broke the drill bit off, and had to remove the broken bit before I could continue. It was in an inccessible location, among other complications.
Terry, stop it. You keep cheating! That's not a drilling time!
I want somebody to step up to the plate with an actual drilling time slower than mine!
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Todd
“Complications arose, ensued, were overcome...savvy?”
Hey, yall weren't all born rivet masters out there were you! Surely there are a few tales of slow drills from those good ole days in rivet pre-school?
Well, there was that one time when the electric drill broke, and I had to hand-drill out several rivets with a dull bit...That took a while... Does that count?
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Terry You repair things with tools. You fix things with a hammer.
AIR#2611
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I broke the drill bit off, and had to remove the broken bit before I could continue.
It was in an inccessible location, among other complications.
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