About to blow my top here

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gcd89

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Greg D.
I cannot figure out how to get the retainer spring for my flush rivet set, onto my gun.

It just doesn't thread correctly. The normal beehive one goes on fine, the other one just doesn't thread properly and won't go all the way down. Is there a trick to this I don't remember? I don't recall ever having an issue with this...

It's so aggrevating, because i just landed a really great job, just got my first rivet gun today, and can't figure out this simple, stupid thing,
 
Mine seems to have a little variation to the pitch of the coils -- spread a little on one end, makes it hard to get threaded on like you say. I find that I have to twist it on from one end part way, then twist from the other end to finish getting it on. It's fairly easy to do, once you figure the technique out and get the hang of it. I've got a larger diameter mushroom set with a rubber ring that can't use a retainer spring, so I take mine off and put it back on from time to time.
 
Ok, I've kind of gotten it on there. It's on all the way down to where the threads stop, the there play in the rivet set itself...there's a little bit of play back and forward (not side to side)...normal? It's like MAYBe a 1/4" at the most.
 
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Yep, normal. Mine gives me a good 1/4-3/8" fore/aft play.
 
gcd89 said:
These are the retainers I have...this is the exact set

This is my gun

I just cannot fathom what the problem could possibly be. i also have no idea how to get the actual set in it. It doesn't go through like the sets do on a beehive.

What am i not getting? Whats more is there are no videos on how to do this anywhere on youtube or anything
Click to expand...
You can't screw the mech-1 on by using the loop. that makes it too tight. try screwing it on by using the front end. they act like chinese fingers, screw them in one direction and it gets bigger, screw it the other way it gets tight.

the loop is for getting it off.

I'd not worry about it, I haven't used mine in a very long time.
 
DaleB said:
Yep, normal. Mine gives me a good 1/4-3/8" fore/aft play.
Click to expand...

Ok, i've got it then. it's just a really tight squeeze, and I have to twist from the top of the spring, not the bottom... does it loosen up over time/with use?

Also, there no fitting for a shop air hook up? Do i have to buy this fitting seperately?
 
I've found that the mechaid can be a pita at times, But not as bad as the beehive.
With the mechaid I've had great success by screwing it on in such a fasion as to "un-coil" it as it's being screwed on.
The Mechaid is a quick change type of get-up, with a lever to allow you to flip the retainer out of the way, when you change bits, when released it will flip back down.
Using that to screw the thing onto your gun, rather than the tab at the base of the spring, will yield good results.

After being pinched several times too many, I opted for another way.
As soon as I can find pics, of the gizmo that I now use, I'll post one.
 
gcd89 said:
Ok, i've got it then. it's just a really tight squeeze, and I have to twist from the top of the spring, not the bottom... does it loosen up over time/with use?

Also, there no fitting for a shop air hook up? Do i have to buy this fitting seperately?
Click to expand...

Yes you so have to turn it from the top

Yes you need to buy the fittings...
 
Tom-D said:
You can't screw the mech-1 on by using the loop. that makes it too tight. try screwing it on by using the front end. they act like chinese fingers, screw them in one direction and it gets bigger, screw it the other way it gets tight.

the loop is for getting it off.

I'd not worry about it, I haven't used mine in a very long time.
Click to expand...

I'm working sheet metal on airliners/pax jets. Countersunk is common there right?
 
Found a pic of it.
It's not very expensive, and works well. Untill you need to get into a real tight spot.
 

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gcd89 said:
I'm working sheet metal on airliners/pax jets. Countersunk is common there right?
Click to expand...

Yes, but there a few different flat rivet drivers. most fit a beehive type spring.
 
Years ago, I did sheetmetal full time. I didn't even bother with that thing. I found a piece of bungee with a loop was much easier to work with. All you want is to keep the set from falling out of the gun when you let the working end droop a bit.
 
kontiki said:
Years ago, I did sheetmetal full time. I didn't even bother with that thing. I found a piece of bungee with a loop was much easier to work with. All you want is to keep the set from falling out of the gun when you let the working end droop a bit.
Click to expand...

And that's what I prefer, too. Cheap and effective. Works for all the snaps.

Dan
 
gcd89 said:
I cannot figure out how to get the retainer spring for my flush rivet set, onto my gun.

It just doesn't thread correctly. The normal beehive one goes on fine, the other one just doesn't thread properly and won't go all the way down. Is there a trick to this I don't remember? I don't recall ever having an issue with this...

It's so aggrevating, because i just landed a really great job, just got my first rivet gun today, and can't figure out this simple, stupid thing,
Click to expand...


Congratulations on the new job.

When I was at an airline, the tool room or somebody with connections would just give you the fittings for the air. There are a few different air chuck designs, you want the fitting that will work with the hoses in the hangar.

I recommend using a regulator valve. It screws directly into the gun, then the air fitting into it. It just lets you throttle things back or not, when you need to.
 
I place a pressure regulator on the compressor, or at the hose hook up. and dial it in to the hit I want.
 
Tom-D said:
I place a pressure regulator on the compressor, or at the hose hook up. and dial it in to the hit I want.
Click to expand...

I remember large hangar taildock systems, maybe 5 stories up on a large tailstand with 100ft of hose pugged into a manifold on the stand, the the ability to adjust how it hits for different jobs came in really handy.

I used one of these.

http://www.aircraft-tool.com/shop/detail.aspx?PRODUCT_ID=1824

It seems funny to get a little nostalgic about this stuff, I really worked hard to get away from this environment after it started to feel like hot grunt work. Large hangars have cleaned up a lot since the 80's too. They used to be living toxic waste dumps.

If we were set up and didn't have a lot of size changes to deal with, my buddy Stan and I could set a rivet about once every 10-15 sec, no talking, setting rivets and tapping.

Of course, when we'd get into one of these complicated things with large doubler buildups and hilocks that have to go in wet, it all slows to a crawl.

One lesson sticks in my mind. No mater what anybody tells you to do, never come in on your shift and pick up on a large build up mod/repair and start inserting fasteners.

We were told by the foreman, last shift got it all ready I want you guy to just start inserting fasteners, period. Don't pull it part, it's all coated with sealant, just put fasteners in.

Someone on a previous shift had inserted an undersized flush head hi-lock on an inner layer of the doublers to serve as an alignment aid. It was not visible from the top of the stack. What a frigging mess that turned into.

What I learned, on a big job, always take a piece of safety wire or a drill bit and check that all holes are at least clear, before installaing any fasterners.

Sorry to do this BS to ya. I need my morning PT. Going now.
 
Does any place sell an assorted set of clecos? All I can seem to find on brown and the like are sets in just one size or individual ones. Doesn't any place sell just a set of assorted sizes?I see other guys on the floor with gold, black, silver, and bronze.

I'm just super stressing about this. I NEED this job, so i can't afford to be fired or whatever. Thing is, I don't have all the essential tools yet (so much stuff was missing from the "required tools list", which they only sent to us 3 days before our first day.), and i feel like everyone expects me to. This is my first A/P job, and I don't want people to get upset at me for being a rookie, and i don't want the company to let me go because I wasn't fully ready.
 
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gcd89 said:
Does any place sell an assorted set of clecos? All I can seem to find on brown and the like are sets in just one size or individual ones. Doesn't any place sell just a set of assorted sizes?I see other guys on the floor with gold, black, silver, and bronze.

I'm just super stressing about this. I NEED this job, so i can't afford to be fired or whatever. Thing is, I don't have all the essential tools yet (so much stuff was missing from the "required tools list", which they only sent to us 3 days before our first day.), and i feel like everyone expects me to. This is my first A/P job, and I don't want people to get upset at me for being a rookie, and i don't want the company to let me go because I wasn't fully ready.
Click to expand...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cleco-Faste...045?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e772a849d
 
gcd89 said:
Does any place sell an assorted set of clecos? All I can seem to find on brown and the like are sets in just one size or individual ones. Doesn't any place sell just a set of assorted sizes?I see other guys on the floor with gold, black, silver, and bronze.

I'm just super stressing about this. I NEED this job, so i can't afford to be fired or whatever. Thing is, I don't have all the essential tools yet (so much stuff was missing from the "required tools list", which they only sent to us 3 days before our first day.), and i feel like everyone expects me to. This is my first A/P job, and I don't want people to get upset at me for being a rookie, and i don't want the company to let me go because I wasn't fully ready.
Click to expand...

Just do the best you can. It's unlikely anybody is going to know if you're missing a flat file or a deburring tool. You don't use every tool, every day. Your rollaway will fill up fast enough.

You may be able to check out clecos for a while, they sometimes need to remain on the aircraft for quite a while for big jobs anyways (like to reskin a belly or something).

Most important thing is to be safe. You don't want to have any life changing accidents.

I'd watch it around chemicals too. Your skin may seem water tight, but it's a sponge. You don't want get to retirement age with any cancers or diseases, that might have been avoided.
 
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Sorry I'm of literally no help to your issue. Just wanted to say hello since I fly out of KPIE. :)
 
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