Installing 5/16 solid steel rivet

SteveB9000

New User
Looking for advice on tools/techniques for installing 5/16" factory rivets on my JD model H manure spreader. I'm good with nuts and bolts, solid steel rivets are apparently over my head.

Thanks in advance!
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The rivets should fit tight in the holes, almost tight enough to need to be tapped in place with light hammer blows. Bolting the two pieces together in adjacent holes for the riveting helps keep things tight. The rivet should be one and a quarter rivet diameter sticking out on the side where the head will be formed. Use a solid backup anvil, or 5 pound or more steel mass to place the assembly against to "backup" the rivet. Use a 16oz. ball peen hammer, bigger is OK. Line up the flat face of the hammer so it is flat to the rivet, and strike the rivet very hard twice. Hit square to the end of the rivet so it smashes straight toward the hole. This action swedges the rivet in the hole (expands it to the hole size with force). Now turn the hammer with the ball end in the striking position. Hammer the end or the rivet in a random pattern to make a dome out of it. (if the rivet is intended to be decoritive, you need a rivet set of the right size to form a pretty dome. if hand made is OK, keep hammering with the ball end until the under side of the forming head is touching the underlying metal all around. I would practice if I were you. Good luck. Jim
 
heat and peen the rivet using a bucking block behind the factory end. get the rivet hot, but don't melt it. the beauty of using rivets is that the heat expands the rivet length wise, making it longer and when it cools, it shrinks holding the pieces even tighter together.
 
Rivets will pull the metal pieces together if done right. You hit the head of the rivet and the weight or the bucking bar goes on the tail of the rivet.
 
Great information everyone, thanks! That's what I was looking for.

I had to buy a box of rivets, so I'll start practicing tomorrow. Hope to post a completed rivet photo before long.
 
So that's the way the Ball-peen Hammer got it's name! Interesting. I had them in my tool boxes all along and just used them when doing machine work (vs wood work).

I just bought the Smith Tool R-3030 sickle bar rivet remover/installer for the MOCO I just bought....back with a sickle cutter when I swore I never would have another one. This one is a Ford 538 and I really like it. Fits my Ford 3910 perfectly. Also bought the Smith Tool Sickle bolt installation tool....yeah I know the other tool can be used for the job but for 10 bucks from the same ebay guy selling the rivet tool, why not.
 
Just had this added thought: Sky scraper builders tossing hot rivets to a guy with a catch scoop, 40 stories off the ground.....geez what a way to make a living. As I recall there is a tribe of Native Americans that were real good at walking the beams building sky scrapers. Don't remember the tribe's name.
 

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