spinning loose rivet remover drill? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2024, 04:15:24 pm
content: I hurt myself drilling a rivet that kept spinning and I imagined a tool I don't know if it existsThe idea is to make a drill with a stop around it. Kind of like a "screw holder", but with maybe a slightly abrasive surface edge, or some kinda sticky rubber, so when you push the drill bit into the rivet, the outer sheath body contacts the rivet to prevent it from spinning, and then the drill can make contact with the immobilized rivet to wear it away. Usually rivet heads are pretty wide.Normally you would need to glue the rivet, or try to grab it with needle nose vise grip, or some other annoying 'immobilizer' that tries to grip a very flush edge.I have seen a carpenter drill that has a depth stop that could kind of perform this function if you put a handle on it and made the tip some how sticky.WHat tools are there for this?Kind of like this, but with a handle (to prevent spinning) and a 'gripper' of some kind on the tip (serations, rubber, abrasive, etc)

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2024, 04:55:05 pm
content: I have removed a couple of hundred aluminum rivets in aluminum skins. The mechanic I worked with in the 1980's (W.M.) had probably done thousands. He had been a mechanic during WWII and was an IA. We never used a special drill. Maybe a little practice will help. Rivets have two ends, the manufactured end and the shop end. The shop end is what results after bucking the rivet. You drill from the manufactured end. If you can reach the shop end, you might try holding it with vise grips or a diagonal cutter. We never had a non-defective, solid rivet spin.I had a couple of loose rivets in a cowl and was able to get them out without any special tool. You need to be very careful not to enlarge the hole. If you do, the only solution when redoing it is use a larger rivet. Clearance between the rivet and hole is small, and as the rivet expands during bucking, it fills the clearance.Pop rivets may have a solid steel plug left over from pulling.. The shop end can be cut off and the plug driven out from the manufactured end.. Then remove as usual. Steel rivets may be more difficult. I can't remember any specific experience with them.EDIT: Damned spellcheck kept changing rivet in the singular to river. Misset one.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2024, 05:27:09 pm
content: I don't know if I ever noticed them spin quite so much on a metal thing, this was a rivet on a PCB. I think its more slippery. What I should have done is put a drop of super glue and waited a while, then drilled it.I think with aluminum they deform it enough that it never really gets super loose, and I think if you spin it a while, it sticks to the aluminum from metal friction. it was infuriating on a PCB.And the problem those are often in a location where its hard to get a grip on them because of nearby parts.I guess what you can also do is use a small tile hole saw (i.e. 1/4 inch) diamond, put that in a chuck aligned with a drill press, and use it as a 'anvil', or glue some rubber to a steel pin and use that as a anti-spin anvil.But to have a box of this all in 1 technology that can be used with a hand drill and no backing (i.e. used in a panavise) would be niceonly one would need to exist, that fits a TO-220 package rivet.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2024, 05:39:00 pm
content: it might have another use too, for drilling through a rusted stuck bolt nut combination. a nice alternative to having to weld them, like if you back a nut off on damaged threads and its in some fucking hole and the other side is inaccessible or requires a stupid wrench

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2024, 05:58:49 pm
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on October 20, 2024, 04:15:24 pmGrab a suitable size woodworking square hole hollow chisel, replace the actual drill bit with a metal one, and add a handle to the hollow chisel to both stop it rotating and to help guide/direct the drill when starting.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2024, 06:20:39 pm
content: ok that is almost exactly what I imagined but with a handle and a springa set of those should have me coveredI have a similar tool that has the spring but its for chamfuer or something (i forgot), something with cabinet making, but the hollow chissel is exactly the right geometryI can just make a clamp arm for it so its safer to use and it will be perfecta set of those chisel will be the perfect accessory for working on cost sensitive PCB where a M3 is just too rtizy for themat least i get to play wiht my light therapy wound healing idea

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2024, 07:05:06 pm
content: I recall every restoration video that i watched used a rotary tool with a grinding bit to grind the rivet skirt down, then use a punch to punch it out.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 20, 2024, 07:14:59 pm
content: super messy in this case I did not want to pick shards out of conformal coating, a drill is fairly neat , but its another option

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2024, 11:31:44 am
content: Maybe a center punch can be used to fixate the rivet by expanding it a bit in the hole. What works for me is using a drill bit which is slightly bigger than the core of the rivet and use a drill-press. With proper support, you can apply more pressure and make the rivet stop spinning. But the first step is using a small as possible drill as this requires the least torque on the rivet.

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2024, 02:12:18 pm
content: I've experienced the same issues with drilling rivets and never came up with a solution.It's worse in soft thing aluminum because trying to turn the bit only warps the aluminum. My guess is that rivets are thinner/softer metal because I don't remember seeing such issues when I'd watch others do it when I was young.

author: alpher
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2024, 03:17:40 pm
content: You could adapt something like this:https://www.mcmaster.com/2869A33/

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2024, 08:04:04 pm
content: apparantly drilling at an angle can help too but I did not try it yet

author: bostonman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2024, 02:21:29 am
content: Turning the drill at an angle isn't the solution either, unfortunately.Most of the rivets I've had to remove were in things that I didn't necessarily care about, but, much like many of my projects, I always ask myself how would this be handled if precision and caution needed to be practiced.

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2024, 02:28:33 am
content: If you end up using some kind of pressure device to immobilize the rivet while drilling, maybe sprinkle a little carbide powder on the rivet to help it "grab", or use a dab of valve-grinding compound (=carbide) to stop it from turning. With soft aluminum, should be able to make the abrasive grains dig into the surface enough to grab it.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2024, 03:43:30 am
content: i think the wood working chisel idea is the best onehttps://www.amazon.com/SaferCCTV-Woodworker-Construction-Installation-Renovation/dp/B07F677DPYeasy enough to solder a handle to thatyou can even heat it up and bend the teeth at the tip inwards to make it tighter, then temper it to retain strenght.

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2024, 09:23:32 am
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on October 23, 2024, 03:43:30 amConsider making a handle with a square hole, optionally with a set screw to hold it in place. Even a 3D printed one should work, although personally I'd make a couple of handles out of wood (any two by four) first, using the hollow chisel itself for the hole, then shaping the outside with a fretsaw and whittling/sanding. A 1" or thicker handle is much more comfortable, as you can get a proper grip on it.

author: Sneakym8
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 23, 2024, 03:58:57 pm
content: I've had this problem quite a lot in the past and the best i came up with is:-Get your normal size drill bit and when you place it on the top of the rivethold the hand drill at about a 10 deg angle to the panel while drilling with light pressurerotate the top of the drill keeping the 10 deg from the vertical all the way round ,so going round in kind of a cone shape.I found that the cutting edges are then cutting at an angle down as well as rotatingand even if the rivet still turns the drill cuts away at the rivet until the head falls off.Thats The best i came up with and did the job for me many times...Hope This helps.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2024, 06:07:26 pm
content: Having drilled out a good number of rivets the things you need are sharp drills, and preferably cobalt steel, as the edge is cut much more agressively, and thus cuts more. Angle slightly, and light pressure, and remove the head, leaving the shaft and the remains of the steel mandrel. If the mandrel is proud of the head (very common on thin material) first use a pin punch and try to press it down lower, and often this has the benefit that it snaps off the end of the rivet, leaving only the head and whatever length of shank is in the holes, and now it is easy to drill this out.Worst rivets to remove are monel metal ones, as they typically are used in boats to hold parts to aluminium, and you often find corrosion has made the aluminium thin and brittle, and the rivet itself has been work hardened by the mandrel pulling it when installed. Best way is a grinder, or a dremel with carbide ball burr, and remove the top of the rivet, then punch the rest through, as drilling you run a very high risk of the weakened aluminium splitting or tearing, and then you have to place a stiffener patch there to allow you to fix it, and make sure to use the right sealer between the metal parts and the rivet. Gave me a reason to prefer solid rivets wherever possible, and I still have the hand made tooling I made to set them, plus the 2 small ball peen hammers used for that as well.