Identifying Rivets and Rivet Sets?

A friend presents me with an assortment of rivets and a shrug of his
shoulders, so I'm attempting to determine what I have.

An examination of Table 7-10 of the AC shows head silhouettes; not
diameters, just shapes. Most of these rivets appear to have the
universal head shape (MS20470), but come in different head diameters;
for example here one with a .15 diameter, another with .185 diameter.
so there appears to be something missing in the description - head
diameter. Spruce sells AN470 with a .250 diameter head.

Does anyone know how head diameter is taken into account? If I knew,
I'd know what rivet set to look for.

Taking the example from another direction, I have a rivet set marked
"T101E1-12" . GOOGLING got me no where. I could measure the detent in
the rivet set and imply a rivet head diameter, but without knowing how
head diameter is taken into account, I can't order a rivet set. Anyone
know how to cross reference rivet head size to a rivet set? - Mike

On Sep 14, 5:46*am, Michael Horowitz wrote:
A friend presents me with an assortment of rivets and a shrug of his
shoulders, so I'm attempting to determine what I have.... Most of these
rivets appear to have the universal head shape (MS20470), but come
in different head diameters...

If they are indeed MS20470, there is one standard head size and
profile for all -3 (3/32") rivets, another for all -4 (1/8") rivets,
another for all -5 (5/32"), and so on. So when you order rivet sets
for your rivet gun or rivet squeezer, go by the diameter of the rivet
stem, not by the head.

And if they're not MS20470, all bets are off. The dimple in the center
is some measure of assurance that the alloy is 2117, but outside of
that you're on your own. The cheapest way of knowing what you're
getting is to just buy some new ones from a reputable dealer like
Wicks or ACS or suchlike. Then you can visually compare known good
rivets with your freebies.

Thanks, Bob K.

On Sun, 14 Sep 2008 09:12:04 -0700 (PDT), Bob Kuykendall
wrote:

On Sep 14, 5:46Â*am, Michael Horowitz wrote:
A friend presents me with an assortment of rivets and a shrug of his
shoulders, so I'm attempting to determine what I have.... Most of these
rivets appear to have the universal head shape (MS20470), but come
in different head diameters...

If they are indeed MS20470, there is one standard head size and
profile for all -3 (3/32") rivets, another for all -4 (1/8") rivets,
another for all -5 (5/32"), and so on. So when you order rivet sets
for your rivet gun or rivet squeezer, go by the diameter of the rivet
stem, not by the head.

And if they're not MS20470, all bets are off. The dimple in the center
is some measure of assurance that the alloy is 2117, but outside of
that you're on your own. The cheapest way of knowing what you're
getting is to just buy some new ones from a reputable dealer like
Wicks or ACS or suchlike. Then you can visually compare known good
rivets with your freebies.

Thanks, Bob K.


Bob - I've got AN407 in 3/32 and in 1/8, and the rivet sets on order.
I was just trying not to have to throw away 5# of rivets if someone
could tell from the head size what series I had - Mike (now building
his first bucking bar)

"Michael Horowitz" wrote in message ...
On Sun, 14 Sep 2008 09:12:04 -0700 (PDT), Bob Kuykendall
wrote:

On Sep 14, 5:46 am, Michael Horowitz wrote:
A friend presents me with an assortment of rivets and a shrug of his
shoulders, so I'm attempting to determine what I have.... Most of these
rivets appear to have the universal head shape (MS20470), but come
in different head diameters...

If they are indeed MS20470, there is one standard head size and
profile for all -3 (3/32") rivets, another for all -4 (1/8") rivets,
another for all -5 (5/32"), and so on. So when you order rivet sets
for your rivet gun or rivet squeezer, go by the diameter of the rivet
stem, not by the head.

And if they're not MS20470, all bets are off. The dimple in the center
is some measure of assurance that the alloy is 2117, but outside of
that you're on your own. The cheapest way of knowing what you're
getting is to just buy some new ones from a reputable dealer like
Wicks or ACS or suchlike. Then you can visually compare known good
rivets with your freebies.

Thanks, Bob K.


Bob - I've got AN407 in 3/32 and in 1/8, and the rivet sets on order.
I was just trying not to have to throw away 5# of rivets if someone
could tell from the head size what series I had - Mike (now building
his first bucking bar)


The specs are he
http://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch/

http://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksear...t_number=39808

On Sep 14, 2:45*pm, "Blueskies" wrote:

The specs are hehttp://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksearch/

http://assist.daps.dla.mil/quicksear...ent_number...- Hide quoted text -

Many thanks for that link. Now I know for sure that the nominal head
dia for 470s is twice the shank diameter.

Bob K.

On Sep 14, 8:46*am, Michael Horowitz wrote:
A friend presents me with an assortment of rivets and a shrug of his
shoulders, so I'm attempting to determine what I have.

An examination of Table 7-10 of the AC shows head silhouettes; not
diameters, just shapes. Most of these rivets appear to have the
universal head shape (MS20470), but come in different head diameters;
for example here one with a .15 diameter, another with .185 diameter.
so there appears to be something missing in the description - *head
diameter. Spruce sells AN470 with a .250 diameter head.

Does anyone know how head diameter is taken into account? If I knew,
I'd know what rivet set to look for.

Taking the example from another direction, I have a rivet set marked
"T101E1-12" . GOOGLING got me no where. I could measure the detent in
the rivet set and imply a rivet head diameter, but without knowing how
head diameter is taken into account, I can't order a rivet set. Anyone
know how to cross reference rivet head size to a rivet set? - Mike

Is there any other marking on the rivet set? The ones I have usually
have some reference to the type of rivet and size. i.e. 470-4 or 4704
is for an MS20470 or AN 470 #4 rivet with a 1/8" stem diameter. Other
sets have the fractional designation i.e. 3/32 or 1/8.

There are lots of rivets out there. There are the old round and
brazier head styles that were both replaced by the universal head and
Boeing has its own protruding head rivet design which is sort of like
the universal head but the head itself is smaller in diameter and
thicker at the edge as if they turned the edge down. All of these
different styles have their own rivet sets to drive them.

John Dupre'