Remove/Add rivets to weights

ReaperSRX

ReaperSRX

Member
Joined
May 26, 2003
Messages
589
Age
53
Location
New Liskeard, Ontario
For the guy (like me) who will only do this once (i hope), doesn't have a weight tool/holder, what would be the best way to remove old rivets and add new ones............James
 
I just carefully drilled the old ones out and peened over the new ones with a hammer. worked fine for me.
 
ReaperSRX said:
For the guy (like me) who will only do this once (i hope), doesn't have a weight tool/holder, what would be the best way to remove old rivets and add new ones............James
Click to expand...
Secure the weight FIRMLY to a drill press table to drill them out. if you dn't have a drill press - hmm..I suppose it could be done with a hand power drill, but be darn careful. For putting new rivets back in, put the rivet in from the side of the weight with the ID mark on it, lay it flat on your vise (don't lay part of the weight with the bushing on the surface) and tap-tap-tap with the round end of a ball-peen hammer. The steel ones require a LOT of tap-tap-tap, the aluminum ones not so much. Don't try to do it all in just one or two blows with the hammer. Get them so that the peened end of the rivet spreads out to at least a couple of millimeters larger than the diameter of the rivet.
 
OK, i will try to secure and drill out, i was going to try to gind off one side with dremel but thought it might damage the weight............thanks.....James
 
ReaperSRX said:
OK, i will try to secure and drill out, i was going to try to gind off one side with dremel but thought it might damage the weight............thanks.....James
Click to expand...


Ooh, that's a dicey deal, let me tell you. One little slip and you gouge the side of the weight. Don't ask me how I know this - grinding requires the hands of a surgeon...except I am a surgeon and I still have at least one grinder-gouged weight.
 
I've ground em out but be careful, also, if you have access to a hydraulic press it makes it nice for installing rivets. Lot less chance of breaking one.
 
drilling them out is fairly easy to do. Put the weights in a vice and only drill the head ov the rivet it will pop right out of the weight after.
Put the new rivet in the weight and use your bench vice to squish the rivet till it does not move anymore.
 
I just did this!! But, I have access to a Bridgeport at work so I benched them and simply wiped the tops off... nice and clean. Then used a punch and hammer and they came right out. As for putting them back in... I have a big piece of tool steel at home that I use like an anvil... using a vice grip to hold the weight (but not damage it...) I used a good heavy hammer and tapped them flat. Didin't hit it hard... and it took a while but wasn't too bad. I have a second set of weights that I am going to put a different rivet set up in and am going to bring them to work and try the arbor press to put them in.
 
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