I'm missing something here - why don't you replace all the rivets with the smaller SAE ones when you build your (whatever)?
Is this something you bought pre-made that you are modifying?
And who is going to look closely enough at the (whatever) to notice that some of the rivet heads are smaller than the others, or care, besides you? ;-P
(Don't sweat the small stuff. And barring any more information input on why it's critical, it sure sounds like small stuff to me...)
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How about something like a core drill - the center of the tube is the size you need. The teeth are on the wall of the tube(drill) and you drive it or you drive the rivet into the drill... The gripping end of the tube should be filled with a rod and brazed or soldered.
That is one idea - keeps them co-linear.
Martin Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
Roger wrote:
I have some 3/16 rivets that have the typical large round head on them. I decided to use the 3/16 rivet since the 4 or 4.5mm round head rivets that are normally used in this project cost a buck apiece. Consequently, McMaster has gotten my business on SAE rivets.
The problem I have is that the head on the metric rivet is smaller than what I got from McMaster. So my solution is to turn the head down to match the metric rivet.
McMaster rivets are soft, like 1018 or some ChingChing Crap. I don't have to use a carbide cutter but I don't have anything capable of grinding the cutter with. I thought I'd make a cutter out of some type of tool steel and use a 1/4 inch drill/endmill to cut my radius and then mill off the nose of the cutter. I realize that I will have to heat treat the cutter but I don't know what kind of steel to make it out of. I have some HSS cutters but they are so hard that I woudl have to grind them. I want to start with workable steel and then do the HT and grind to sharpen.
I will not be making high number production runs of these rivets and the cutting speed will not be that high. It is definitely a throw-away cutter.
Do any of you have suggestions for this project ?
I have a heat treat oven (ceramics kiln with digital controller) so I can do what ever heating I need.
RoGrrr
YMMD :-))
Nick
I would make something that looks like a rose bit. Difference is, that the bit you make has no hole but a convex dimple in it (that forms the head. Use drill rod for you tool. You can form that convex shape with a radius mill. Cut 3 or 4 slots that will form the cutting edges. Harden and temper.
Nick
OK, Bruce. Here's the skinny on what I'm doing.
I am building one of those E-E-EVIL AK47s and as mentioned, metric rivets are a buck apiece for them. The rivets are either 4.0mm (0.157) or 4.5mm (0.177), depending on which part of the gun.
I decided I would change all the rivets to 3/16 (0.187) but the heads are a bit oversize (by maybe 0.100) and they look out of place. Besides, people who know AKs will look at the gun and barf.
Consequently, I plan to put the rivet heads on a diet to hide what I've done. So what I need to make is a cutting bit to reduce the diamater of the head. I can make it but I need to know what kind of steel I should use for machineability and then be able to heat treat it so I can cut 1006 mild steel.
Yeah, it IS small stuff but it's something I just "HAVE TO DO", if you get my drift. We all know how us hobbyists are.
A mea culpa on my part, I just noticed that 5/32 rivets are 4.0mm (I really hate this metric crap. Why don't they adopt a good system and we wouldn't have all this confusion) and the head is the right size. I could have used them in some spots. Oh, well. Next time....
Roger
Martin That sounds like a good idea but I can't find the drill you're describing. The only core drills I can find are the masonry type. I do have some tubing chamfer bits but they aren't nearly small enough. Roger
Guns are neutral. Guns are just a lump of metal, they don't go off by themselves. People are either good or evil, they are the ones that decide where to point the gun, and when to fire.
If you want to go down that road, cars are far more deadly than guns but you don't see people moving to ban all cars.
Hell, Dihydrogen Monoxide is more dangerous than guns... ;-P
Okay, it's an appearance critical item. Carry on...
Though you might try to source the right rivets for the right price, before you go through all the effort of cutting oversize heads down.
Even if you have to buy bulk and import them yourself, you can pack the extras in bags of 50 or 100 and resell them on E-Bay. You can buy them for a few pennies in bulk and resell them for 50c, and still be well under the guys charging $1 each.
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Try making one. Should be easy - cut slow and be like a planer blade or scraper or saw teeth.
Likewise - a slightly slotted end - roughed up maybe - and loaded with grit - and turned in a bath of oil and grit - grind it down in the same concept. I have done glass that way and it is slow but works.
Martin Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
Roger wrote:
Guns are another form of currency. Look around the world and you will find people who are stupidly dumb and didn't have a pot....
But they start dealing in guns and they become wildly wealthy
I agree with you on the inantimate objects. Diane Feinsteins and teddy (hic) kennedys are evil
They ought to be outlawed and executed.
Then why don't they outlaw that ?
NO, appearance is _THE_ critical item
I tried that. They are not available here in the good ol' U.S. of A.
At least not for less than a buck apiece.
And at that, they are imported
I have thought of that. It is something that I would do without any hesitation.
I had already asked about that but nobody from outside the US answered. And I'm not going to go to a licensed importer/broker/agent bcuz they only deal in quantities of TONS.
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