Hey not sure if anyone else had found this out but I bought the Harbor Freight long arm pop rivet tool for $18, and it works great!!!!!!!!!! I just pop-ed three Stainless Steel rivets in seconds!!!!!! I don't know how long it will last but it sure beats the $90 ones everyone else sells. Hope this helps, when I re install my tramp tracks and jib tracks next month I will let you all know if it can finish the job.
It will likely last as long as you own your boat. I have hundreds of rivets on mine. I think every sailor who has used a standard rivet gun now knows about the $18 harbor frieght wishbone riveter. Or at least they should! 😉
Dave Bonin
1981 Nacra 5.2
on my list of things to pick up tomorrow. Drummer's post on OptiKid's question directed me to the Harbor freight website for the compressor driven one, but I don't own a compressor so for $18 I'll give it a shot.
Also found $7 hog ring pliers for the trap shock cord.
Edited by bobcatnj on Mar 01, 2012 - 09:11 PM.
I have the pnuematic gun from HF. It works well for me.
shipchips1 wrote: Hey not sure if anyone else had found this out but I bought the Harbor Freight long arm pop rivet tool for $18, and it works great!!!!!!!!!! I just pop-ed three Stainless Steel rivets in seconds!!!!!! I don't know how long it will last but it sure beats the $90 ones everyone else sells. Hope this helps, when I re install my tramp tracks and jib tracks next month I will let you all know if it can finish the job.
dittos
i have one as well and it works great.
marc
And if you have a grinder, I use a metal cutting wheel on a 4.5 inch angle grinder, you can grind flats on your 3/16 inch pop rivet nozzle and it will fit down inside the tracks for your traveler. Cheap that way.
Shut up, sheet in, trap out.
glad the $20 HF tool works for folks... I've gone through 2 after about 10 rivets each (monel rivets)... brought the first tool back, they replaced and marked my receipt... took the second one... did about a dozen or whatever rivets, now it won't pull 'em... maybe they both came from the same batch w/soft teeth or something... always wind up using a buddies' $90 one that he got from murrays...
Edited by robpatt on Mar 02, 2012 - 09:45 AM.
H14T, H18SX... Ocean Springs, MS www.osyc.com
I've used these for a few years for all stainless and never had any issue...they certainly didn't break the bank.
Rob
Nacra 5.2
OKC, OK
i bought the harbor freight tool after using the traditional 'hand-squeeze' models and not being able to pop a stainless steel rivets. i love this HF tool. i've only done about 8 s.s. rivets so far but it's working great and pops 'em off without a problem. i used the 20% off coupon and it came to $15 w/ tax. lol. and i love the collection container which holds the stems.....what a pain digging around on the ground/floor looking for the stems. three thumbs up!