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Old 06-20-2009, 02:28 PM   #1 (permalink)
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Question basic rivet tools

I want to ask a question, what are the most basic and cheap tools to completely rivet an ak receiver together?
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Old 06-20-2009, 03:22 PM   #2 (permalink)
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A rock, and an old railroad spike stolen from the tracks near your mud hut! Turban optional.
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Old 06-20-2009, 04:27 PM   #3 (permalink)
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More practically, it depends on which style receiver you have. Underfolder, sidefolder, standard AKM, etc. For the front trunnion rivets the modified boltcutter squeezers work well and will only cost you a cheap pair of BCs ($10-15) and some grinder time. Member HcPookie designed them and there should be plans in the Library here. He also has his website address in his sig line with directions on making them.

For the triggerguard rivets, all you need is a vise and a hammer and punch. Close the vise jaws on the TG so the rivet flange is laying on top the jaws and spot the rivet holes on the jaws with a centerpunch. Remove the TG and drill four divots in the jaws with a drill sized to the rivet heads. You want them all the same depth and deep enough that only the slightest part of the rivet head sticks above the surface. Place the rivets in the TG and replace the TG in the vise with the heads in the divots. Add the selector stop plate and then the receiver. Use the punch to flatten the rivets. The punch may need clearances ground in it to clear the rails and center support. The rear TG rivet can be done with another divot drilled near the edge of the jaws. You can flip the jaws over and the divots will be out of sight and protected for the next job.

Full length (goes all the way through from one side to the other) rear trunnion rivets can be done with a scrap steel backing plate and a hammer and punch. Divots are drilled on the plate for the pre-formed heads and the punch forms the heads that set the rivets. A divot drilled in the end of a punch forms a rounded head. You can also use two dimpled plates squeezed in a vice to form the heads. For the shorter rivets that only go through one side on the folders the BC squeezers often work fine, others are so far in you need to come up with more complicated tools.

Check out the library here, lots of alternatives.
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Old 06-21-2009, 01:37 PM   #4 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sjohnson View Post
A rock, and an old railroad spike stolen from the tracks near your mud hut! Turban optional.
I wish
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Old 06-21-2009, 01:47 PM   #5 (permalink)
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The answer was done in jest, but that's close to what some 3rd-world countries use and is the most basic and simple toolset.

RR spike as the rivet set and rock as the hammer.
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Old 06-21-2009, 02:40 PM   #6 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sjohnson View Post
The answer was done in jest, but that's close to what some 3rd-world countries use and is the most basic and simple toolset.

RR spike as the rivet set and rock as the hammer.
something makes me doubt they have any railroads in those places
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Old 06-21-2009, 02:49 PM   #7 (permalink)
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I have one more question, how do you install the mag catch pin?
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Old 06-21-2009, 03:50 PM   #8 (permalink)
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Use a built TG as a guide.

Compress the spring using locking vicegrips with a groove cut for the spring leg(s). Flare the mag catch pivot pin with ball bearings and a vice.

Also see [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
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Old 06-21-2009, 08:25 PM   #9 (permalink)
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I did my very first rivet job back in the day with nothing more than a hammer and steel bench. no they were not round but they worked just fine. It was a 50 dollar kit and I wanted to just get it to go bang. if your really good a round head can be formed with a ball peen hammer.
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Old 11-02-2009, 11:26 PM   #10 (permalink)
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This thread is a big help!
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