Blind/Pull/Pop Rivet removal

[HRM]

Well, I am getting ready to replace the seals on my doghouse and there are a slew of pop rivets that need to come out. In the past I have drilled them and sometimes clipped them off, but time has passed and modern technology has revealed a number of pop rivet removal tools that I am wondering if they are any good.

Any PIREPS on getting the rivets out cleanly? The old seal is literally decomposing, so there should be a lot of play for most of them; i.e., easy to clip off. Drilling typically works best when they're tight, but I wondered if these tools have some sort of magic to them that makes it quick and easy.

[kortopates]

You just need a punch set and the proper drill sizes. To remove them out easily, first use a punch and hammer to push the inner pin back out. This is the center pin that was pulled to set the rivet. Push it back out all the out and through. Next use a drill that is smaller than the diameter of the pop rivet. It will drill through the rivet easily now that the pin is gone. Then put the punch into the drilled hole and work it around circularly till the rivet falls out. This will remove the pop rivet without enlarging the hole. Removing soft non-structural Avex rivets, as used in your dog house, is very easy and quick. In contrast, removing structural Cherry-max rivets is a much much harder job.  

[jaylw314]

That rivet driller in the photo is intended for the standard solid aluminum rivets.  The sizes may or may not work with pop rivets, since pop rivets frequently have non-standard head sizes.  I've used the rivet driller for standard AN470 rivets on my RV project, and I don't like it.  For whatever reason, I find it does not center the drill bit as well as I can by eye.  Even if you do everything perfectly, the expansion pressure from installing a standard rivet actually enlarges the hole slightly, which can be an issue if done multiple times.  They do work well for drilling out Cherry rivets, but I find it strangely satisfying drilling out Cherry rivets by hand.

@kortopates is correct, pop rivets are quite easy to remove in comparison, since their expansion pressure is much less than standard rivets.  Drill out the rivet head first with bit that is the same or smaller than the width of the hole (usually 1/8").  Make sure the bit stays centered (the hole in the head makes it hard not to).  Don't drill more than necessary to remove the head flush with the sheet.  It's safest to drill just enough to be able to stick a 1/8" pin punch into the head, then pulling the punch down to pop the head off flush.  Then hammer out the tail with the pin punch.  Make sure you back up the rivet with a block of wood so that you don't bend the sheet while hammering the punch.  A block of scrap 2x4 with a 3/8" hole drilled about 1/4" deep does the trick.  If you end up needing 3 hands to hold the block, pin punch and hammer, you can cheat by using a automatic center punch.  Grind the auto-punch tip so that it has a flat head and is less than 1/8" diameter, that way it'll fit in most holes.  Now you don't need a hammer, and you can knock out the rivet tail by holding the auto-punch in one hand and a backing block with the other.  With pop rivets it usually only takes 1-2 hits before it comes out.

Wish I had good pictures, but all my stuff is in storage right now...

Edited December 7, 2017 by jaylw314

[Hank]

Harley, there's a decent brass auto punch at Harbor Freight. Used to be $2.99. Have fun, I'm interested in your results and your thoughts about how the whole thing goes. May give it a try myself. 

[N201MKTurbo]

Get yourself a big chunk of steel and drill a hole in it to use as a backer to the rivet when you are driving out the pin. Often times you will be trying to drive it out of a flexible piece of aluminum and it will just bounce without the backer. 

The only problem is holding the backer in one hand the punch in your other hand and the hammer in your third hand.

[jaylw314]

FWIW, if the rivet is loose, just hold the tail end with pliers when you drill it out.  

[Yetti]

^^^^ that.  Or a good pair of dikes and cut them off and then use the dikes to pull them out.