Rivet puller keeps refusing to eject spent pin???

[driz]

I have a 20 year old Sears hand rivet gun I am using to do some inside repairs on my bass boat. I'm using standard aluminum pop rivets and it keeps doing the same thing every 3 or 4 I pull. The nail part sticks and won't comes out of the gun. Most won't come out easily but can be yanked with a pair of players easily . The ones that stick just won't budge and eventually get up inside and I have to pull it Apart dump out the spring and double jaw sets and put it back together again. It only takes a minute but still *****. Looking at the parts I don't see any type of distortion or other bends in the teeth on any of the jaws. Does anybody have any ideas what might be causing these teeth to act more like a Chinese finger trap than river gun before I give this gun the deep 6?p

 

[rlitman]

The teeth always act like a chinese finger trap. When you open the handles, the jaws are pressed up against the back side of the nose, and that's what separates the jaws to get them to release.

Either the nose isn't screwed in all the way, or the cone at the back of the nose is worn, or the front face of the jaws is worn. I'm betting on the first.

 

[404]

Pull the handles apart fully. The pin should eject out the back end, not the same end it went in. Pushing in the next new rivet also pushes the old pin out.

 

[pepi]

Have you tried to clean the tool, run some lacquer thinner thru the assembly, 20 years of crude could be a problem, gumming up the works.

 

[driz]

This is one of the switchable models that allows you to use it at 90 or straight ahead of the handles. There is a pin going across the upper end of the Barrel that won't let the mandrel eject out the top. Weird isn't it? I read last night that squirting some WD 40 solves most problems with these and will give it a try. I'm not expecting much from that one though. I guess come worst I can try to eliminate that pin by using a couple rivets to hold the inner spring down so there's room to eject out the top. [emoji85]. I just love modifying something so it works because some genius had to reinvent the wheel. Another great Sears success I guess.


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[rlitman]

Have you tried to clean the tool, run some lacquer thinner thru the assembly, 20 years of crude could be a problem, gumming up the works.

I read last night that squirting some WD 40 solves most problems with these and will give it a try.

It could very likely be metal dust/shavings gumming up the works.
WD40 might work, but I'd suggest the solvent route first. If this is the issue, you'll be better served flushing any gunk out, rather than simply adding a liquid in.

 

[AceofSpad3s]

Does it have red rubber handles? If so I got the same one at a yard sale and it is a *************, used it once and the same thing happened to me, failure to eject.

 

[rancherbill]

I had a similar problem it would not consistently eject.

They are adjustable. Dirt, wear, variability of the rivet, etc. cause jamming. Try adjusting the tension on the spring with a screwdriver. It worked for me.

 

[rshadd]

If it's a Craftsman, you can always warranty it for a brand new one.

 

[driz]

Here's what this thing looks like I just hope the picture took[emoji29]

 

[driz]

 

[rancherbill]

That's what mine looked like.

I cleaned it and re-assembled. Hold the two edges in your fingers and drop both of them at the same time to get them back in. The same with the next piece.

I re-assembled. It still was not perfect, so I adjusted the tension on the spring. Honestly, I think I have it better than when it left the factory.

 

[gungatim]

cheap rivets will stick in mine, I think the "nail" part is too soft and the hard jaws dig in so much they get embedded. I've taken to spraying some teflon spray lube in there and it seems to help.

 

[LordPsychon]

Two issues - rivet quality and riveter quality. The latter doesn't seem to be the real problem but it needs cleaned. The former is a possibility but the question is who makes the rivets? I've had good name rivets blow chunks and no name rivets withstand the test of time.

 

[kidder]

Having owned many snowmobiles and thus crushed many a rivet Craftsmans rivet guns only come with a year warranty. Warrantied like their torque wrenches

 

[driz]

I'll try putting a washer on top of the spring and see if it helps it release better. I went through about 40 rivets today and only had to disassemble the thing twice. I did finally remember how I used to use side cutters to pull the spent nail and that worked fine. By the time I get done with the job it will be working well again, go figure. FWIW both the rivets and the gun are made in the USA.

 

[driz]

Well I had high hopes for the washer spring tension thing but guess what, it still does it . It helps rebound up the handles but I still need the dykes to pull the pins which I now have down to a science. About the only difference is that it is harder to put back together with the added tension on the spring
Just in case I put this thing back together wrong a decade or more ago and continue to?do it the same just how does this critter go together? Inside the barrel loaded from the top is first the double section that grips followed by the single solid slug with the "V" portion down into the slot of the ones below it . Then comes the spring with the pin across the top to retain everything and hold it in the housing. I can't see any other way it could go really unless I am missing some part......

 

[ezzzzzzz]

I've own several hand riveters. I also own a Cherry pneumatic that is awesome and use it almost exclusively. These things wear out... especially cheap ones. If a good cleaning and light oil doesn't resolve the issue just throw the darn thing out and buy another.