Advice on riveter for 7mm models

[hayfield]

I have a couple of 7mm etched brass kits (72xx & 1361) one of them has hundreds of small rivets in seems. I have a cheap LRM riveter but I don't want to either distort the sides by being heavy handed or have wonky lines.

 

I have seen a GW machine at shows but find they do 3. My thoughts are about buying the £100 middle one, please I am firstly looking for advice on what to buy and happy to buy a s/h one if anyone has one they do not use anymore

[polybear]

The GW ones are excellent - just advise George that it’s for 7mm and he’ll supply the correct punch & anvil (it’s possible to buy those separately - so it’d be worth buying the 4mm ones at the same time).

[hayfield]

29 minutes ago, polybear said:

The GW ones are excellent - just advise George that it’s for 7mm and he’ll supply the correct punch & anvil (it’s possible to buy those separately - so it’d be worth buying the 4mm ones at the same time).

 

Thanks for that great piece of advice, when I obtained my Hobby Holidays chassis jig I got both 4mm & 7mm axle rods

 

Am I correct in thinking there is an adjustable stop so you cannot over press, also an adjustable guide plate/bar ?

[polybear]

The Universal Rivet Press (£95 + £7 postage) comes with 2mm, 4mm and 7mm anvils and punches and is reviewed in MRJ103 (I later purchased spare 4mm items "just in case").  It has an adjustable table which enables accurate punching etc. - see here:

 

https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6186

 

 

There is also a more basic version for £45 - this appears to have a depth stop but not the accurately adjustable table:

 

 

Both are tools that I suspect you'll never lose your money on if you decide to sell them, especially when they are no longer available.

I have the more expensive version - highly recommended.

[Bucoops]

I don't think it matters which method you use, the material is going to distort. I would love to try one of the GW ones to see if having the positive and negative anvil reduces the distortion compared to the LRM (and others) type.

 

If there's no discernible difference then I would stick with the LRM type as I think it's faster to line up and drop. Where the GW deluxe one comes into its own is where there aren't half-etched holes as it has the index wheels.

[EasternO]

I have the basic rivet press I no longer use. Has some surface rust, but easily removed with a brillo pad or similar. Has all of the punches included, which are 2mm, 4mm and 7mm.

 

I can take a pic if you're interested.

[hayfield]

49 minutes ago, EasternO said:

I have the basic rivet press I no longer use. Has some surface rust, but easily removed with a brillo pad or similar. Has all of the punches included, which are 2mm, 4mm and 7mm.

 

I can take a pic if you're interested.

 

Thanks very much for the offer but I think I need at least the middle one with the guide, as I need some form of stop so I can keep everything level

[EasternO]

2 hours ago, hayfield said:

 

Thanks very much for the offer but I think I need at least the middle one with the guide, as I need some form of stop so I can keep everything level

No worries. If they are half-etched a guide won't really help. The guide is great if you are making your own with no half-etched helpers. I used the die to line up with the half-etched dimples and then lever the rivets in. Always in line, as long as the etches are drawn correctly.

[Barclay]

Really good value too, given that it has barely gone up in price over the course of nearly 200 MRJ's !