Right, I used an air hammer/chisel, a really good Snap-On one, I doubt a lesser one would do it fast enough, as speed is the key.
I did about two dozen on my frame, and about that many on an old Hudson frame where I worked at a restoration shop, all with the same setup.
My backup tool was a 2" diameter cold rolled round bar about 7" long, tapered on the end to the cup the shape of the rivet head, where I had room I held a small sledge hammer behind it to add mass. In some places I used a similar one with the cup offset to one side as far as possible. Yet other places I had a foot long 1.5" square bar with the cup formed on the side near one end, this I clamped to the frame over the rivet head with vice grips where none of the others would fit.
You want the biggest backup tool you can fit within reason.
The rivets I used were long enough to poke out about 1.5 times the rivet diameter. Plan on buying long and cutting to length if needed. You will have to practice forming a few to see how much you need to allow for your forming tool to turn into a rivet head.
I bought rivets from
http://www.mcmaster.com/ search for "solid rivets" look for round head plain steel ones. Or catalog page 3227, or for 3/8" rivets 1" long use part number 97300A727.
If you need longer or odd size or special rivets then go to
http://www.bigflatsrivet.com/ expect to pay a bunch more.
They also some of the tools you would need
http://www.bigflatsrivet.com/tools.html Why didn't you heat the rivet end with it already installed?
Because the cool frame sucks all the heat out of the rivet shank, and at best you will only get it hot enough to half form the head. Then you cut it off, punch out the left overs, and start over. You want to get the rivet as hot as you can without melting or burning it, then as quick as you can poke it in the frame, and squish it to shape before and as it cools. If you don't get it all done at once it is difficult to heat the head in place and finish the job, but you can sometimes finish the last little bit and help the appearance with a second attempt.
To heat the rivet I had a little bracket clamped to the truck frame right beside where I was working, the torch rested in the bracket, and I brought the rivet to the torch with a pair of tongs. You don't even have time to turn off the torch..
Now, the proper way to set the rivets is cold, with a huge hydraulic press, but that is impractical for you and I to do at home. I have seen a new riveting machine for sale that would form 3/8" cold steel rivets, but the price tag was a little steep, and it would take up a fair amount of shop space.
Grigg
