I recently saw a video about hot riveting in which the shop used an electrical induction rivet heater. Does anyone know whether such devices are available? How about a link to a manufacturer?

Links to induction heaters:
http://www.efd-induction.com/en/Inducti ... tsjon.aspx

http://www.pillar.com/

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/20186 ... ivets.html

http://www.inductionheater.net/

Even youtube has some videos of homemade units.

Mike

The electric rivet heater that just places the rivet between two power contacts is not a induction rivet heater but a resistance heater which by passing low voltage ,high amperage electricity through the steel rivet heats it . If I remember Cass purchased one years ago. I also think Steam RR institute obtained one from the PMRR . These heaters were made for heating one to more than 5 rivets at once using multiple set of spring loaded copper contact blocks. If you remember the electric hot dog heater sold years ago were each end of the hot dog was stuck on a metal contact then the power applied and the hot dog was heated its the same principal as the electric rivet heater that was common in RR shops.They seem to be quite rare today as in all my travels I have only seem those two. If anyone knows of others I would be interested in buying one

Dennis Daugherty

Never seen an industion rivet heater, but have used an induction bearing heater to expand roller bearings to slide onto the shaft. It is a true induction setup, with the core of the inductor going through the ID of the bearing. Easier than heating up a bucket of oil with the bearing in it on a gas fire, and much safer.

dave

Okay, okay. I had the nomenclature wrong. I wasn't looking for an induction heater for welding; rather I am interested in a resistance rivet heater. The kind of unit described by Dennis (above) is what I'm talking about. I found several manufacturers of induction heaters, but so far have had no luck with resistance heaters. I'm not an electrical engineer or a metallurgist, but it doesn't seem to me that such a device is all that that complex.

What you saw in the video was a large spot welder for welding sheet metal panels together. It can be used as shown in the video where they were heating rivets. Im not sure that its any more effecient than using a propane forge heating unit to do the same thing. With a forge you can heat a number of rivets at the same time and keep them at a consistant temp. We have used the forge method and had good results with the process.

Wayne,
Is this what you are looking for?
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/an ... ay-170316/

Mike

Yep, that's it, Mike. Thanks for chasing the link down. A resistance heater and a bull riveter on the same thread. Good stuff. Thanks again.

I did not know the SRR had one it also looks like a old one out of some RR shop. I have aways through the heating rivets by this method is the best but never having actually seen it action this is just my guess. Heating rivets this way seems would get the center hot without burning the outside.

The last bull riveter I saw was at Darby Boiler works in Kansas City over 20 years ago. About a 15 foot throat with a overhead crane over it for handling the boiler. Was sold to a pipe supply Co . So it might still be in existence. I had always hoped one would be saved for a working boiler shop. Does anyone know of any bull riverters in existence?

Dennis Daugherty

Someone told me recently that bull riveters are still manufactured in Great Britain. I also understand there is at least one somewhere here in Pennsylvania, but I can't recall where. And here's a link to a fellow using a homemade one in Washington state: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncgq6OPmY4o

Looks like the UK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s0WpHjz ... re=related

Sure is fast and quiet.

Howard P.

The riveters is the pictures I would call portable riverters not bull riverters which were large floor mounted machines in the 75 to 160 ton capacity rangewith throats up to 17 feet. The portable riveters were mostly squeeze riveters either pneumatic or hydraulic . I have a couple of catalogs from Hanna Engineering works [this same company that made stokers] and Allens Jaw Riverter. The pneumatic riveters were made in various capacities and styles.
I have two different styles of these machines called a Shepard Pinch Bug, for structural shops and a pinch bug, I go them both from a auction of a structural steel shop my guess at least 7/8" capacity or 50to 70 tons these machines weigh 1700 and 1200 Lbs so all need a crane to use . I know of a large one that came out of Baldwin that was used for mud ring rivets a much larger machine!

Dennis Daugherty

Thanks to all for helping me refine my search. Now that I've got the nomenclature straight, I may be able to track down what I'm interested in.

There is a resistance rivet heater in the rip shop at the Nevada Northern. It was functioning in 1989. I assume that it is still functional as NN is about preservation. I have seen it work. It heats a 3/4" rivet real quick. I was told by one the old boiler makers that it wasn't approved for use in railroad boiler repair but was used in the repair of stationary boilers. I was told that it heated the rivet too fast but I don't know what that means.

WOW! That's the way to do it!

Speaking of bull riveters, I recall a film made in East End Shop in Roanoke during construction of a J boiler, IIRC, using a bull riveter, though it wasn't clear to me how it worked based on just the film.

Mike