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'Drilling' out blind rivets


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I will soon have to remove some blind rivets, and they will be followed by even more.

Mostly they are aluminium rivets into aluminium sheet, but some are steel rivets.

I recall reading about a purpose designed drill bit that makes a much better job (than a standard drill bit) of removing the rivet head, while minimising the risk of jamming into the rivet and spinning it in the hole, or going in slightly off-centre and enlarging the hole while not completely releasing the rivet.

The trouble is, I can't recall the correct name for the tool, has anyone else come across such a device?

I see that if I'm to believe the Google results 'everyone' uses ordinary twist drills, sometimes with a rocking motion, sometimes with a woodworking chisel, sometimes with a mini-grinder. All methods OK for 1 or 2, or even half a dozen, but somewhat lacking when there is over a hundred to do, IMHO.

Cheers.

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Spot weld drill often works OK.

Making sure the drill is sharp and not leaning on it to hard help to stop the rivet spining most of the time.

Only time I usually have problems is if there is a bit of the steel shaft of the rivets still sticking up in the middle where it has snapped of a bit high then it is almost impossible the to centre the drill and make a clean job of it.

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Spot weld drill often works OK.

I have to admit that threw me initially, because the 'spot weld remover' I have is like a mini hole saw that cuts around the outside of the weld.

Now I've seen these I imagine they are what you were meaning, and they are almost what I had in mind, but I think the form of the tip will still cut into the metal I want to reuse. Otherwise it matches (more or less) the idea from elbekko.

spotweld45.jpg

I was recommended by the K7 Bluebird Restoration Project to use a Cobalt drill, at low speed, with lubricant.

As my local supplier doesn't stock that style of bit I'm afraid I'm still dithering about what to buy, and where from!!

I don't really want to be hammering to knock head of the mandrels out because I can imagine the bodywork distorting.

Using the kit I have may mean trying a rose countersink bit to cut the head from the stem of the rivet. This has worked on some long rivets 3/16 dia x 5/8 long, but I don't know whether it will be as successful on the twee 1/8 x 1/8 rivets. I might have to flatten the very tip of the countersink bit on the grinding wheel so it doesn't strike the remains of the mandrel before the cutting edges take the head from the rivet stem.

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

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