Wanted: Tips for pulling the CherryMax Rivets for Newbie

[Daveembry]

I also bought the Marson HP-2 and ground it down. I was able to seat the rivets on the third try, but still not satisfied on the technique.

Another trick to do, like to nut, is to use the smallest washers in the kit and stack 4 of them.

One thing that didn't help was that the machined tail ribs are about 0.010 off of the spar. There is a gap (0.010") between the spar and the machined tail rib area where the CherryMax are install (both top and bottom). Not a flush fit.

So did you Marson HP-2 pull those smaller stemmed rivets that go in there? Mine would not pull them....it would just slide down and not grip like it was pulling a smaller rivet for some reason. I really like it for other rivets and it looks like it would have worked fine in there if it would have just clamped down enough.

[aeroaddict]

Yes it did grip the stem and I was able to pull the rivet. I'm not sure by what you are calling a 'smaller stem', the CM's for the machined ribs are #30 holes or 1/8 dia rivets.

[lbell]

So did you Marson HP-2 pull those smaller stemmed rivets that go in there? Mine would not pull them....it would just slide down and not grip like it was pulling a smaller rivet for some reason. I really like it for other rivets and it looks like it would have worked fine in there if it would have just clamped down enough.

Bite the bullet and buy a cherry max with offset head. Sell it when your finished. Only if your a tool junkie like me you'll jest keep it.

[Daveembry]

Yes it did grip the stem and I was able to pull the rivet. I'm not sure by what you are calling a 'smaller stem', the CM's for the machined ribs are #30 holes or 1/8 dia rivets.

My bad. I got the Marson as well as that PRP-26A one and that's the one I was actually talking about. The PRP will get into any area but it won't pull a CM. The Marson pulls good but won't get into the same areas as the PRP. Sorry about that.

image.jpg

[PeterEedy]

Bite the bullet and buy a cherry max with offset head. Sell it when your finished. Only if your a tool junkie like me you'll jest keep it.

I suffer from that addiction, that and the dog cost me a lot in my divorce, but it was worth it.
Has anyone had experience using the "hand pump" style cherry max guns? There seems be a few military surplus "kits" appear every so often with the three pulling heads?
Ta. Peter

[Tom R]

I suffer from that addiction, that and the dog cost me a lot in my divorce, but it was worth it.
Has anyone had experience using the "hand pump" style cherry max guns? There seems be a few military surplus "kits" appear every so often with the three pulling heads?
Ta. Peter

Peter, I have a hydraulic puller which is what I think you are describing. It has a straight head for pop rivets, an offset for cherries, and a 90 degree head for cherries. Works pretty well, but the offset head is still not quite capable of pulling the CM's on the machined trailing edge ribs without a wedge block or some other type of shims that have been describing in this thread. It's a lot easier on the hands when pulling CM's.
Tom

[DRL]

Yes it did grip the stem and I was able to pull the rivet. I'm not sure by what you are calling a 'smaller stem', the CM's for the machined ribs are #30 holes or 1/8 dia rivets.

A a cheap Harbor Freight pneumatic rivet puller worked for us. We ground down the gun a little and put about a 20 degree angle on a tip to fit into the narrow spaces, bent the stem a bit and when we had it square on the rivet, pulled the trigger.

We found it difficult to stay on a rivet while trying to squeeze the handle with a hand tool. This is a crude, but cheap and effective. Just make sure everything around the site is well protected with tape in case the gun jumps off when the stem breaks. It does take a few practice pulls to get the air pressure correct. It worked well enough that we ended up using it to pull almost all the other rivets as well. Unfortunately, it would not work on the rivnuts for windshield, for those you may just have to bust your knuckles.