Electric resistance rivet heating

[Mainely,Bob]

Do you still call it a bucker if it is a pneumatic jack that is being used on the back? If it was held we always called what you call a "bucker" a "rivet dolly". We also have a pneumatic holder on that can also impact as well as well as push.

Phil

The bucker was the guy doing the work.What he was using to back the rivet decided whether he was a smart bucker or a stupid bucker.
And no,I didn`t set you up for that.I just can`t resist a prime opportunity.

Around here the stupid buckers sometimes got their hot rivets knocked back into the compartment with them.Then they became buck dancers. :rolleyes:

[monstermetal]

Yeah Im with Bob on that one... I have always heard it called a bucker even if it was pneumatic... My Dad and I have gathered up several air powered buckers, some just push ( you need to brace it against something) others hammer... So your jacks go both in the bucker and driver, gun or buster... (I know a buster and a "gun" are not the same tool) with an air pusher buck you cold set a rivet with one person.... drop it in the hole and hit the valve on the buck to hold, then slip over run the gun to set the rivet.

( Hey Bob... Do the gandy dancers and the buck dancers go out together on Saturday night?)

[fciron]

A couple of fellows I used to work with were doing a job that had a bunch of little collared assemblies. One guy would back up the hot collars with a swage while the other hammered them closed.

Getting toward the end of a long day and Charlie put a collar in place and said "Buck it!"

Jerry said "About time.", put down his hammer and headed for the office.

:lol:

[Mainely,Bob]

( Hey Bob... Do the gandy dancers and the buck dancers go out together on Saturday night?)

[Senft]

As I recall the Strasburg RR shop has a 3 head electric rivet heater- they may be able to answer questions.

http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/mechanical-shop.php

[Dodge]

I'll add what I "think" I know about resistance heating. It's pretty cheap to setup, just requires a big transformer similar to an AC welder. As mentioned, you need good electrical contact. Great for heating slugs. Non-uniform sections can't be heated as the thinner part will heat much faster. Pretty specialize tool. But really, really neat!

I've been following this thread with a bit of fascination and an idea rolling around in my head. Lots of room to roll so it didn't overheat but, Grant (or anyone else), now that you actually said the words, "AC welder" I have to ask; Would my Lincoln 225amp AC "tombstone" work on a small scale? Small as in say, a 1/2" bolt x 1" long? I assume I would need different contacts besides the rod holder and ground clamp; I'm thinking heavy copper lugs or such. But would the welder itself hold up? Or would I risk a melt-down??

Thanks,
Scott

[Fosterob]

Transformer machine should work fine. If you put a hot dog on a piece of rod 1/4" or so and hook the leads to each end is a nice hot lunch Just make sure to not have it turned up too high.
Rob

[Mainely,Bob]

Transformer machine should work fine. If you put a hot dog on a piece of rod 1/4" or so and hook the leads to each end is a nice hot lunch Just make sure to not have it turned up too high.
Rob

I always cooked mine in a small section of angle iron.It used to keep the dog from mingling with the scale and slag.

Does any other part of the country ever use the town welder(trailer mounted) to thaw water mains in the dead of winter?It used to be a common occurance here in New England.

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

I've been following this thread with a bit of fascination and an idea rolling around in my head. Lots of room to roll so it didn't overheat but, Grant (or anyone else), now that you actually said the words, "AC welder" I have to ask; Would my Lincoln 225amp AC "tombstone" work on a small scale? Small as in say, a 1/2" bolt x 1" long? I assume I would need different contacts besides the rod holder and ground clamp; I'm thinking heavy copper lugs or such. But would the welder itself hold up? Or would I risk a melt-down??

Thanks,
Scott

I assume you've seen a welding rod get red hot, so you understand the concept. Mostly a matter of how long your welder can stand the dead short. You'll find out if your thermal relay is working! Or you'll find out if you have one!

[monstermetal]

[Monster]

Righto, as promised.

The machine is an EMF Resistance Welder. It was modified to cook rivets by swapping the welding tips for flat copper electrodes. The electrodes have a copper jacket that circulates water to both top and bottom from a standard garden hose fitting. The spring assembly that clamps the rivets is stock.

The stats off the makers plate are as follows :

Model : TAE 32 5.2kva
Primary Volts : 400
Primary Amps : 75/150
Phase : 1
Cycles : 50

The setting we ran it on was always 3, I assume that is 125A tap off the primary side of the transformer.

The process for heating the rivet is as follows. As described previously grind a little off the head of the rivet to allow a good electrical contact to be made. Once the rivet is held in the jaws give it a quarter turn or so back and forward to seat the contacts well. Due to the larger mass in the head it will heat slower; we controlled that differential heating by opening the contacts at about the 30 second mark allowing the heat to run into the larger mass. Give it 5 odd seconds and then reclose the contacts to finish heating. In the last 20 seconds or so the rivet tongs can be angled left and right and run up and down the rivet to scrub the scale off. Due to the large magnetic force generated dont be alarmed when the machine takes the tongs out of your hand, and obviously dont wear a watch near one...

Let me know if I can be of anymore help,
Monster

[monstermetal]

Thats fantastic... Thanks for the pictures and info... :)