How-To Aircraft Rivet Aluminum Bomber Seats, Bead Rolling, Dimple Die, Metal Shaping

[@oh8wingman]

I used to work in a truck body shop and we made dozens of units with rivets. One thing tat we did that was different from what you are doing is to use and anvil with a small dome shaped hole in it. You put the dome hole over then end of the rivet and use your air hammer to complete the connection. Due to the dome it left your back side with a small rounded head similar to the rivets actual head. The dome also helped to keep your anvil from walking.

[@chrisallen2005]

I still have a rivet set tool from back in the day, as us old boys like to say, from back in the 1970's when I worked in a sheet metal shop. Karl, for what my comment is worth I think that if you build a base on casters for one of those chairs it would make a mind blowing shop stool.

[@enegron6987]

Sounds also like a much cleaner feel and look, so you can’t snag any clothing getting in or out ✨

[@johnmcclain3887]

I just made a similar comment, was working on military aircraft in the seventies and eighties, and we made our own bucks to do all the different head styles for the pertinent aircraft. Much cleaner sheet metal around the rivets, no "walking".

[@oh8wingman]

@@johnmcclain3887 I agree with everything you have to say. Solid riveting has almost become a lost art these days. I would appear that only the aircraft industry is keeping it alive but with the use of composite materials gaining strength I would say riveting will not be used for very much longer which is a shame.

[@mikejackman4416]

I believe there is a hand tool for setting rivets instead of air driving them ,,,if you can punch the holes you should be able to squeeze them ,,,check air craft spruce

[@throngcleaver]

Hey Karl, it's already been mentioned about the hole sizes, but here's a tip on rivet length: Rivet shank should stick out 1.5 diameters, so a 1/8" rivet should stick out 3/16". A properly driven rivet will have the upset head, also called the shop head, at 1.5 diameters of the shank, and 0.5 diameters tall. Your seat turned out fantastic! I absolutely love the brass/aluminum combo. Thanks for sharing your talents! 😁

[@rodneyclark1990]

Don't ever go full liberace lol

[@bcavmechanic]

I just watched this episode. As an aircraft mechanic of 30 years and having quite a bit of aircraft structures experience, I found it interesting to watch you rivet your seat together. Overall you did a great job. With just a little bit of training you could be a pro. I am a local guy and if you were interested I would be happy to stop by and give you some tips and tricks to help you step up your game to the highest level. Thanks for the great shows. I am a hot rodder and love to fabricate stuff myself so really appreciate your workmanship. Keep up the great work.

[@sandycurrie5453]

I use to be an aircraft maintenance engineer and put tens of thousands of rivets in. You'll find if you drill the holes with the correct drill bit the rivet will go in easy. The hole should be a little larger so the rivet swells a bit in the hole and makes a tighter joint. Also, with the rivet loose you can let the bucking bar push the rivet in and out to make sure you are 90° to the skin. It's a more natural motion and no need to look at the bucking bar orientation. 3/32 rivet = #40 drill bit, 1/8 rivet = #30, 5/32 = #20, 3/16 = #10. Also, the worked (squished) end should have a diameter of 1 ½ diameters of the rivet shank and a height of ½ the rivet shank.... From a fellow hotrodding Canuck....

[@bradleytalbot8618]

Oh just use some JO-BOLTS or HI-LOCKS!

[@alveywoffindale5339]

Aluminium rivets in the brass just as you have the brass on the aluminium would look smart. Top notch work, Its great how you make your own tools and show us how to do great steel art👌

[@jonivanart]

I like the brass seatbelt piece. If you add a stainless washer to the river on the brass it would add another aspect to the look. Also, if you get some stubby drill bits they don’t break as easily. Thanks for the content! Keep it up! 👍

[@tonywinton7949]

Love the work, truly amazing. As a black smith we make rivets. Using brass it will be easy and can be done without heat. This gives you the option to shape the head any way you want which sets you apart. Great job

[@Enter-a-name55]

You do such beautiful work Karl. The care and quality you put into your work speaks for itself. Simply amazing.

[@johnmcclain3887]

When I was working on military aircraft, I made a buck for dimpling rivets and putting a nice round head on the rivet, using a die grinder and carbide cutter. The rivets came out with pretty much matching round heads when I got it exactly right. This seat is looking great, the brass/aluminum offset is kind of striking. The dimple die completes the look. That seat looks very much like an A-4 or F-4 seat pan out of the seventies.

[@rustygardhouse7895]

I was an aircraft mechanic and worked in structural repairs. I just used a standard air hammer with adjustable inlet air pressure to drive all rivet sizes. I did have a high speed air drill & used 118 deg split point drills for aluminum. It's also better to start in the middle & work to the ends. Working from the ends in can make the metal pucker at the middle.

[@richardbishop6752]

you need to get a pneumatic rivet squeezer with the appropriate squeeze sets. this gets you perfect rivets every time, saves from possible damage as your squeezing instead of shooting, and its way faster. Also a set of cogsdill in and out deburring tools. You put them in a drill and deburr both sides of your rivet holes in one pass, huge time saver. I'm an aircraft sheet metal mechanic and these tools are great time savers!!!

[@camojoe2]

You are deadly with that blue handled frammer. Seriously Karl, you were blessed with a rare talent at birth, and that talent is being able to communicate with metal, and make it conform to your wishes. Don't ever take that gift for granted. Regards, Duck

[@AlfOfAllTrades]

Someone who impressed me greatly in the "biker build-off" series was Scotty from Scotty's choppers in Australia. Painted bike frames, everything else panelwise was hand beaten, polished aluminum. I get the same vibe from these seats, with the brass panels. Would be really neat to see something similar with anodized aluminum panels. I think it would look insane. Great ideas from whoever came up with it. :)

[@chuckster6513]

Hey Karl, That tombstone effect on the back of the seat really makes it look so much more finished. I agree with you on shiny brass, I have all kinds of small brass gadgets around my home. Even my brass hammer in the shop gets polished. Work Safe, Be well

[@michaelanderson3771]

Absolutely love the Brass and Aluminium ( Alooooominum) on the seats Karl. If you were to use the Brass seat belt flanges then maybe use plain Alloy ( silver) rivets at that area. Those seat sides look fantastic and once polished they are so classic vintage looking. Man you are one talented dude.

[@craignmz5264]

That’s what I came on here to say 👍

[@CJLeTeff]

Love seeing the bead roll/die work, thanks for breaking things down for we ordinary Joes. 👍👍🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@MLFranklin]

That is super cool. One possible design extension would be to sandwich a layer of leather between the brass backing and aluminum frame. Over time, it would burnish the rolled diamond shape from the brass backer to the leather.

[@pascalmenager1676]

Hello , i'm french and it's always a real pleasure for me to see your work , REALY GOOD JOB , and i love yours vidéos, see you soon

[@karlalton3170]

The two tone with the brass insert gives a total new dimension to what would be just another Alloy seat , its the Dog's Nut's Karl 😁😁🤘🤘🤘

[@markmc191dg]

Karl, there is a document on line that can help you with some of the specifics of using aircraft/bucked rivets. Do a search for AC43-13, it’s the aircraft mech’s bible and has a ton of useful info on fabricating in metal, alum, wood and fabric. You are doing nice work on this, as always. You might find the rivet tails might catch on clothes as they can be “sharp”. Cutting the rivets shorter will make them less of an intrusion into the seat area. Thanks Mark

[@rodjames2]

Hey Karl I love your bomber seats! The work on your little truck hot rod is what got me into your builds. They are beautiful so don't worry about giving away secrets. Its all there to see and we all know you are cutting edge. Your tattoo arm stand was so cool as it was so functional but done with almost jewellery like precision and style.

[@richardgreening3533]

That style of bucket seat is sweet.

[@poolmotorrepairguyFL]

Jay the Florida pool pump motor repair guy. When Service Calls Longwood approved ! that was good info 2 see & know👨‍🔧good job !! Make It Kustom

[@keithmason9342]

Hey Karl, I absolutely love your redesign of the bomber seats. The brass and aluminum look beautiful together. The rivets add an almost have a jewel effect. The new table is a real timesaver for you. Always fun to watch you work, you make it look easy. Thanks as always and we'll see you next time.

[@rustyrodgarage2686]

Damn,that episode was very riveting.turned out awesome Karl.

[@DavidLamb-zm2gb]

Nice touch with the brass,it really made a difference.👍

[@glennmiller9031]

Beautiful seat. Good job, Karl.

[@JimmyMakingitwork]

What would be cool and unusual is a bench seat done this way for my 62 C10...Ship to me in Kissimmee when done. ;)

[@MrWheelrdealer]

Karl, You killed it on the seat. I always learn something to push my skills a little further. From an old dog learning new tricks!

[@DDS029]

Back when I riveted a lot, I would use a 13/64 drill bit for 3/16 rivets. Basically, a 64th over whatever rivets I was using. It made it much easier to inset the rivets, and if for some reason the holes didn't line up perfectly, it allowed for enough play that you wouldn't get a pucker.

[@DDS029]

Also since the clecos only touch two sides of the hole, they can end up with a bit of misalignment as you go. The 64th over drill bit allows for that.

[@murdoc6501]

Yuppers, a-nother great tutorial. Artistry, engineering and craftsmanship. Absolutely humbling and inspiring! Thank you! Go Karl and Japhands, keep moving forward!

[@pigidly]

4:36 THATS MY JAM!!!

[@CoffeysLandcruisers]

Hey Karl, where you snaped the drill bit and damaged the alloy you could make up a small brass, copper or steel makers plate and rivet it right over the top would look sick and hide that mark 🤙

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

Polished and purple or dark blue titanium accents would put this into orbit for me. Put a couple in the E-store and take a month off! Beauty work. ✌ 😃

[@bruceperron3796]

That seat is definitely badass.

[@MarkJohnson-sm8hu]

Hey those seats look awesome. Lots of great stuff has been mentioned here including rivet length but one more thing on long rows of rivets if you start in the middle (at the seat belt slot in this case) and work your way out to either end you will have less "pillowing" or wrinkling of the material which can get worse as you push that wrinkle to the middle with nowhere for it to go. Also drill every hole before final assembly and clean up so the swarf (chips, shavings) doesn't end up between the layers creating wrinkles also. Also a shorter better length rivet is more easily driven with less chance of dumping (tipping over). And your "bite" mark is a "smile" in the industry, those are the happy rivets but unfortunately frowned upon! Thanks for sharing your work, learning lots from you.

[@JesseFinken]

Love it man! can't wait for the Drawings! I will 100% run these in my car

[@timferriss905]

Just one word. Stunning!

[@nathanmanners7862]

Good call on leaving the seatbelt plate out. Will probably need some pinch weld or something similar to protect your belts anyway. Maybe even a leather sleeve on the belt to make it a bit nicer.

[@morgansword]

Was thinking when doing the bead roll, that lower die could have tape wound around the inner part so it semi supported the metal as well and give less troubles on those smaller areas you did those turn arounds in. I also couldn't get the idea of using something like the 501 jean rivets for decorative name incerts. I did hot rivets in building on ships and using tools to handle red hot rivets is a crazy hot job. Nice looking seat.... your going to get better at riveting after a few thousand rivets have been installed/LOL

[@MakeItKustom]

There’s so many possibilities to make them different and unique

[@DependableAutoTruck]

i sure am glad i found this channel best quality i have ever seen

[@enegron6987]

Man I love your dedication to your craft, so very inspirational to watch✨💫💎

[@christhompson475]

Nice work Dr. Fisher.

[@daleking8529]

Seats are beautiful!! Great job!!

[@btodoroff]

Loved the tank vs dro part 1 from Sosa! Now I'm longing for part 2. The buck was art all on it's own.

[@javman03]

I love watching a metal worker flex on their skills and creativity. Absolutely gorgeous Karl!

[@alleyoop1234]

I'm thinking it would literally take TWICE as long to build that seat if it was all laid out by hand with out the plasma table! Great work Karl!!

[@thomasyazzie5887]

Aww man that pretty cool I like how awesome the brass looks soft cushion like. Some awesome work 💯

[@paraglidingprospector]

Superb! Love the final result! Looks amazing man! 🔥

[@whs2220]

I riveted lots of aircraft parts back in the day. Typical drill size for a 5/32 is #20. #30 for 1/8", #10 for a 3/16, an F drill for a 1/4" rivet. You shouldn't have to drive them in. You can get shavings off the side of the rivet driving into a tight hole and that can cause gaps between the parts. Nicely done though!

[@ericmccallum3367]

100% also a #40 drill for 1/8😉

[@throngcleaver]

@@ericmccallum3367 #40 is for -3 rivets, or 3/32".

[@dentwatkins2193]

@@ericmccallum3367, nope, definitely #30 for 1/8" rivets. #30 is the standard drill size for 1/8" rivets as it gives the correct clearance to get the rivet into the hole without damaging it (you should never have to drive it in as that can cause the sheets to separate) and it allows the shank of the rivet to swell and fill the hole when the rivet is set. Without that clearance it can cause the sheets to "quilt" around the rivet. Cleco pins are great for quick panel on/panel off stuff but NoMark type threaded pins pull the panels together more firmly and, if used close to the hole that is being riveted, help to prevent the rivet swelling between the sheets being fastened and causing a problem. A bit of masking tape on the tip of the rivet snap can help prevent damage to the rivet heads.

[@sethbrown6713]

Proper drill size for 5/32 rivets is #21 not #20

[@SchysCraftCo.]

Happy Easter. Absolutely awesome. Amazing craftsmanship as always. Can’t wait to see more videos soon. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend. Fab On. Weld On. Keep Making. God bless.

[@chloesodomire6505]

I'm so stoked watching you work with the beadroller. I'm building a 29 A roadster...planning on similar interior structure...however thinking of using copper instead of brass.

[@grahamcobban4501]

NICE job Karl

[@MakeItKustom]

Thanks graham!

[@fonhollohan2908]

I must admit karl that is one sweet looking bomber seats.

[@charlesloyd1970]

Absolutely beautiful

[@therustyshoe8958]

Thats gorgeous, work of art

[@minnesotatomcat]

Brass is a very cool looking metal, some spent handgun shells inlaid in there like a rivot would look very cool made into a design!

[@FixNewsPlease]

So American

[@InchFab]

Ew

[@FixNewsPlease]

@@InchFab They call them "school seats"

[@Rokcrler]

Seat turned out awesome! 🔥

[@mikebartosch9892]

I would add a piece of brushed Aluminum in that suit belt loop and do a step up in it. That way it's just that next level of contrast.

[@Oldenglishshifty]

Awesome as always! When you get more brass, please do a video on the rising sun backs, or release the design ❤

[@MichaelSullivan-wo2zh]

You are an amazing craftsman. It pleasure watching/learning from you. Thank you for a glimpse into your mind!!

[@dentwatkins2193]

Beautiful job on those seats. I was watching with some concern when you used the bead roller on the scribed lines to produce the quilted effect as scribe marks, or any other fine scratches, become stress raisers when subjected to bending forces, but it worked just fine. Well done.

[@kevintinsley4158]

Awesome craftsmanship !

[@johnkranz4004]

Real nice job Karl

[@brianmcpeek651]

Awesome bomber seats and I love the rivets! And that for sharing Falfass Customs with us!!

[@DependableAutoTruck]

the C-Clamp tool you made that uses the air hammer to hammer out welds would some sorta tool like that work great for the rivets would hold everything together

[@eklein3904]

Love your work...brass is shiny for a while but Gold anodise will stay pretty ...cheers for Australia.

[@Bshiddy]

They do look GOOD.

[@willisxj]

I like those seat belt accents. I’d use aluminum rivets on them so you’d have another layer of contrast.

[@blainekoch5018]

Hal S is correct. If you follow the rules he mentioned you would have a more uniform look with the back side not protruding as much. Still, killer seats man and keep up the content. Love your work. Now that you are dipping your toes in the Aviation world I think you will find some helpful tips from the ol salty dogs in the industry. I have learned more from theses guys in the industry than any other place. You can learn anything from a video or a book but getting that tribal knowledge from the ol boys is priceless.

[@HighOctaneSpeedShop]

Now that's one bad ass seat!

[@pitt42075]

Sweet seat!

[@billflintoft6170]

Great video, Try putting a couple of layer of masking tape on your snap to help protect the metal. Also look up Rotex Turret Punch they are great if you have lots of hole to do.

[@manoelfonseca8626]

Hey. My father-in-law was a structural mechanic for an airline company, he taught me how to rivet, and one of the things was adjusting the length of the rivet to the thickness of the sheet. I adapted an electrician's pliers to cut the rivets. Another thing is to leave a tapered hole on the inside, so the rivet is flush.

[@Macbetula-yl8wq]

Excellent work looks great 👍

[@bigsquatchsasfoot1964]

Absolutely gorgeous dude I love it and the contrast between the two coloured metals looks really amazing . The dimple dies and bead rolling really knocked it out the park . I’d be proud to have them in my hot rod ..damn cool 👍

[@donaldhalls2189]

Looks cool, and reasonably easier than you would think, I thought it would have looked better with the seat belt seround, it's pretty cool anyway, thanks for sharing, all the best to yous and your loved ones

[@DavidLamb-zm2gb]

The seats are like art.👍👍👍

[@waynespiteri122]

That’s my profession putting in rivets into aircraft when doing repairs. You are doing well not dimpling the aluminium as your riveting. A heavier bucking bar makes the the rivet go down easier. The rivets are a little on the long side but it still worked. Great work, love the look of the seats .

[@MakeItKustom]

Thanks for the input Wayne! Yeah, they definitely too long for when it only goes through to thicknesses, but seem to be the perfect length on the 14 gauge flange for the base

[@Timbo428CJ]

Karl, the seats awesome!

[@manuelweber2127]

I know this is a late comment but I am an aircraft sheet metal man and I'm sure if you had a 3X rivet gun instead of that air chisel things would go much smoother. The rivet gun is super adjustable and you can get just the right resonance between the gun and the bucking bar, therefore reducing the work hardening effect of the rivet butt before it is swelled.

[@JefGlubka]

Try doing the seatbelt slot rings in hot salt bath blued steel. The high gloss black color you get will really pop with the brass rivets and aluminum.

[@FixNewsPlease]

Whitney Jr #5 punch is such a great tool.

[@johngarloff]

Looking good! Thanks for the tutorial

[@allanblackwell8655]

Maybe you could use the slot pieces on the inside of the seat sides to reinforce the belt hole ( maintains the look and increases the seat belt mounting strength)

[@59eurobug]

Karl, if you're not using those first seats, my volksrod project might have some use for them, Lol. Keep up the great work man, I thoroughly enjoy your content.

[@ruffnut1000]

Hi Karl, looking forward to seeing you at motor x in Melbourne. I think I would have done the seat belt hole the same way you did the insets in the sides of the seats

[@kenm.396]

Seats are awesome. Not sure if anyone offered this idea already…you could open up the slot in the aluminum and make a dimple die that fits the slot in the brass. Maybe match the aluminum to brass dimension on the round holes.

[@silverssonyoutube8438]

How long did it take you guys to learn all these techniques ? You guys are still young and very good at it .

[@shotsrodder]

Beautiful job guys 😎 a piece of art 👍

[@michaelbrown8760]

The seats look awesome mate👌👌👌

[@That70sChannel]

I'd watch Cristian do anything. He needs to be out there. That class was so worth it. I really like the inserts. The step bringing the brass up to the same level of the stainless.

[@Willsy161z]

I know this is an old video, but running the panel through the english wheel specifically on the bead roller lines helps eliminate some of the warp from bead rolling. I think lazze made a video about it

[@thestreets5206]

Work of art 🙌👏👍👍👍

[@franksgarage8551]

Love it. I would think copper rivets would set it off nicely. Nice work with the bead roller.

[@Triceranuts]

Beautiful work as usual!

[@simonphillips2851]

With the air hammer dolly try a layer or two of masking tape over the end of it (or the tape you have on the vice or bead roller when you protect the metal), will help to stop marking of the panel if you are slightly off. Seat turned out great, but i do agree with some of the other comments on the rivet tails may catch as you get in and out of the seat. If you find the correct calculation for rivet length you could countersink the rivet tail side, form the rivet tails into the counter sink and then use a small air miller to take them down to almost flush. I remember doing it in my training but not done it since, keep up the great content.

[@broomeplasmacutting]

Luv your channel !!! Thanks Karl 🥰😁🙏🏼👍🏼

[@helieasy]

On the side walls you could add another aluminum panel and sandwich the brass between them. Would double the strength.

[@friedmansfabrication]

Awesome work as always