Watched a guy at a shop in Dayton use a hammer drift to set a rivet and my mind was blown

I usually just use a ball peen for everything, but this old timer showed me how a simple hammer drift lets you set the rivet head cleaner without marring the surrounding metal. Took me maybe 5 minutes to get the hang of it. Now I'm wondering why I didn't try this method sooner. Anyone else got a tool they ignored for years that ended up changing their workflow?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_dylan2mo ago

Huh, I gotta respectfully disagree on that one. I've always found a hammer drift adds an extra step that just slows me down once you get the feel for a ball peen.

gibson.elizabeth2mo ago

Wait, do you mean even for heavy striking jobs too?

tarag281mo ago

Have you actually tried using a hammer drift for a whole job though? A ball peen works fine but it takes me way longer to avoid hitting the metal around the rivet, especially in tight spots. The drift lets me just set the head clean in one or two taps without any cleanup. Once you get the motion down it's not really an extra step, it's just smoother.