removing these beastly rivets without a drill press

Id like to start out by saying that this is my first post, and this is probably the most professional forum i have ever seen. very impressed. i tried to find this on the search function but i found nothing. Anyways i just bought a beautiful demilled Bulgarian AK-74 parts kit. My issue is that i didnt think the rivets were going to be this hard to pop out. So what should i use if i dont have access to a drill press? i have heard dremel, i have heard angle grinder...just wanting your guys' opinions. I do have a decent amount of metal working experience, but this is my first build. im trying to keep it as cheap as possible too. but i also want to make sure that i get the job done right.

Drill out the core, then take a bit a little smaller than the rivet head and drill off the rivet head being careful not to drill in to the metal. Then take a punch and punch out the core. Very simple takes about 30-60 seconds.

alright that makes sense. thank you. i will go get some bits tomorrow since my father lost all of my bits and my drill key. and i will try that method tomorrow.

Welcome to the forum.

I personally use an air drill and a #21 bit. You may want to start out with a #30 bit until you get it down. Some guys will grind off the head and remove the receiver pieces but my own personal opinion is that it makes it a little harder to drill the rivet when you are trying to keep your bit on the small rivet stub that is sticking out..

What would be easiest is to grind a flat spot on the rivet or even flush to the old receiver stub and drill it out.

I usually drill out the rivet with the head still there and go about 1/8" beneath the level of the receiver. I then pop off the heads with a punch and then punch out the rivets the rest of the way.

I am sure you know but make sure to remove your barrel before drilling the rivets from the front trunnion. I have seen where lots of good intending builders thought they could drill out the front trunnion rivets with the barrel still installed and end up drilling into their chamber and ruining the barrel.

All very good points.

Just keep your mind on the basics.

The rivet head (the mushroom part) may, but does not have to be centered on rivet hole. What I mean is that most of the time when you drill the center of the rivet it comes out the back of rivet "centered".
It doesn't have too, the mushroom part of the rivet may deform during installation off center. Just something to keep in mind.

I use 3 drill bits with on my hand drill. A small one to start/pilot the hole, a medium size one and then a large one (that is slightly smaller then the rivet's shaft, don't know the sizes by heart, and I'm sorry but its too cold to go to the garage now). Some guys use a grinder to cut the tip of the rivet head to get a good solid area to drill and not have to worry as much about the drill bit skipping (that works well). Ive used a cold forged chisel and a regular hammer to knock the rivet heads off (it a little harder, but cheap) and then drill the rest out. Using three drill bits lets me figure out how close to center the rivet head is.

You will notice after a while, how different metals feel under the drill. Which is good. Generally when the rivet surrenders to the drill bit you will see a small "ring" of metal on your drill bit. As it was mentioned in an earlier post the barrel must be removed before the front trunnion rivets can be removed. Plus the rear trunnion rivets represent a challenge of its own. Work on the trigger and the "non barrel" rivet on the front trunnion first to get a good hang of it. You will be a pro in no time.

Happy Drilling
Stainless Steel

+1

drill press not hand drill

Sorry, but why on earth waste time drilling out receiver rivets with a drill press? Sure - if you are removing a bad rivet from a good receiver, but not from a receiver stub.

Just grind the suckers off and punch out the stub.

http://www.arizonaresponsesystems.com/notes/notesak/akdemil/pageakdemil.shtml

Exactly what I do. I use a belt sander and can have the rivets out in no time flat.

Trigger guard rivets I drill and grind depending on where I can get a tool in there.

Alright thank you everybody. I havent had the time to even touch my ak yet. but what im planning on doing is getting a dremel to flatten or even concave the rivet head, and using a "anti-walking" bit to start it, then drilling out the core and punching the rest out. i didnt know that you were supposed to press out the demilled barrel pieces before removing the rivets though. so that is good to know. i figured that if you got the rivets out first it would be easier to press out the barrel pieces. but here is my parts kit.

the barrel is in the way of the front two rivets.

the rear one (of the front pair of three) you can remove while barrel is still attached.

I leave the barrel in while removing the rivet heads, just to have a better "handle" to hold on to. I usully grind from the trunion downward, at an angle, so if I slip I don't gouge the trunion.

gotcha. im not quite sure where im going to be able to find a press to get these barrel pieces out. ive been thinkin about just walking into a machine shop or something of that nature and asking them to do it if i pay for it. what i would give to still be in my old high school metal shop right now.

Some will say to use a hammer and punch. I say NO! I use a tickle trigger air hammer, starting with a stubby punch. It is the dynamics of the air hammer-induced vibrations that will make a barrel pin glide out, when a sledge hammer and punch only flare the end of the pin and make it stuck for good. About 80% of the Romy G kits I demilled (500 of them) came apart with the 3x air hammer. 10% with a 4x and some finagling. 10% I needed a 12 ton press and the "crack" as they freed sounded like a gunshot.

Note - a tickle-trigger riveting air hammer is not a harbor freight air hammer. The latter has two positions - off and bash. The former is like an airbrush where I can make it light enough to tap my fingernail, or hard enough to drive out rusted pins. Gives new meaning to the term "trigger control". About $160 from TheYardStore.com

I have a Harbor Freight 12 Ton that I've been using for a several years. You may as well get one if you work on your own cars and other projects. Don't convince yourself that this will be the only kit build you do because it won't be.

i will try that plumber. and surley, i like the way you think. haha cause i actually talked myself out of buying one with the thought that this would be my only build

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