Huck Gun Installation Tools - A Guide to Install Huck Rivets and Huck Bolts

What is a Huck Gun?

Huck guns are the ideal choice when installing Huck bolts and structural rivets like Magna-Lok, Hucklok, Allok or Orlock Rivets. Huck installation tools work differently to other fastening tools like standard rivet guns or nutsert tools as they provide the flexibility to install two very different type of fasteners with the changeover of a nose assembly. The other fastening tools only allow the installation of one type of fastener. The geniuses at Huck have created a versatile tool that installs a two-piece pin & collar Huck bolt plus a one-piece structural rivet. Clever Huh! The answer to the very important question "What is a Huck Gun? And the answer. A Huck gun is simply a tool that installs both Huck pin & collar lock bolts and Structural rivets by changing a nose assembly. In this blog we will investigate the options associated with Huck guns including air, cordless, and hydraulic plus we will also preview nose assemblies and their important role in the installation of Huck fasteners.

Selecting a Huck Gun for Huck Bolt pin & collar installations.

There are a few Huck tool options here for the installation of pin & collar Huck bolt fasteners. 

Air Huck Guns for HuckBolts.

Ideal for frequent Huck bolt installations, an air-powered Huck gun is an easy choice. Air powered tools offer quick installation with consistent results. They are the fast and efficient option. Also known as pneumatic or hydro-pneumatic tools, but to keep things easy we call them air. There are a couple of options here including the Huck Gun HG-10224 (picture on the right) for the installation of standard Huck bolt diameters 4.8 and 6.4 mm (3/16” & 1/4’) or the HG-10256 for the installation of medium Huck fasteners diameter 7.9 and 9.5 mm (5/16” & 3/8”). Aerobolt also has a few alternative tool options that we have benchmarked for quality and value. Visit Lock bolt tools.

Pros.

They are easier to use and require less effort compared to the cordless, plus they are cheaper than cordless.

Cons.

These tools require an air compressor which may limit mobility.

Cordless Huck Guns for Huck Bolts.

Cordless Huck guns run on battery power and provide incredible versatility, allowing you to install standard size Huck Bolts from practically anywhere. This makes the cordless Makita gun ideal for projects or worksites that require mobility. The Huck Makita Cordless gun (picture on the right) is the only cordless option that Huck can guarantee the installation values of their fasteners.By this we mean the fasteners shear and tensile installation values. Numerous customers have enquired if the Makita rivet guns can install Huck lock bolt? I am afraid the short answer is "no", they are not engineered to install lock bolts. Aerobolt stock Makita rivet guns for the installation of standard type rivets.     

Pros.

Mobility and speedy installations.

Cons.

Expensive &  batteries have a limited charge.

Hydraulic Huck Guns for Huck Lock Bolts.

Hydraulic Huck guns are ideal for the installation of oversize Huck Bolt C50L and in some cases standard size Huck Bolt Magna-Grip in conjunction with a hydraulic power unit and the appropriate tool + nose assembly. There is a wide range of options, click here to review the range or contact us with your application.

Pros.

Ideal for high volume installation, underground mines or when power supply is an issue.

Cons.

Expensive & limited mobility may be an issue.

Huck Bolt Nose Assemblies – the essential attachment.

A nose assembly is the prerequisite attachment that installs Huck bolts, in essence the link between the Huck gun and the fastener, without a nose assembly you will not be able to install a Huck Bolt. Selection is subject to tool, and fastener diameter, for instance the nose assembly for a Huck Bolt (pin & collar combo) will differ from the nose required to install a structural rivet. The gun to install them is the same, only the nose differs. To have a better understanding of nose assemblies, check out the nose assembly page.

Selecting a Huck gun for the installation of Huck  rivets.

Selecting the correct Huck gun for the installation of structural rivets depends on the nature of the project + your specific requirements, below we cover the main tool options, along with their pros. & cons.

Air Huck Guns for Huck Rivets.

Ideal for the frequent installation of structural rivets, an air-powered Huck gun is the easy choice because they offer fast installation with repeatable results. There are a couple of options here including the Huck gun HG-10224 for the installation of Huck structural rivet with the standard diameter of 4.8 and 6.4 mm (3/16” & 1/4’) or the HG-10256  (picture on the right) for the installation of structural rivet medium diameter 7.9 and 9.5 mm (5/16” & 3/8”). Should you be installing structural rivets, and not installing two-piece Huck Bolts) you have the choice to purchase a rivet gun that can install both Structural and Standard rivets without the need of a costly nose assembly. Please note, not all rivet guns can install structural rivets, it is a specialised tool. Click here to preview a range of rivet guns that install both Structural rivets and or Standard rivets. Look for the tools that mention structural rivets in their description, if it's not mentioned or silent on the matter this implies it doesn't install structural rivets.   

Pros.

They are easier to use and require less effort compared to the cordless, plus they are cheaper than cordless.

Cons.

These tools require an air compressor which may limit mobility.

Cordless Huck Guns for Huck structural rivets.

Cordless battery Huck guns provide incredible versatility, allowing you to install Huck rivet from practically anywhere. This makes the cordless tool option ideal for projects or worksites that require mobility. The Huck Makita Cordless gun is the only cordless option that can guarantee the installation shear and tensile values of Huck structural rivets. Customers have enquired if the Makita rivet guns can install structural rivets? I am afraid the short answer is "no", they are not engineered to install structural rivets. The extra effort required to install structural rivets will put a greater strain on the motor & the jaws. These components were not engineered to install structural rivets and would hasten their wear and tear. Aerobolt stock Makita rivet guns for the installation of standard type rivets.  

Pros

Mobility and speedy installations.

Cons

Expensive & not as powerful as air, batteries have limited charge.

Huck Gun Nose Assemblies – the essential adapter.

A nose assembly is the required adapter that installs Huck structural rivets, in essence the link between the Huck gun and the rivet. Without a nose assembly you will not be able to install a Huck rivet via a Huck gun. Selection is subject to tool, and diameter for instance the nose assembly for a 1/4" structural rivet (6.4 mm) will differ from the nose required to install a 3/16" structural rivet (4.8 mm). The gun to install them is the same, only the nose assembly will differ. To have a better understanding of Huck nose assemblies, check out the nose assembly page.

Manual Rivet Tool For Structural Rivets. 

For the occasional installation of structural rivets, a manual riveter like the RT-33 (picture on the right) might be the most cost-effective option. Hand rivet tools work by adding the rivet to the end of the tool, squeezing the handles, and retracting the tool from the now applied rivet. Some of the pros include: Inexpensive, easy to use, great for the handy person. Cons: They require physical force.

How do Huck Fasteners work? All you Need to Know!

Huck bolts are different to the standard threaded bolt & nut, as they are installed via an industrial gun that provides a permanent result. This makes them great when seeking a vibration resistant fastening solution. Huck bolts are fundamentally a two-piece knurled patterned threaded pin and collar combination where the collar sits over the pin and is compressed into the thread of the pin via an industrial installation gun. The gun presses the softer material collar into the pin making the two-piece combo an integrated one-piece entity.

How are Huck Bolts installed?

Huck bolts consist of two items; a knurled threaded pin and a collar. Place the Huck bolt pin into the hole. The pin diameter should match the hole size to prevent lateral movement that could weaken the joint.

Place the collar on the opposite side of the pinhead. The collar sits over the pin and will form a strong, lasting joint when the collar is swaged (compressed) into the thread of the pin via an installation gun, the jaws of the gun press the softer material collar into the pin making the two-pieces into a one-piece combo.  

In the initial stages of the installation process, the Huck gun engages & pulls on the pin, whilst the nose assembly is forced down the collar. Progressively the gun, compresses the collar into the thread of the harder material pin. The pin and swaged collar are now combined  to maximise metal-on-metal contact so, unlike a nut and bolt, it cannot work itself loose. The tensile strength of the Huck bolt is dictated by the number of grooves that are filled. Check out the benefits of Huck Bolts here.

What is a Huck rivet?  

Huck rivet is a one-piece breakstem fastener that differs from standard blind  rivets as there is an internal mechanism that locks a portion of the pin (mandrel) inside the rivet's body. This creates an additional layer of material that assists in increasing the rivets strength.   

How do you install a Huck rivet? 

Installation of  the Huck rivet is similar to a standard pop rivet, however you will require a Huck gun or a structural rivet gun, as a normal rivet tool is not engineered to install Huck rivets. Load the rivet’s pin tail section into the rivet gun. Insert rivet body into pre-drilled hole and activate gun. Upon pressing the trigger the head of the rivet is pushed against the nose of the tool, whilst the tool pulls up the pin and associated pin cap. As a result, the body compresses, and expands on the blind side until it maxes out to approximately one and a half times the size of the original diameter. Resulting in a larger surface in which the two materials are effectively fastened together. Check out the Structural Rivet Blog.

Huck Gun Installation Tools Summary. 

Huck Bolt and Huck structural rivets are used in numerous steel fabrication applications including the manufacture of truck, truck trailers, ute trays, ute canopy bodies, and emergency vehicles. Where a vibration resistance fastener is critical to the success of your work. Huck guns are the ideal choice when your application involves installing Huck bolts and or structural rivets like Magna-Lok, Hucklok or Allok Rivets. Huck installation tools work differently compared to rivet guns as they provide you the flexibility to install two very different types of fasteners with the changeover of a nose assembly.

The professionals at Huck have created a flexible tool that installs a two-piece pin & collar Huck bolt plus a one-piece structural rivet. The answer to the very important question "What is a Huck Gun? A Huck gun is simply a tool that installs both Huck pin & collar lock bolts and Structural rivets by changing over a nose assembly. In this blog we have investigated the numerous options associated with Huck guns including air, cordless, and hydraulic guns. Should you be considering purchasing or investing in a Huck Gun feel free to call us on 02 9755 3747 or contact us for guidance.

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