My Second Rivet Gun Kit

So my first experiment trying to rivet something was a bust. The cheap gun I bought at Amazon was not grabbing the rivets, and I decided to take it apart.

Note to self - cheap rivet guns are not adjustable.

Apparently the spring was not seated right, and once I reseated it the gun started grabbing the rivets, but I lost a small part that held the gun together. I was still able to rivet some, but the size rivets that came with the gun were too small. 

So I learned something new. The rivets have a "grip" length, which is essentially how long they are, and they come in different sizes.

What size do I need? I have no idea.

So I went to Lowes intending on buying some regular screws to get this over with. An attendant asked me if I needed help, and I said "yes, where do you have your rivets?"

Not sure why I did that.

So I found a new rivet gun. Still cheap ($20 instead of $12) but it did did not include any rivets. There was a cheap variety pack with three grip lengths - 1/8", 1/4" and 1/2". They were all 1/8" diameter. The diameter didn't bother me as much, as I could make the hole bigger if I need to, but I think 1/8" is fine. 

Now I'm a riveting master.