Noticed a huge difference in sheet metal work quality over 5 years

Honestly, I've been in this trade for about 8 years now. When I started, everyone was using the old pneumatic rivet guns and bucking bars from the 90s. But around 3 years ago, my shop switched to these new pulse rivet tools. The before and after is insane. My bucked rivets have way less overdrive and the finish is way cleaner. Has anyone else seen a big jump in quality from switching to newer rivet gear?

3 comments

3 Comments

robinson.hannah18d ago

Yeah I'm sure the fancy tools are great but it's still the person using them that makes or breaks the job, not the gadget.

graydavis18d ago

Tbh I'm living proof of that - you should see me try to use a nice espresso machine and I still end up with what looks like muddy dishwater. Honestly it's the same with my kitchen knives, I have a decent set but I still cut myself opening a bag of chips sometimes. Ngl the tool helps but if the user's a mess you're just getting fancy burnt coffee and bandaids.

verawhite18d ago

Wait but doesn't that mean the person has to put in the work to learn the tool first though? I think that's where a lot of people mess up, they buy the expensive thing and expect it to magically make them good. My buddy got a top of the line camera but never bothered to learn composition or lighting so all his pictures still look like they were taken by a confused toddler at 2am.