When riveting with a partner, it is straight forward for the person operating the rivet gun to use two hands and hold the gun centered over the target rivet without allowing unwanted movement. While it does take some practice, it is a skill that can be learned by most anyone.

The task of holding the flush rivet set in place while riveting alone is a bit more challenging. The basic mushroom flush rivet set has a rubber outer ring that helps grip the target surface which attempts to minimize unwanted motion. There is a limited amount of grip the rubber can provide, so there is an ideal amount of pressure to be applied in order to reduce unwanted movement. Press too hard and there is a risk of distorting the surrounding area, apply too little pressure and there is a risk of the rivet not being held flush to the surface or the set moving off the target area creating even more metal distortion, especially if the set is allowed to drift to the point where there is no longer any underlying structure. To compound the problem when working alone is the need to also concentrate on correctly utilizing a bucking bar at the same time which requires proper orientation and appropriate pressure itself.

The SB1 can all but eliminate the unwanted rivet gun movement, this allows the operator to more easily apply a now wider range of acceptable applied pressure given the gun is being securely held in place over the underlying structure. This in turn helps improve the chances of producing better results with less experience while allowing more mental concentration to be directed at the use of the bucking bar.

While the SB1 was developed with single person riveting in mind, it is also useful for the part time rivet gun operator to improve the consistency of results and reducing the risks of unwanted "events". Usage can therefore allow less experienced people to run the rivet gun allowing you to draw on a larger pool of potential helpers. The SB1 can be of great benefit in these cases and especially where a slightly curved surface exists making it even more challenging to hold the mushroom set in a stable manner.

The dimensions of the SB1 have been targeted at assisting the builder of a Vans Aircraft solid rivet RV aircraft using a 1.5 inch diameter swivel mushroom set available from a large number of aircraft tool suppliers. While meant for an RV kit, the SB1 is applicable to any application using the same swivel mushroom set where rivet spacing is up to 1.5 inches. The 1.5 inch rivet spacing limit is simply to ensure there are two clecos available to act as clamping posts for the tool.

Operation of the SB1 is simple, it grips the adjacent two clecos to the rivet being set by a quick turn of the built-in clamp. The SB1 can be easily be loosened, slid the next location, and retightened in seconds without any additional operation on clecos with no regard to rivet spacing up to 1.5 inches. It doesn't take long to realize the additional time required to use the tool is small compared to the time saved by not having to drill out the occasional poorly set rivet that may result from unwanted movement of the mushroom set, not to mention the reduced risk of "smiles". Even with varying skill levels and quality thresholds, it would be difficult to not see a time improvement using the SB1 when it comes to the number of rivets that have to be redone when working alone.

When doing rivets by yourself from a comfortable position, the existing methods work fine with a little practice. The place this tool really shines is when doing rivets at the extent of your reach and/or in awkward positions. Once used on a regular basis however, it is hard not to want to use it where ever possible just for the extra safety factor in being able to do a precise operation even in instances of momentary lapses of concentration. By making the task of stabilizing the rivet gun easier, far more attention and concentration can be directed at the bucking bar when solo riveting.

The SB1 itself is milled out of HDPE plastic producing a comfortable and easy to use tool with low risk to scratching the surfaces it comes in contact with during riveting. Being manufactured out of plastic also means there is no dust being released during the high vibrational loads of being in contact with a rivet gun. Prototypes were made of wood, specifically MDF which is easy to prototype with, but the qualities and durability were just not as good as HDPE.

After using this tool, and the numerous previous generations leading up to the SB1, a wealth of experience has been gained in just how advantageous the use of it can be. While all builders will develop their own individual techniques, have a look at a few of the presented usage tips that can result in higher quality and less risky solo riveting.