Rivet gun for sheet metal
Updated: October 2026
The gutter joint is on the outside of the fascia, and you cannot get a nut on the back. A rivet gun for sheet metal is the hand tool for thin, non-structural sheet you reach from one side, with an aluminium blind rivet whose grip matches the stack. It is not a licence for a load-rated bracket or a painted car wing. The kits are in the [rivet gun comparison](/hub/pliers/rivet-gun). The squeeze, hole size included, is on [how to use a rivet gun](/hub/pliers/rivet-gun/sub/rivet-gun-how-to-use).
The gutter joint is on the outside of the fascia, and you cannot get a nut on the back.
The gutter joint is on the outside of the fascia, and you cannot get a nut on the back. A rivet gun for sheet metal is the hand tool for thin, non-structural sheet you reach from one side, with an aluminium blind rivet whose grip matches the stack. It is not a licence for a load-rated bracket or a painted car wing. The kits are in the rivet gun comparison. The squeeze, hole size included, is on how to use a rivet gun.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Nosepieces | Rivets in the box | Sheet fit | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  WORKPRO WORKPRO 250 mm 5-in-1 rivet gun | 2.4–6.4 mm | 100 claimed | Trial only if 6.4 mm comes up | 8.5 | about £19.99 | View offer |
 LIBRATON Libraton hand rivet gun 900913 | 2.4–4.8 mm | 80 aluminium | Largest review file, up to 4.8 mm | 8.8 | about £14.99 | View offer | |
| Best value |  ValueMax ValueMax 4-in-1 rivet gun kit | 2.4–4.8 mm | 200 aluminium, 50 each | Full pack; grip still unstated | 8.3 | about £13.01 | View offer |
On this page
Which sheet jobs belong here
Guttering, a shed or summerhouse skin, ducting, a letterbox, a number plate, and light trim are the jobs fastener shops and these UK reviews keep naming. DH & JS Trading lists aluminium pop rivets for sheet, guttering and ducting. Westfield names HVAC, overhead doors, and metal gutters. Those are catalogues of rivets, not a test of these hand kits.
What does not belong is a structural bracket, a stainless rivet at 6.4 mm because the drawing says so, or any sheet you can only reach from a height where both hands should be on a ladder. HSE’s EIS16 treats sheet edges and swarf as a cut hazard. A snapped mandrel is the same kind of sharp offcut. At home that is a reason for eye protection and a tidy bench.
Rivet shape for sheet
Dome head is the general rivet for ordinary sheet. Large flange spreads the load on thin or soft material so the head is less likely to pull through. Sealed rivets are for liquid coming from the head side, which matters on a gutter if you buy that pattern. Peel rivets are the soft-sheet and GRP type Westfield describes.
You order by grip: two skins, a bracket, paint. Rapid’s example is that a 13 mm grip wants a longer 4.8 mm rivet than the short ones in a 200-piece kit. Libraton 919011 reviews call the included rivets very short. Measure, then buy a pack whose grip range includes the stack. The hole stays about 0.1 mm over the body.
What these hand guns can pull
For gutter brackets and thin aluminium up to 4.8 mm, a four-nose hand kit is the tool in this set, if you replace rivets that are shorter than the stack. The rivet gun buying guide is where diameter and tool type are chosen.
One UK review of the Libraton 900913, on about 0.5 mm sheet, says heavier rivets snapped halfway.
The 6.4 mm noses are only on the WORKPRO and the JiGiU, and reviews dispute whether that size sets. If the joint must be 6.4 mm stainless, these kits are the wrong place to decide it. For ordinary aluminium up to 4.8 mm, the top pick and the best value are on best pop rivet gun.
When a fitter should take the panel
Hand the panel over when the joint is structural, when the rivet metal is outside anything the listing states, or when the work is high enough that a two-handled gun is unsafe. A painted vehicle skin is the expensive version of the same stop. WORKPRO reviews mention a car window panel and side-skirt rivets. Quote them as reviews. They are not a statement that a £20 hand gun is suitable for car bodywork.
JRP’s catalogue lever tools, around £64 to £87, are the trade price band beyond these amazon.co.uk kits. They are still hand tools, and they do not turn a structural connection into DIY. If you are unsure whether the bracket holds a load, ask someone who will specify the rivet. An Amazon link may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Common questions
Can a hand rivet gun join guttering?
Yes, for a non-structural aluminium gutter bracket you can reach from one side, with a rivet whose grip covers the stack and whose diameter is within 4.8 mm aluminium on a typical kit. Large flange or a sealed head is a rivet choice, not a feature of the £15 gun. Stop if you are on a ladder and cannot keep both hands on a two-handled tool.
Dome head or large flange?
Dome for ordinary sheet. Large flange when the sheet is thin or soft and you are worried the head will pull through. Peel when the far material is plastic or GRP, which is Westfield’s distinction. The dome rivets in a kit bag do not become large flange because the job is a gutter. Buy the head shape that matches the sheet.
Are the rivets in the kit long enough for two sheets?
Often they are not. Grip has to include both sheets and any paint or washer. Libraton 919011 reviews call the included rivets very short, and Rapid’s 13 mm example needs a longer 4.8 mm rivet than a mixed DIY bag usually contains. Lay the rivet against the stack before you drill a row of holes.
Will the same gun do a shed skin?
It might, if the skin is thin, the joint is not structural, and the rivet snaps cleanly. A Libraton 900913 review on about 0.5 mm sheet describes heavier rivets snapping halfway and being sawn off. Treat that as a signal to change rivet length or gun before you finish the wall. Do not treat a kit as shed-rated because the bullet says metal.
When is the joint no longer a DIY pop rivet?
When a designer, a bracket load, or a stainless 6.4 mm callout is doing the specifying, or when you cannot work safely with the tool in both hands. A 6.4 mm nose on a £20 gun does not answer a structural question. Nor does rank 1 in Riveters. At that point you want a specified rivet and a tool rated for it, not a fuller kit bag.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK and standards sources listed in the research digest, checked with the amazon.co.uk prices and stars dated 15 October 2026. Shelf prices can change.
- ISO 14588:2000 Blind rivets — Terminology and definitions (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- ISO 15977:2002 Open end blind rivets with break pull mandrel (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- GESIPA UK: Find the right nosepiece (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- GESIPA UK: Calculate the length of blind rivets (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- JRP: Blind rivets application guide (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Westfield Fasteners: DIN 7337 blind rivet tables (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 15 October 2026)