Have you considered using a Hilti Gun? Might be cheaper, and sure would be
faster. I've
used them to attach everything from sheet metal to 2" flooring on to heavy
steel I-beams.

One thing they definitely are is noisier! Ear plugs AND muffs if you are in
a confined space.

Bill

"dave" wrote in message
news:wEFcg.72436$IZ2.2865@dukeread07...
looking for a mechanical method to attach sheet metal to thick steel
without welding, drilling, or tapping. preferably leaving behind
tamper-proof (or 'nearly so') heads. what's a guy ask for when he wants a
self-drilling, self-threading machine bolts that have heads on them that
snap off after a certain torque is reached?

alternately, are there bolts made (just like above) except they'd have TWO
heads 'stacked' in an hourglass-like config, so that I'd have to CUT their
uppper heads off with my cutoff wheel, manually? (which'd be perfectly
fine with me)

alternately, what's the biggest diameter pop-rivet that can be 'manually
popped'? I mean like for which a tool that's "fairly readily available"
new -or- used?

thanks guys,

toolie