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Dismantling rivetted cooker

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I need to remove an old range cooker from my kitchen. It weighs a lot and doesn't quite fit through the route out (it's in a basement). It's fastened together with rivets. What tools / technique do I need to take it apart? I've an SDS drill, a regular drill, a hammer and safety glasses if any of those are useful. Screwfix is round the corner.

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 6:27 pm
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Advertise it as free to whoever can remove it without damaging the exit route?

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 7:00 pm
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Drill and something like an appropriate sized parallel punch

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 7:01 pm
Ambrose reacted
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Have you searched for YouTube videos or similar?  I'm assuming you wish to be able to reassemble it and don't want it spilling it's insulation guts everywhere.

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 7:02 pm
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doesn’t quite fit through the route out

Close enough you'd get away with only removing doors?

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 7:05 pm
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doesn’t quite fit through the route out

how did it get in?

I'm also not sure what you'd remove from a cooker to make to significantly smaller

Top tip though - becuase they are made of quite thin sheet metal and often the only place to get a decent grip is on the edges of panels -  wear gloves when moving it - not unheard of for people to slice through the tendons in their fingers

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 7:10 pm
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what make is it?

we have an ancient rayburn thing that is going this year, its huge and heavy but definitely comes apart

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 7:14 pm
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just to clarify do we mean a traditional range like a cast iron Rayburn or Aga? Or a more modern range cooker - just a wider domestic cooker with 6 hobs instead of 4?

thats going to inform what being discussed in terms of 'rivets'

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 7:20 pm

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Cold chisel and lump hammer. Chisel between the panels and whack it with the hammer to cut through the rivets.

Either that or if feeling brave invite your local rag and bone collectors in and they will cheerfully remove it for you. A range cooker is about 100kg of metal for weighing in.

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 8:04 pm
 5lab
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I imagine you can jump on the front top corner it'll crush fairly easily - a cooker isn't designed to take a diagonal load

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 8:14 pm
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Topic starter
 

 I’m assuming you wish to be able to reassemble it and don’t want it spilling it’s insulation guts everywhere.

No - it's scrap so no need to reassmemble.

Close enough you’d get away with only removing doors?

Unfortunately not - as you come down the steps there's a 58cm wide gap to get through. If I remove a few (riveted) bits from the back it'll be narrow enough to fit through. But it's still pretty heavy so I was wondering if I could take more off if the rivets are easy to attack - e.g. it's got a chassis which looks like it weighs a fair chunk.

how did it get in?

It could easily fit through the sash windows if the sashes where removed - so I'm guessing that - I didn't bring it in.

what make is it?

'Rangemaster'. It's a 'more modern range cooker – just a wider domestic cooker with 6 hobs instead of 4' - although with a warming plate so it's enormous.

thats going to inform what being discussed in terms of ‘rivets’

Photo of some of the rivets (with hand for size):

WhatsApp Image 2025-02-04 at 21.05.27

if feeling brave invite your local rag and bone collectors in and they will cheerfully remove it for you.

I wondered that but looks like it's only worth less than £10 so I can't see them spending time getting it out of the house. They might pick it up from outside.

Thanks for all advice so far!

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 9:13 pm
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id be inclined to drill them out with a regular drill on a slowish speed and take it from there. As above, a punch would be useful

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 9:29 pm
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Those rivets will drill out easily, may even be able to chisel them off too.

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 9:33 pm
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The problem with drilling rivets is when they start to spin. You need to find something to wedge in the gaps and a few quid spent on some cobalt 3mm bits will make you want to look for another thing to destroy
I recently bought some cheap De walt ones from Screwfix and they're excellent

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 9:40 pm
Full Member
 

The problem with drilling rivets is when they start to spin.

If you're not planning to reassemble then one thing you can try is rather than using a drill bit the same size as the hole the rivet goes through (usually 3mm or 5mm) use a drill a fair bit bigger so that you effectively grind the head off the rivet and they you can just pry stuff apart.

If theres a lot to drill out one thing that can be a bind is the rivet heads getting stuck on the drill bit if your using smaller bit. You don't need especially good / sharp drill bits and pop rivets are just soft aluminium. To be frank they're not a very strong fixing so maybe just try smacking the bits you want remove off with hammer

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 9:52 pm
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Topic starter
 

To be frank they’re not a very strong fixing so maybe just try smacking the bits you want remove off with hammer

Yes this worked - they pry apart with a chunky screwdriver! I've removed enough to fit through the gap, and unbolted a few heavy bits (doors, top, oven linings), so I'm now pretty confident with a strong helper I'll be able to get it out. 

Will take note of maccruiskeen's gloves advice.

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 10:09 pm
slowol reacted

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spilling it’s insulation guts everywhere.

I'd be taking note or finding out just what exactly that insulation is. Not asbestos is it ?(probably not, but who knows on these older appliances)

 
Posted : 04/02/2025 10:33 pm

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