how to replace pop rivets in aluminum boat what type rivet would i need
I hope you mean solid marine grade aluminum rivets. Pop rivets have a hole in the middle of them and will not seal out water. You can find marine grade rivets at a marina, outboard motor shop or store and even from an aircraft repair parts place. Tools you need to remove rivets are a cold chisel and a hammer. On the rivets you wish to replace, to this. Working from the inside of the boat, identify loose or damaged rivet. Place chisel flat surface parallel to the surface of the boat aluminum with cutting end on rivet. Strike end of chisel smartly shearing off the mushroomed portion of the rivet above the boat's surface. Then take a punch and place it on the rivet shaft left on boat and tap out with hammer. That is all there is to it. With practice you will shear only the rivet shaft and not mark the boat surface. Take care not to make the hole on the boat larger and do not make it oblong. Buy rivet's that have a tight fit sliding into hole and of proper length. This is where a sales man will help identifying rivet diameters and lengths. The length should be long enough to join together two pieces of aluminum, three, or even four pieces of aluminum together. You can use an air hammer or a ball peen hammer. Buying a rivet head holder/punch thingy is great to keep the head of the rivet flat. You will also need a 'bucking board' basically a heavy piece of metal to press against the shaft end of the rivet to make the rivet shaft mushroom to fill the rivet hole and make exposed portion of rivet a larger diameter to hold itself in place. A second person does this. Wearing ear protection is a must as you will be tapping mightily..not hammering mightily. And if you can, practice with rivets above water line until you get good, then work on rivets below water line. Do not make holes over size or make them out of round!
You can drill out the old ones with a drill bit no larger than the original rivet shank, but you may have to go up one size for your replacement rivets should the old hole(s) be deformed. Use blind rivets - and marine rated at that if at all possible if replacing the smaller types. Rivet blanks for the bigger may be available from airframe suppliers if you cannot get them from the maker of your hull, these need to be peened, and may require load washers. In all cases used Dura-Lac or a similar anti-corrosive bedding compound generously, two coats - the first to all contact surfaces and allow to dry, then apply a second coat and fasten/peen while wet. This will largely eliminate electrolysis and other hidden corrosion issues within the joint for a long time. Rivets are structural members. and must be replaced like for like to maintain the integrity of any structure so designed.
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