Hot riveting

[Water skier 16]

Hi all,
On friday i have been roped into helping out hot rivetting on a small pedestrian bridge. Here is the catch it will be done the old fashioned way with sledge hammers and a dolly. Has any one done hot rivetting before? any tips and tricks? oh by the way im probably one of the smallest 16 year old lads ever (build wise) tall but skinny.
James

 

[madkayaker]

Lots f hard work and don't touch the hot bits would be my advice

 

[Hitch]

Ah, you'll be the one heating the rivets then

 

[Water skier 16]

Ah, you'll be the one heating the rivets then

er sadly not i have got to be one of them with sledge hammers bashing seven bells of sugar out of the rivet.

 

[rtbcomp]

Practise catching cold ones first.

 

[Water skier 16]

Practise catching cold ones first.

could you elaborate on that please? i hope you dont think hot rivets will be chucked about because that certainly wont be happening as the bridge owner works for the HSE!!

 

[Shox Dr]

I have but with an Air Hammer. You will need to be fast, as the heat will soon drop.

 

[madkayaker]

There will be hot rivers flying it's the only way to get them in fast enough!

 

[Water skier 16]

There will be hot rivers flying it's the only way to get them in fast enough!

ok i best get practising my catching lol. I will hopefully be on the other side of the plates!

 

[Hitch]

Whats your aim like? If you've got Whack attack hidden away somewhere, have a practice first

Done small 10mm shank ones by hand plenty of times, easy enough.

Keeping the hammer moving and on target will probably be your biggest problem then i expect, once fatigue sets in, its harder to hit the target.

 

[Welderpaul]

Why is it rivetted? Are they decorative, or actually part of the structure?
Bolts are much easier

 

[Water skier 16]

Why is it rivetted? Are they decorative, or actually part of the structure?
Bolts are much easier

due to the fact it is in a world heratige site and conservation area, the council have specified that it has got to be the same (down to the method of construction) as what was took away by pikeys last year!!

 

[Water skier 16]

Whats your aim like? If you've got Whack attack hidden away somewhere, have a practice first

Done small 10mm shank ones by hand plenty of times, easy enough.

Keeping the hammer moving and on target will probably be your biggest problem then i expect, once fatigue sets in, its harder to hit the target.

My aim is ok ish but i will practice repeatedly hitting a paint spot on a granite boulder in the bank behind my house.

 

[brightspark]

My aim is ok ish but i will practice repeatedly hitting a paint spot on a granite boulder in the bank behind my house.

try knocking some hardened nails in to fairly hard cement without bending them thats the acid test to an acurate swing of a hammer

 

[bpcoryton]

a firm i once worked for done a pier useing hot riveting.all i can say is the old saying 'strike while the 'irons' hot' if thay go cold your stuffed!
enjoy the blisters&jared fingers the next day.lol

 

[Paul.]

And when your mate says "when I nod my head hit it" he means the rivet.

I once worked on the restoration of a victorian canal bridge, the procedure was worked out by a specialist restoration engineer, all the rivets had to be set with an air hammer, not manually

 

[Water skier 16]

And when your mate says "when I nod my head hit it" he means the rivet.

I once worked on the restoration of a victorian canal bridge, the procedure was worked out by a specialist restoration engineer, all the rivets had to be set with an air hammer, not manually

well the owners are too tight to pay for the hire of the gear! what they havent worked out yet that me and the lads labour will cost more than the tool hire and our labour put together!

 

[brightspark]

well the owners are too tight to pay for the hire of the gear! what they havent worked out yet that me and the lads labour will cost more than the tool hire and our labour put together!

do what we all did years ago son learn the hard way 1st. lifes 2 simple and easy now with modern methods

 

[Water skier 16]

do what we all did years ago son learn the hard way 1st. lifes 2 simple and easy now with modern methods

To be honest i dont mind doing it the hard way because it will help build me up abit. Its just my hearing and eyes im going to worry about because my skin will heal but my eyes and ears wont!

 

[pete23]

id love a go at hot riveting, my homes a 115yr old boat, riveted iron, popped a couple of rivets last year when i caught a bridge ole!! luckily above the water line!!

got a couple of coach bolts in the holes at the min, keep meaning to get a couple of rivevts to weld in.