Rivetting

[fizzy]

Well I am finally getting to the stage where I need to assemble the sides of my trailer. Basically I will be pop rivetting 3mm ali sheet to uprights made of 6mm angle iron. Steel coated in epoxy paint and sikaflex between to stop galvanics.

I will be using 1/4" rivets or 6.4mm. Aluminium of course. The question is do I use steel stem or aluminium? I have a Sealey air rivet gun to do the pulling. Will an aluminium mandrel be a problem?

Also if I use steel will I get a nasty line of rusty mandrels eventually?

This trailer has been a labour of love - dont want to spoil it now!

 

[Mr shiney]

Use standard aluminium rivets, they will be fine and look better.

You can get stainless rivets but the gun needs to rated to pull them.

 

[fizzy]

I am using standard aluminium ones - just they can come with steel or alli stems. Worried a steel stem will rust and look horrible.

 

[TechnicAl]

Is riveting the most interesting job there is?

 

[brightspark]

Is riveting the most interesting job there is?

yea its riveting stuff

 

[Alister]

I am using standard aluminium ones - just they can come with steel or alli stems. Worried a steel stem will rust and look horrible.

Don't the steel stems pull out when you use them or is there a bit left behind? I have used rivets loads of times over the years and don't ever remember seeing rust on them.

 

[Kent]

Don't the steel stems pull out when you use them or is there a bit left behind? I have used rivets loads of times over the years and don't ever remember seeing rust on them.

Sometimes they snap off at the wring place leaving a stub (however you can easy remove any faulty or for that matter rusty ones ) Personally I shouldn't fuss over something like a trailer so much, it should get a hard enough life to negate any such stuff one might suspect

 

[KemppiFrog]

Can't remember the last time I saw an ally stem.. Use ally rivets all the time, with plated steel stems. Or stainless with stainless stems. The ally ones break the stem well under the surface, IF you choose the right length; Then the paint protects the bare end.

 

[fizzy]

I am not going to be painting after riveting.
Yes the stems do break off pretty neatly. I am using sealed end rivets so one side will be fine anyway.
I have seen ally stems on manufactures websites but nobody selling them so not very popular,
Can't use stainless with aluminium sheet apparently.
Ahh well I suppose I could always put a blob of epoxy on the end of each one with a syringe. That's only about 600 blobs lol.

 

[KemppiFrog]

I am not going to be painting after riveting.
Yes the stems do break off pretty neatly. I am using sealed end rivets so one side will be fine anyway.
I have seen ally stems on manufactures websites but nobody selling them so not very popular,
Can't use stainless with aluminium sheet apparently.
Ahh well I suppose I could always put a blob of epoxy on the end of each one with a syringe. That's only about 600 blobs lol.

You can use SS rivets on ally. but use a bit of Duralac on the jointing face. Holding things to boat masts can be done with SS rivets. Proper job is monal, but draw breath before looking at the prices. BUT boats are a pretty corrosive area. So I would be less worried if away from the sea, and use ally, the stems might rust a bit at the broken ends, but not a big problem, bit of brown down a small hole?

BTW, have you tried 1/4" rivits in the Sealey gun? Sounds big.

 

[fizzy]

Did you HAVE to mention monel? My brain is getting rusty forgot about them. As you said though bet they arent cheap.
I know my trailer wont be used in the sea but after years of seeing powdery Land Rover bodies I have a bit of a phobia about electrolytic corrosion!
As to a bit of brown down a small hole - err umm ok it's late!

 

[Mr shiney]

I have loads of riveted bits on my Landrover and no corrosion on them after years of abuse.

 

[Kent]

Did you HAVE to mention monel? My brain is getting rusty forgot about them. As you said though bet they arent cheap.
I know my trailer wont be used in the sea but after years of seeing powdery Land Rover bodies I have a bit of a phobia about electrolytic corrosion!
As to a bit of brown down a small hole - err umm ok it's late!

Yeah, and none lasted out of the early series 1 etc. did they now