Sealing riveted panels

[Delgado]

I'm thinking of riveting some 1.5mm mild steel sheet to various things (sheet to sheet, sheet to box etc.) on a vehicle, and I'm wondering what the best way to seal it would be? I've been reading about seem sealant but am not sure if it's better to just run it along the seams or put some between the joints aswell? Any help or other ideas much appreciated!

 

[droopsnoot]

I would think if you can, it's better to put it between the joints before you rivet them in place, then perhaps another bead along the edge to "help".

 

[Delgado]

That's what I was thinking, but having never used it before I thought I'd see what others do.

Thanks!

 

[cazl1994]

pepole normally use tiger seal ive never used it personally but thats what ive seen pepole use

 

[Hitch]

When i built a box trailer for someone, the ally sheets went on with rivets and tigerseal/sikaflex...
The sealant cuts down a bit of noise if the rivets are a bit far apart, and provides a lot of extra strength.

Dont get too carried away with it, it spreads out a fair way.
And make sure the panel you are doing, is flat or in its final position before riveting/sealing.

 

[Nimbus]

I always used jointing compound (yellow gunky stuff) - this seals and prevents corrosion, though if your rivets are correctly spaced and holes deburred you shouldn't get leaks.

 

[knoba]

Just for clarity... are we talking solid rivets (hammered), or pop rivets (gun)?

 

[Delgado]

Thanks for the further advice guys!

Knoba, am using tiger seal and pop rivets.

Here's a Photo to show what I'm doing;

 

[knoba]

Wassat..?

Pop rivets don't always seal themselves properly; occasionally they allow ingress through the hole that's left after the mandrel has snapped.

nb. Most blind rivets have limited use on aircraft and are never used for structural repairs. [1]

 

[Delgado]

The panel will be fixed onto the box frame and then the tray will be fixed into the hole in the panel. The tray/recess is for the lights (and number plate on other side) so that if they break you can replace them without having the large panel off, also makes them easier to fit and I think that it looks a bit more professional. Oh, and the tray will also have a hole/gland for the cable to pass through. Thanks for the info about the rivets possibly letting water through, but I cant see any way around using them.

 

[Nimbus]

Wassat..?

Pop rivets don't always seal themselves properly; occasionally they allow ingress through the hole that's left after the mandrel has snapped.

nb. Most blind rivets have limited use on aircraft and are never used for structural repairs. [1]

Depends on the rivet - pop rivets often leak but more sophisticated items like Avdel and Cherrylock retain the mandrel and seal effectively. These are often used on a/c primary structure.