Thread: Replacing Rivits

If a rivet is loose side to side in the hole, you need to drill it out for the next size. All boat hulls will flex some, so just peening a loose rivet over won't last.

Sometimes the best thing to do is fill the boat with water and locate the leaks that way. Seems like you can mistake which rivet is the problem when the boat is floating.

We used to hold a sledge hammer against the rivet head and tap the flat side with a smaller hammer. If that didn't work, we replaced the leaking rivet and a couple on each side of it. My great-grandfather was a metal smith, so I used to have access to all kinds of rivet sets and bucking tools. Rivets generally fill the hole, even if it's oversized from wear, so we never went to a bigger rivet.

Rivet sets are pretty hard to find that aren't made for air hammers. You really want a set to do the job right.

There are four places you might find help in installing rivets. Boat dealers, aircraft mechanics, RV dealers and semi-trailer service facilities. RV dealers are probably the least likely as only one brand is aluminum riveted. They all use solid aluminum rivets for repair.

A rivet set is the best thing to use it dosent take long to do but the only one that I have is for a air hammer as for as going up in the rivit size it depends on how bad the hole is worn. I'm an aircraft mec. and pound rivets all the time

Have you tried Alumalloy? Great stuff!If heat is not an issue.It is actually stronger than the aluminum your working on,just leave the rivet alone and tin it in.Cleanliness is the key to a good bond and you dont need access to the under deck side.I use it once or twice a week at work fabbing alum.