Advice on replacing rivets in boat?

Getting ready to change boats for the season. Looking over the big river boat, got some rivets in the transom that are loose and leaking some. Anyone got any advice on how to tighten or replace them? Is there a kit or tool or something you can buy that works good? Never done boat rivets before.

Appreciate any insight anyone can give.

Takes two people. One on the outside with a heavy object made of steel. Sledge hammer works great. Have them hold the sledge hammer tightly against the rivet head while you TAP on the rivet on the inside with a small hammer. Usually 4 or 5 good taps will tighten the rivet. Just go slow. Rivets are aluminum and expand pretty easily. Good luck.

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check out tinboatsdotnet, lots of advice on rivets and fixing up tin boats. GL

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Originally Posted by jigflinger

Takes two people. One on the outside with a heavy object made of steel. Sledge hammer works great. Have them hold the sledge hammer tightly against the rivet head while you TAP on the rivet on the inside with a small hammer. Usually 4 or 5 good taps will tighten the rivet. Just go slow. Rivets are aluminum and expand pretty easily. Good luck.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

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agree...the sledge will act as a bucking bar...I have used a tool that is run by air (specially for rivets) to drive the heads in and it does tighten them up. Using the hammer does the same thing, just a little slower.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by drifter106

agree...the sledge will act as a bucking bar...I have used a tool that is run by air (specially for rivets) to drive the heads in and it does tighten them up. Using the hammer does the same thing, just a little slower.

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With the aircraft industry in the tank around here you can probably find a gun pretty cheap. Another to look into is drilling them out and replacing them with cherry bulb locks.