Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Where can I find these rivets and what kind of tools do I need to install them?





Thanks for any help

They look to me to be hand hammered rivets probably with a dolly used to shape one side.
KC will I'm sure know more than me but I remember using something si.ilar at school and my grandfather used them

David grant probably has some

Maybe a place to start.... To use the old tired phrase, "Google is your friend"... Keywords to find rivets might be "solid rivet"...

http://www.zoro.com/i/G2888487/?utm_sou ... fgodAgUADA

This YOUTUBE Video will explain concept on "setting" them.... If you have air compressor and are setting a lot of them you may want to consider a pneumatic rivet set tool.. If your arms are to short maybe a "helper"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv2RBLPYikY

Dale

Dave,

They are generally called 'solid' or 'buck' rivets.

Here is a source & information: http://www.hansonrivet.com/commercial-solid-rivets.htm
You may also find them at an industrial fastener store such as Fastenall.

If you can't get at the back side to buck them, you could use a shaveable blind rivet that will look like a solid rivet.
Source: http://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/Oly ... ts-179.htm
Tools: http://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/Oly ... ts-791.htm

Fred

Why do you want to use this style rivet instead of blind/pop rivets?

There was a rivet used on the early canned hams that looked like todays Pop rivets but left behind part of the stud. The stud was then cut off and a tool was used in a drill that spun and melted the remaining portion of the stud and created a solid looking rivet head. This may be what you're seeing.

Treeview wrote:Why do you want to use this style rivet instead of blind/pop rivets?

Typical "Pop" rivets remain a center hole of its mandrel, Dont look authentic to a timeframe or style, most varieties are not watertite, & so on.

These solid rivets can be set by hand with a setting tool & hammer, In a pinch can be set with a ballpeen hammer assuming one has clearance to work...
Sadly these rivets appear to been bucked with a flat tool leaving their domed heads squashed.
Who knows, Maybe thats the appearance its builder was striving for...

Some better hardware stores might have limited variety, but McMaster Carr might be the best source.

They look just like the rivets I buck all day doing aircraft sheet metal repair. Go to your local airport and find a maintenance operation. Ask for "AN470A rivets. the diameter is measured in 32ths (ie a 1/8" dia is a -4) the length is measured in 16ths (ie a 1/2" length is a -8) The "A" designates a soft rivet. You should be able to shoot an "A" rivet with hand tools. The part number for a 1/8 x 1/2 rivet would be AN470AD4-8 just to give an example.

A better choice would be what's called a Cherry Max Rivet. It's a self plugging blind structural rivet. A 1/8 dia can be pulled with a good pop rivet puller. Ask for CR3213 . Same dash number system as for the others. Example: CR3213-4-8

There are fully sealed pop rivets avaliable at most good hardware joints, while they may still leave a hole in the top the bottom is completely sealed

My entire trailer is built with those solid "buck" rivets. Hundreds of them. It has remained solid and leak free for 67 years and untold miles. There is much to be said for old-tech.

<Chas>

tlsallada wrote:There was a rivet used on the early canned hams that looked like todays Pop rivets but left behind part of the stud. The stud was then cut off and a tool was used in a drill that spun and melted the remaining portion of the stud and created a solid looking rivet head. This may be what you're seeing.

Olympic shave rivet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDwM3D0waLg