Aluminum boat riveting information.

J

JBKINWA

Cadet
Joined
Jul 11, 2019
Messages
9
Looking through your website and seeking repair information concerning aluminum hills, specifically rivet work I have been somewhat mystified. Opinions are great and I do not wish to offend anyone. The simple truth is there is very good information, proven in blood that as a tax payer you payed for. Aircraft information, including flying boats over 70 years old I worked on use this basic information. They are free, on the internet if you know where to look. Aluminum repairs, structural repair can be found under AC43.13-1B. Anyone with an interest in doing this kind of work will find a wealth of information there. Aircraft sources of materials are much different than your local hardware store and not always more expensive. Rivets are sold by the pound, not count, the correct tooling can be found at a reasonable price. The skill however takes effort. I would be willing to get together with others and put together a guide that will give the best results with proven information. Thx Jim
 
O

oldsub86

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 9, 2008
Messages
311
I for one, wish you would and hope you do. I did a bit of repair work on aluminum boats and aircraft floats as a helper way back when I was in my teens but cannot say that I know enough about how to do it. I have a couple of boats that would benefit from some work and have collected some tools and rivets but have yet to tackle the job.

Randy
 
J

JBKINWA

Cadet
Joined
Jul 11, 2019
Messages
9
I did check out the above link and it is partially correct. The aluminum riveted boat is an marine application of materials and processes developed for aircraft. Biggest difference is the choice of aluminum alloy in the structure. (5000 or 8000 series) The 5000 series is not heat treatable, but is weldable. This changes up the options on manufacturing parts and repairs. The 2117AD field rivet works just fine although you might want to install them wet (a good paint primer or sealant) to help delay dissimilar metal corrosion. The rivets develop their strength through work hardening when driven, and the final dimension of the shop head. This is why you do not use a standard air hammer and it’s not a good idea to try to tighten them up by driving them some more when the shop head is already at minimum thickness. This will cause the riveted structure to fail in bearing when they usually are designed to fail by shear. Holes are drilled with wire sized bits. The holes should be a couple of hundredths loose, allowing for some expansion during driving. The type of Clecos shown are usually used for alignment when clamp up is not an issue. (like when using a sealant or riveting thick materials) There is another type that uses a wing but or hex nut on a threaded stem for those situations. Use a sealant with 2 times the setting time of the amount of time you expect the job to take. Best advice I could give you is get the right tools, practice on some scrap first and don’t expect every rivet you drive to be perfect. Be ready to drill it out and replace it.
 
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J

JBKINWA

Cadet
Joined
Jul 11, 2019
Messages
9
I hope I don't come across as a know it all here. Because I don't. I do however have 20 years experience in this field. One thing I can tell you is every project is an individual. Each project is different, usually requiring a number of different approaches and techniques. Craftmanship pays off well. Short cuts usually lead to it being a bigger project later. Aluminum cannot be returned to it's original shape by working it more. It always stretches, thins, and will eventually crack. It cannot be shrunk by heating it. If the damage is in a critical place, insert repair (cutting out the damaged area, fabricating new skin and a reinforcing patch) is usually your only option. Harder Aluminums (higher T factor) will crack easier when bending.

I will be experimenting with repairing my hull by straightening out the dented areas, cutting through the tin canned part to relieve the excess material and backing it with a riveted reinforcement patch to carry the load. After that I will fill the cuts by welding and smoothing for appearance. Using flush rivets and a Microstop countersink, You probably won't notice the rivets from the reinforcement patch once its painted. By using the AC43.13-1B references for some of the design, the repair should be 1.5 times stronger than the original structure.
 
7

7mm

Seaman
Joined
Nov 12, 2017
Messages
55
What do you think about drilling out a pin hole to the proper size and using a solid rivet to stop the leak in an aluminum hull
 
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