Help on fastener

[Dleopoldi914]

my 17 Montauk the hand rail came out and the previous owner told me to use rivets he said the kind that are used on kayaks.....
i found on continiouswave to use 3/16 Inch X 5/8 Inch rivets. I am enclosing what i purchased. I used it on on rail by putting 5200 sealant and then the river and it held. One of the other areas the rail came up and tried the same thing and the rivet cannot remove from the hole in the rail and it won’t stick to the hull. I am enclosing pictures what you think?

Is the rivets or the gun?

 

[Redtruck12]

Look like pretty standard blind "pop" rivets that you are using.
i assume you are fastening into fibreglass?
I expect that your problem is damage to the hole in the material you are attaching too (damaged, elongated-too large).
the idea of the blind rivet is to expand below the surface you are attaching too. If they are not holding you have hole damage.
do you have access from below?
something like a hand rail needs to be sturdy and secure. 1/16 aluminum pop rivets will give you neither I.M.O.

 

[Fcdave]

Rails should have a reasonable backer on their fasteners....like a washer behind a nut....otherwise it can pull out under repeated force.....probably what happened to existing ???? I would not use pop rivets.

 

[Redtruck12]

That's what I was thinking, should be s.s. Machine screw / nut and bolt or similar. Pop rivets are not for solid structure mounting unless they are fully through multiple pieces of thin gauge sheet metal /aluminum.
any photos of exactly what you are dealing with on the boat?

 

[Dleopoldi914]

Here is how it looks after I fasten it . I cannot pull this out of the rail I would have to like crush with pliers and pull out.

 

[Dleopoldi914]

Here is a pic of what it looks like fastened. Pic above it seems to expand and hold the rail the issue is maybe the wood underneath?

 

[briangcc]

It's been mentioned a couple times - wrong fastener for the job. This is not a job for a rivet as it will work itself loose. You want to use a machine screw followed up with a large fender washer and locknut underneath.


What you're seeing with your rivet is that it's working loose from the fiberglass because - wrong fastener AND more than likely mushrooming in the hole instead of below it.

 

[Dleopoldi914]

Ok spoke with someone and told me this is the way to go https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--tri-grip-rivets--13837463.

These are tri rivets

 

[Redtruck12]

The link is incomplete but I do know what tri leg rivets are.
without knowing the thickness of the material you are going into I can't even tell you if the legs will expand, even if they do they will not last. Maybe you temporarily but will not hold up. May even damage the deck.
sorry to say but it's kind of a bandaid at best.

 

[Sea18Horse]

I agree with the others. Those tri rivets the original owner speaks of for kayaks are meant to attach pad eyes for strapping down a knapsack on your kayak or for attaching a grab handle. Not for attaching a handrail stanchion with a two foot lever-arm. I'd consider cutting an access hole, hopefully under a seat cushion or deck carpet or something within reach and assess the underside that way.

Cheers....................Todd

 

[Dleopoldi914]

I went stainless steel oval screws and 5200 in the hole.

The size 10 1.25 was a little loose but all west marine had. I filled the holes really good with 5200 and put tons on the base I ordered size 12 1.5 inch and when these comes will take out the smaller ones and fill more 5200 in the holes and add the bigger screws.

What you think ?