Yesterday the weather was cooperative, 50 degrees and no rain.
The first step was to fit the panel in place to insure that everything
fit. Once you apply the calk there is no going back and the clock
is ticking. I found out during this step that the edge at the bottom
of the panel where it meets the window frame is very difficult to
get in place. The panel fits into a narrow slot. I had cleaned
the slot so there was no junk in there causing a problem.
It just takes a lot of work but i got it in and aligned.
I insured that the panel would maintain it's alignment by inserting
some Olympic rivets. The rivet holes must be drilled out to 5/32.
You cannot drill them out beforehand because the two mating holes
will not be aligned.
Since I had to calk three edges completely before I could place the
panel I needed to hold the panel up as I inserted the bottom edge.
For this I used the piece of wood.
I got the bottom edge inserted and put two rivets in to insure the
alignment held as I riveted each seam.
I started on the right seam. To drill and rivet a hole I would use
an ice pick to align the next hole. In this way I worked my way
up the seam to the top. As you pulled the rivet it would pull the
seam together nicely. This would squeeze the calk out of the seam
making a good seal.
I don't have any pictures of the calking and riveting process.
I calk is very messy and my hands were a mess so i could not
handle the camera. The calk when wet comes off with acetone
but when dry is really difficult to clean up.
Here is the seam on the right all riveted. The seam across the
top is calked and inserted under the roof panel but not riveted.
I figured that I would rivet the right seam completely then the
left seam. This is because the rivet holes do not line up naturally.
They must be pulled into alignment. I did one rivet at a time
so as to pull the rivet seam into alignment as well as to squeeze
the calk in one process as I went along.
I repeated the one rivet at a time process on the left seam. It
was a little more difficult here as I was lifting the roof as I was
joining the panels. Once the left side was done the seam across
the top was easy, the rivet holes were naturally aligned. I just
drilled and riveted my way across.
I did not do the bottom seam yet. My pop rivet gun would not
grip the rivet stem. There is a small rain gutter along the rivet
seam that prevents the rivet gun from getting right on the rivet.
I tried making a 1/4 inch long bushing that I placed on the rivet
stem then using the gun but the stem was not long enough to
be griped by my rivet gun. I have been pondering what to do
about this and don't have a solution yet.
My job is somewhat of a mess, I got calk everywhere. Before
inserting each rivet I coated it with calk, this furthered the mess.
I did not have time to clean it up before I had to quit for the day.
Today I will try to clean it up hoping the calk is not too dried.
I have a rivet shaver but that is a project for another day.
Pete.
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