Rivets

[Mr. G]

Where can i buy the exact rivots as used from the manufacturer?

[azflycaster]

Are you talking about the exterior skin rivets? The factory uses bucking rivets that are installed by two people. One holds a bar against the back of the rivet while the other uses a rivet gun which smashes the rivet causing it to expand. The use of this type of rivet is not practical to repair the skin since all of the interior skins would have to be removed. Olympic rivets installed with a pop rivet gun and cleaned up with a rivet shaver (or dremel tool) produce a quality job without the work involved with bucking rivets.

[TomW]

PM member markdoane if he does not see this post. To me he is "Mr. Rivet". I have never come across anyone else with his particular mastery of the subject.

Tom

[silverhawk]

Just wanted to bump this thread. If you are talking bucked rivets, I'm looking for that answer also. You could try this place www.aircraftspruce.com but if anyone knows a better source, please chime in. Bob,

[Aerowood]

I get all of my solid shank rivets from here: www.gen-aircraft-hardware.com

I think the blind rivets that Airstream now uses are available thru most of the Airstream parts dealers

[CaddyGrn]

Originally Posted by Mr. G

Where can i buy the exact rivots as used from the manufacturer?

I concur with other posts... let us know what year your A/S is... and what are you going to re-rivet? One or two small repairs or a major re-do?

I suggest if you are doing a major re-do and you want to replace bucked rivets... you use bucked rivets if at all possible. It is time consuming, and some special tools are needed, but not so hard... my husband and I re-riveted everything with bucked rivets in our A/S that he removed. I got to hold the bucking bar... he got to use the air powered rivet tool...

Good luck, throw in a bit more information and you may find additional answers!

Mrs. NorCal Bambi (traveling in S Tardis)

[jean235]

I got a 1973 27' Safari Land Yacht. I also need to repair: some outer skin repair as well as interior repair. I have no clue as to kind and size rivets I need. Any and all help is appreciated. Please advise irwin1706@yahoo.com

[markdoane]

Originally Posted by Mr. G

Where can i buy the exact rivots as used from the manufacturer?

If you want the exact rivets used by the factory, I would get 1/8" Brazier head rivets. The designation is AN455A4-xx. The xx is the length in 16ths inch. These are hardened 2117-T4 aluminum, indicated by a small dimple in the center of the head. They are 0.312" diameter, the head height is .062".

If you are replacing existing rivets, I would use 5/32" Modified Brazier head rivets. These are AN456A5-xx They are the same head size as the original Brazier head, but one size larger on the stem diameter. So a 5/32" Mod. Brazier has the same outward appearance as the 1/8" Brazier head rivet. It's kind of like putting oversized valve stems in the old Chevy. Just the act of drilling out the old rivet will enlarge the holes, so you ream the original holes out to 5/32" (actually 0.160"+/-) and put in a Modified Brazier of the next larger size.

Or you can use Universal head rivets of the next larger size. The 5/32" Universal head rivet has the same diameter (.312") as the 1/8" Brazier, or the 5/32 Mod. Brazier, but the head is slightly taller than the Modified or orginal Brazier head. The head is .072" high.

It's a little hard to tell the difference after you get done pounding on them with a rivet set. I used Universal head rivets on my '59.

edit: this applies to vintage trailers. I don't know what they use nowdays.

[jean235]

#52 5/32 RIVETS ALL ALUMINUM THE GRIP IS .063-.125, work well you think or not?