Door Rivets

[Over59]

There are buck? rivets around the door frame holding the interior panels. I do not want to remove these as getting this lined up again has to be near impossible. I suspect they trimed it in place like you do with counter top. But if I did how do I reattach the panels. Will I have to find someone to put in the original style rivets. Could I use the nut rivets?
Thanks

[markdoane]

First, I don't think you would have any problems lining it up, as there are only two pieces involved, the inner skin and the door frame. Much easier than trying to line up two skins panels, a rib, a floor channel, and the belly skin. Plus it's right where you can reach both sides.

I don't think the rivets were trimmed after they were bucked, I think they used the shortest rivets available. On mine, the tails only stick out about 1/16th".

There is a fairly easy alternative to bucking these rivets. You can buy a rivet squeezer, the cheapest ones are about $50. You will still need to buy some rivets and the sets, so I think you might spend $75 total.

If you are really patient and have a helper, you could try hammering them in by hand. In that case you would just need a rivet set ($5), some rivets ($5) and a lump of steel for a bucking bar. This would be 'back riveting', where your helper holds the rivet set against the head, and you tap on the tail with a hammer. Hard work.

I don't think riv-nuts would work, they would interfere with the gasket.

[Ken J]

The inside rivets are pop rivets available at any hardware store.

Ken

[Condoluminum]

Just to be clear, there are several trade names for "pop" rivets, like Cherry rivets or others.. All can be installed from the front or facing side of panel without use of bucking bar or backing to hapmmer against.

Common theme is that they have stem inside hollow shaft which fits into a riveter (looks long long pair of pliers, often) and a few squeezes of the handles will pull the shaft through the hloow rivet, widen the bottom and break off leaving a flat head with hole in center...

They are offered in aluminum or steel (go for aluminum) and several diameters and lengths. Much of Airstream interior held together with 1/8" dia (or 3mm) and roughly 3/16" length..

They are easy to paint with trm color if you want to match ivory or other color either before or after install...

John McG

[markdoane]

Appreciate the info on pop rivets.
I think this is an application where you would want to use bucked rivets, because the door gasket lays over the rivet tails. The bulb end of a pop rivet would sit too high for the gasket to lay flat. You could put the pop rivets in with the head under the gasket, but then the bulb end would be sticking out on the inside.

[Over59]

Thanks Don. Looks like I'll have to take them out as the fridge side floor is a little soft and cann't get at it with that whole panel rolled up by the door.

[markdoane]

Originally Posted by Over59

Thanks Don. Looks like I'll have to take them out as the fridge side floor is a little soft and cann't get at it with that whole panel rolled up by the door.

Same thing I had to do.
I need to order some rivets for my doorframe. Do you want me to send you my leftovers? May be 10 days or two weeks.

I really think you can probably set them with a hammer if you don't want to squeeze them. I'll be bucking mine in, but I have all the tools already.

[Cruiser]

I'm facing the same task around the door of our '52 cruiser. I'm not yet understanding buck rivets and how they are installed. Haven't managed to find a place locally that has parts and can show me what what to do. What tools are required? What is a "rivet set"? Is there a good place to order parts/ tools online?
Doug

[markdoane]

There are two main ways to set a solid rivet. This is a solid rivet: http://www.tec-n-tec.com/English/Riv...ide/rsaban.htm

Rivets can be 'squeezed' with a special tool that had a rivet 'set' and an anvil mounted in a set of opposing jaws. Here's a rivet squeezer. http://members.cruzio.com/~arlo/SqueezingRivets.html
Obviously, this method only works on the edge of a panel.

Solid rivets are 'bucked' using an impact hammer with a rivet 'set' and a bucking bar. The rivet 'set' is the tool that fits in the impact hammer, and has a concave tip to match the head of the rivet. The set is mounted in the impact hammer, you place it against the head while your helper holds the bucking bar against the tail if the rivet. A quick squeeze of the trigger set the rivet by flattening the tail.
Here is a kit if you want to go whole hog and put together a complete Airstream. You can go cheaper if you buy just what you need.
http://www.aircraft-tool.com/shop/de...t.asp?PageNo=1
Hope this helps you get started.

[Ken J]

Paul

I misread your original post - Don read it correctly. When you said inside door frame, I was reading the inside of your door. Those rivets are pop. The rivets around the door frame itself are buck and yes need to be replaced with buck. Sorry if I mislead you.

Ken

[Over59]

Originally Posted by markdoane

Same thing I had to do.
I need to order some rivets for my doorframe. Do you want me to send you my leftovers? May be 10 days or two weeks.

I really think you can probably set them with a hammer if you don't want to squeeze them. I'll be bucking mine in, but I have all the tools already.

It will be at least a month before I start putting it back together, but I think the door is the place to work from rather than to. Thanks

[Over59]

So if I were going to build the overhead storage cabinets out of aluminum one of these squeezers would really help and make a better inside job than the olympics.

[Cruiser]

Thanks, Don, for the info. and references, especially the link about rivet squeezing. A hand rivet squeezer would work great for the rivets around the door frame, but the squeezers I'm finding on-line are $120 and up. You mentioned cheap ones starting around $50; where did you find these?
Doug

[markdoane]

Originally Posted by Cruiser

Thanks, Don, for the info. and references, especially the link about rivet squeezing. A hand rivet squeezer would work great for the rivets around the door frame, but the squeezers I'm finding on-line are $120 and up. You mentioned cheap ones starting around $50; where did you find these?
Doug

Sorry. I was trying to post a correction but the server was busy. The 'quick look' I made showed yokes at $50, but the handles are about $120. I didn't look hard enough. Sorry for the misinfo.

Take a look on eBay tho, they have a few used ones cheaper.