Golden Rivets

[Alumanutz]

Soon I will be replacing the Olympic rivets on my trailer with bucked rivets. I already have the replacement rivets. They have the "Gold Coating" on them. I have read on the forum that this coating will polish off. My question is will it do any harm to put these in my bullet polishing tumbler and clean them off before installation. What is the purpose of the coating?

NUTZ

[rickandsandi]

Originally Posted by Alumanutz

My question is will it do any harm to put these in my bullet polishing tumbler and clean them off before installation. What is the purpose of the coating?

NUTZ

Greetings NUTZ- Hmm...... I have a brass casing tumbler, never needed to polish my bullets. Well maybe my silver tips when the October moon is full. If you used corn husk I think it would do an awsome job. Not sure why the coating, I too would like to know its purpose.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Alumanutz

Soon I will be replacing the Olympic rivets on my trailer with bucked rivets. I already have the replacement rivets. They have the "Gold Coating" on them. I have read on the forum that this coating will polish off. My question is will it do any harm to put these in my bullet polishing tumbler and clean them off before installation. What is the purpose of the coating?

NUTZ

The gold finish is called "Alodine".

It's primarily used by the aircraft industry.

To replace the olympic rivets properly, you will need 5/32 diameter rivets, since the diameter of the olympics is 5/32".

The proper drill bit size is a # 21 drill bit.

Andy

[InsideOut]

I believe they are coated to protect them from oxidation from the time they are manufactured.

The Alodine finish comes right off - very easily. Actually, the act of bucking them takes off some of it...and the rest kinda fades with the weather, what's left can be removed with the first pass with a buffer - probably even by hand if you aren't doing a full polish job. However, I can't see that tumbling them would be a problem - unless they are soft enough that the tumbling would damage the edges - the edges are pretty thin.

Shari



Shari

[Aerowood]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

The gold finish is called "Alodine".

It's primarily used by the aircraft industry.

To replace the olympic rivets properly, you will need 5/16 diameter rivets, since the diameter of the olympics is 5/32".

The proper drill bit size is a # 21 drill bit.

Andy

5/16 diameter rivets? I shot some a few years ago, I had to use a 9X gun and a piece of railroad track to buck them. All funny aside I thick Andy made a typo as it should be 5/32.

Kip

[Alumanutz]

Kip, I hope you are correct. A quick look shows a #21 drill is .1590
A 5/16 rivet is a .3125 dia
I think that sucker would be pretty well mushroomed just trying to get it through the hole!

NUTZ

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Aerowood

5/16 diameter rivets? I shot some a few years ago, I had to use a 9X gun and a piece of railroad track to buck them. All funny aside I thick Andy made a typo as it should be 5/32.

Kip

I did say 5/32"

Andy

[Alumanutz]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

The gold finish is called "Alodine".

It's primarily used by the aircraft industry.

To replace the olympic rivets properly, you will need 5/16 diameter rivets, since the diameter of the olympics is 5/32".

The proper drill bit size is a # 21 drill bit.

Andy

Sure looks to me like 5/16th. I added the red.

NUTZ

[markdoane]

I don't see the problem. It's the head diameter, not the stem.

[Diesel1]

Most days this beats the comedy channel.

[Frank's Trailer Works]

John...#21 bit for sure. Don't bother tumbling, the polisher will take the coating right off. Do your rivets have numbers stamped in them too? That is the thing that bothers me, but quickly you stop seeing them.

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by 62overlander

John...#21 bit for sure. Don't bother tumbling, the polisher will take the coating right off. Do your rivets have numbers stamped in them too? That is the thing that bothers me, but quickly you stop seeing them.

We have slightly shaved our bucked rivets with the numbers on them. It makes the edges a little softer so they show even less once polished. Got to be careful not to go to deep though - the shaver will leave a bit of a ridge if you do...but can be polished smooth if you do with a bit more effort.

Shari