Rivets and tools

[63air]

I am currently in the process of removing an interior panel on my 63 globetrotter to fix a short in the wiring and will need to obtain the rivets to reattach it to the door frame. The people at Airstream tell me I need 3/8 or 1/2 length 1/8 dia. common bucked rivets. Need help on a rivet source and suggestions on tools. Any way to avoid the expense of a pneumatic rivet tool?

[Ken J]

They are common pop rivets available at any hardware store - they have rivet tools also

[JohnG]

This is a good thread to read that contains a lot of information about rivet tools. http://www.airforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=13329

[AYRSTRM2]

And they sell them in white, too, used in the inside. If you need white and can't find them at the store, don't give up, they exist, ask a local hardware store to order them or go online.

Oh, and i would recommend to pay the extra for the rivet tool, the hand squeeze one, that has the "swivel" head. I didn't and sometimes wish I had.
John

[greg176]

those rivets on the door frame are common bucked rivets.For that many rivets with both ends exposed you can buck them using a hammer and a dolly.

[markdoane]

Greg,
Excellent point about the door openings in older models. Can't use Olympics, and pop rivets might stick out into the gasket area.

Also, how do you feel about using aluminum pop rivets with steel pins for the interior? They might be stronger, but they might cause corrosion of the aluminum, especially above the sink and in the bathroom. I think (but don't know for sure) that the factory used steel pin aluminum body rivets. I guess if they were painted they might be ok.

[Ken J]

FWIW, I used steel pin pop rivets for several years with no probems - as far as I can tell from all the steel shanks I've found in the trailer - its what Airstream used.

Ken