Structural Rivets Or Standard

rex_1_mn

Advanced Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2012
Posts
55
I will be going with a blind or Pop rivet but not sure which kind.

If I go with a structural rivet it could easily be 100 to 200 just for rivets to skin my windows.

If I go with standard rivets maybe 60 bucks for more than enough....

What do you guys think??

Also most rivets on my 1990 blue bird are 3/16 right??? or are they 1/4''?
 
Structural rivets are more or less waterproof, when the nail falls out of the center of a pop rivet water can get in.
I used about 1500 1/4 inch rivets when I skinned mine. Most of the rivets on my Bluebird are 1/4 inch
 
I can't really answer the question, as I used screws, but I would look at how your windows were secured and just duplicate that. That's what I did. I used new screws (heavier with a hex head), but I just drilled holes in the sheet metal to line up with where the original holes were.

img_77990_714b6eee1cca4fe201acf914fa3943df.jpg
 
somewhereinusa said:
Structural rivets are more or less waterproof, when the nail falls out of the center of a pop rivet water can get in.
I used about 1500 1/4 inch rivets when I skinned mine. Most of the rivets on my Bluebird are 1/4 inch

I need to go back and look at your thread. How the heck did you use so many rivets?! Lol...

EDIT: Ok, I see. Partly just different bus design, and I am also guessing you used thinner steel than me. I used 16 gauge.
 
everytime somone mentions screws I wonder If I should just use some pan head sheet screws



I know I know they will back out or shear.....

But nobody has ever reported that happening on here....
 
Want me to use a close up of what I used when I get home tonight? Not worried about them shearing OR backing out. My windows were held in with screws, I just replaced with sheet metal, and still used screws. I used the original screws when going through the aluminum trim pieces, and used bigger hex head screws elsewhere.

SN: I also had an area of rubrail above the door, where some of the rivets were sheared and or rusted/wallowed out. That area was damaged when I got it, and I had to beat things back and weld the crack. I used heavy duty hex head screws there as well, and they did start to back out. I screwed them back in tight and tack welded them. No more backing out :)
 
I used 3/16 rivets on my skin. Those don't go nearly as far as you think they do. I spaced mine 2 inches apart so I ended up using about 500 of them. There were say about 100 or so already in mine from the previous owner so my advice is to order more than you need. I had to wait on mine since I ran out of them twice. I used a pneumatic riveter so it was the best money I had spent. I would also invest in a good set of drill bits and maybe a drill bit sharpener.
 
What rivets is everyone using?

Would you use them agian?

Where did you get them?


Thanks
Tony
 
I ordered from here cause a local schoolie owner used them. They are a little on the expensive side but the service was great and gave a quantity discount. The rivet was great couldn't ask for more. If I need more I would order from them again.


http://www.adprivet.com/
 

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