What screws fit in a rivet hole?

[Emilie-SKO]

I just got in my Havelock Wool insulation in the mail and I am excited to start putting up my ceiling! The problem is I would like to use the rivet holes, if that's possible, but 10s are to small and 12s are just to big. A friend recommended using 12s and just forcing then into the square tubing. I am hesitant to try that route and get something stuck or possibly mess up my impact driver.

Have y'all used these holes for hanging sheathing or is this a horrible idea? Also, if it's possible, what size screw do you recommend? I would love to avoid drilling each hole to fit size 12s. Would self tappers work?

Thank y'all for any advice!

 

[Tejon7]

I also wanted to re-use the existing rivet holes, so I bought a giant box of type F #12-24 Thread cutting screws. I got a good deal for some reason, only paying $40 for 3000 of them. They zip right into the hole from a 3/16" rivet using an impact driver. If you're in Montana, swing by and you can have a few hundred (that's a subtle hint to fill in your location and bus info - it helps others help you ).

I really like this type of screw, but I rarely ended up using the existing holes. They're just too hard to find once you cover them up with whatever new thing you're putting up. I ended up drilling new 3/16" holes in almost all cases. Depending on what you're trying to attach to, you may have better luck drilling new holes or just using the Teks-type self-drilling screws.

 

[Emilie-SKO]

Thank you for the information and the hint to complete the location and bus info! I hadn't even noticed to do that.

 

[Tejon7]

Thank you for the information and the hint to complete the location and bus info! I hadn't even noticed to do that.

Sure thing. I realized that I didn't really give you a straight answer to your question, though. I should have asked what type of screws are you trying to use and what are you trying to attach to. I don't know why, but I'm imagining that you have sheet metal screws like this:

and you're trying to screw it into ~1/8" thick steel bus ribs. Am I close to right?

If so, your impact driver may twist the heads right off. Regardless of what type of screws you currently have, though, it shouldn't hurt to let 'er rip and test one or two. The worst that will happen is you'll need to use vice-grips to remove a headless screw.

Edit: I still haven't given you a straight answer . I give up on myself.

 

[o1marc]

My International Genesis is mostly screwed together, at least the inside. On the outside, everywhere I removed a rivet I replaced it with a #10 panhead screw with Phillips/square drive. I use #2 square drive bit on my cordless impact, makes life so much easier. On the inside the #10 also works well, a #12 would be way too large.

 

[o1marc]

How do you know where the existing holes are once they are covered with metal to screw to the ceiling?

 

[Tejon7]

How do you know where the existing holes are once they are covered with metal to screw to the ceiling?

Haha, exactly! I now avoid even trying whenever possible.

 

[Emilie-SKO]

I have a box of 10s that are to small, they just wobble around in the holes, and some 12 hex heads left over from fixing some sheet metal pieces. I can try out a hex head and see of they work.

I need a flat head screw to attach 5mm poplar plywood to the metal ribs for my ceiling.

The ribs are so full of the rivet holes it'd be tight to screw more holes into them. I guess it depends on how long my patience lasts. Lol

 

[musigenesis]

I have a box of 10s that are to small, they just wobble around in the holes, and some 12 hex heads left over from fixing some sheet metal pieces. I can try out a hex head and see of they work.

I need a flat head screw to attach 5mm poplar plywood to the metal ribs for my ceiling.

The ribs are so full of the rivet holes it'd be tight to screw more holes into them. I guess it depends on how long my patience lasts. Lol

Some people attach blocks of wood to the sides of the ribs using Teks self-tapping screws, and then screw their paneling with ordinary wood screws into these blocks instead of directly into the ribs. I ran 1x2 furring strips longitudinally (front-to-back) on the inside of the ribs, using the Teks self-tappers. As you mentioned, there were a lot of rivets holes in the ribs already so I had to be very careful that the Teks screws were being run into un-holey steel.

The advantage of furring strips on the inside of the ribs (as opposed to on their sides and flush with the inside of the ribs) is that I was able to pack 1.5" XPS foam board between the ribs and then put another layer of 3/4" XPS foam board between the furring strips. This second layer provides a good thermal break between the steel of the ribs and the interior living space (steel is an excellent conductor of heat - about 300X better than wood - so you want to minimize the amount of steel that provides a direct heat pathway from inside to outside).