Duracraft Rivet Size?

[duracraft1720]

Good morning, everyone. I'm new to this board (but not fishing & boating forums)

So, I recently came into a Duracraft 1720. 1980-ish I think. Have some seepage around some of the floor rivets & some have heads popped off.

I have read up on replacing rivets in aluminum boats & comfortable with taking that on myself, but ... I have no idea what type, length, diameter rivets to buy.

any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
andy

 

[duracraft1720]

btw ... I'm talking about one set of rivets through a metal strip running the full length inside the floor of the boat ... with the other side of the rivets coming through the "wings" of a v-shaped center rib underneath. The heads of the rivets are topside in the bottom of the boat ... quite a few heads popped off.

 

[DaleH]

The 'head' is the wider mushroom shape and it is usually on the outside of the hull. See here for more info, plus the attached, that provides basic riveting 101 info ...

https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=47749&p=475268



View attachment Tin Boat Repair - Buck Riveting Basics.pdf

 

[duracraft1720]

The heads for the center rib rivets are actually on the inside on this boat ... while the heads for the cross beams (or whatever you call them) or on the outside(bottom) I'm only missing heads from the center rib on the inside. Curiously though, I filled the boat with water today & found none of the center-line rivets leaking as I had suspected, even those with heads missing of which there are at least a dozen. I did find & mark six or eight rivets on the cross supports that were leaking ... only one significantly, the others more of a slow drip.

(note: when I got the boat ... in a trade ... the guy told me it had some very small leaks, but I couldn't observe them when he took me on the water with it because he had a lift-oour plywood floor in the bottom of the boat.)

any advice on how to determine the diameter & length of the rivets I will need to buy?
also .. those center-line rivets with the heads missing but not leaking ... perhaps just a dollop of jb weld or something on top of them?

 

[DaleH]

... those center-line rivets with the heads missing but not leaking ... perhaps just a dollop of jb weld or something on top of them?

With the head gone, if subject to more stress - waves, or even 'rough' trailering @ 70 MPH, etc., they could pull out and start to leak more. But I'd use the ~ $22 West Systems G-Flex 650 flexible epoxy kit, if it were mine. It must be painted though afterwards, but even JB Weld or any other epoxy product needs to be top-coated with paint, as epoxies are subject to degradation by UV exposure.

I use Rust-Oleum paints, ~$17/quart, can't be beat!

 

[duracraft1720]

... those center-line rivets with the heads missing but not leaking ... perhaps just a dollop of jb weld or something on top of them?

With the head gone, if subject to more stress - waves, or even 'rough' trailering @ 70 MPH, etc., they could pull out and start to leak more. But I'd use the ~ $22 West Systems G-Flex 650 flexible epoxy kit, if it were mine. It must be painted though afterwards, but even JB Weld or any other epoxy product needs to be top-coated with paint, as epoxies are subject to degradation by UV exposure.

I use Rust-Oleum paints, ~$17/quart, can't be beat!

Thanks Dale!, I'll take a look at that.

I still want to replace some of the rivets with active leaks though. I won't have a problem figuring out the diameter by matching a drill bit up with the hole, but any suggestions on the length?. I will also need to order one of those rivet bits for my air chisel gun, seen several on the net but am open to recommendations on that as well.

 

[DaleH]

Two panels typically use 3/8” long ones & 3 panels use 1/2” or 1/2” trimmed before hammering.

I had posted the air rivet head tool to buy in my links above ...