Rivet holes... rivet or alum weld?

[tonynoriega]

So I am in the process of getting a small gash in my boat welded in the next couple weeks...

A neighbor of mine said to get the rivet holes welded instead of rivets and some 3M...

If I can get the welder to hit the rivet holes too...would it be a better idea to have them welded instead of pop rivets?

 

[PSG-1]

Probably better to weld, but only if the rib or structural member can also be welded to the hull from the inside, to tie it back together for structural integrity.

 

[rdixiemiller]

I used to fix some holes in aluminum canoes many years ago. I used solid aluminum rivets, a bucking block, and a small ball pein hammer. Pop rivets are fine to get the patch held in place, but I never could get them to stay dry. My metal shop teacher in high school had been an aircraft mechanic in Viet Nam, this was how he fixed holes in airplanes when you could get to both sides of the patch. Not hard to do, just takes a little practice. I used to buy rivets from McMaster carr, I am sure they are available from lots of sources. They seem to hold better than pop rivits to me.
Your mileage may vary!

 

[Nobody]

I think welding is better but rivets are more economical. I used sealing pop rivets from mcmaster Carr with washers and sealant. Mcmaster Carr does a good job explaining the differences between each type of rivets. I believe the solid rivets hold better then the pop rivets. My boat was so bad when I started that any rivets at all were an upgrade.

 

[spotco2]

Rebuck or replace the solid rivets that are already there. It only takes a couple of minutes on each one.

I would not weld them.

Welding them will make it a major job if you have to do a repair to that area one day.

 

[Buddychrist]

Rebuck or replace the solid rivets that are already there. It only takes a couple of minutes on each one.

I would not weld them.

Welding them will make it a major job if you have to do a repair to that area one day.

X2