Rivets-Sail Track

[Dan Cavins]

OK I give. I need only about twenty rivets to secure a piece of sail track to an aluminum mast. The local dealer sais he would use stainless steel or monel. These need to be flathead as to not interfer with the sail runners in the track. Of course I can find these in aluminum but nothing else. Do you think the aluminum rivet is strong enough? I've heard yes but the local sail guy would rather not. Your experience? Thanks, Dan.

[Dave Fleming]

One of my neighbors, Pacific Offshore Rigging, uses SS SOLID STEM Rivets to affix items to Al. masts.
They put a dab of Alumaplast or equivalent in the bored hole before installing the Rivet. Helps with the dissimilar metal problem.

SS Solid Stem are available in most all sizes. In fact I have some 1/4 inch ones holding a hasp on my truck canopy. Of course you cannot install such sizes with a little hand plier type tool.

[Ian McColgin]

Personally I preferr to drill and tap and use little bolts set with some kind of antisieze.

If the needed rivits are not near the head or the tack and if the reason for replacing is not undue wear of whatever was there and if you have good luff tensioning habits and if it's not a very highly stressed rig then maybe you could do with aluminum rivits but I really recommend ss with a right tool or - sheaper for a small job like this, get the right drill and tap.

G'luck

[Todd Bradshaw]

Hobie Cat uses flathead, countersunk stainless rivets to attach their traveler tracks. You can order them through Hobie dealers.

[Wayne Jeffers]

Dan,

Not sure exactly what you're looking for, but Jamestown Distributors has "pop"-type rivets, both SS and AL, on page 155 of their new catalog.

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/

Wayne