copper rivets

[Island_Tom]

Quick question:

Can you tighten up copper rivets, or do they have to be replaced? Was thinking of peening over more of the rivet to take up the slack.

(some planks have seperated from the ribs a bit)

If not: Where's a good source for rivets in the Pacific NW?

Thanks!

[ 01-05-2006, 04:26 PM: Message edited by: Island_Tom ]

[Noah]

Do a search on "Hardening" up old rivets. It may even be in the FAQ that is floating around in here. It has been covered a few times in depth.

BTW, sorry I keep telling you to go search. tongue.gif

[Tom Robb]

Done correctly you can indeed "harden" them.
One PNW source is the Wooden Boat Foundation at Point Hudson in Port Townsend, WA.
If any PSEBS members are lurking, they may be able to give you other sources. WBF is the only one I'm familiar with.
Barbara Burnside (Paul Gartside's better half) may be lurking as well. Paul who has extrordinary taste in women also builds very nice boats in your neck of the woods and may have handier sources.

[ 01-05-2006, 05:47 PM: Message edited by: Tom Robb ]

[Canoeyawl]

Yes...

[Island_Tom]

Noah;

I did a search on "rivets", but as a newbie, I didn't realize it was called "hardening up".

I will indeed search and see what I can find. Don't mind searching, but sometimes you need a hand on what to search for....

And Canoeyawl: Are you saying yes to Paul's good taste in women, or my question about rivets? ;o)

And if Paul's there, I wouldn't mind hearing from you...

Tom

[ 01-06-2006, 12:28 AM: Message edited by: Island_Tom ]

[Canoeyawl]

Yes !

[bischoffboatworks]

http://www.woodenboat.org/ is the site for the Port Townsend store. I order via their web site as I like to support their work. You can also get supplies from Jamestown Distributors. Everyone gets them from England but they only sell to distributors.

[Doug Hamilton]

http://www.pacificfasteners.com

[ishmael]

What's the boat?

"Hardening up" is a good fix, and easy, if time consuming.

If there's question about the soundness of the current rivets, pull a few from areas of most concern.

[Ellis Rowe]

You can definitely tighten the rivets. It would be good if you can get a clamp on the frame to plank landing. If not a clamp maybe a wedge. Back the nail with a bucking iron, and remake the head over the rove. If this is a carvel planked boat you may need to reef the seams to re land the planks to the frames. If shes wrinkle built of course, you won't have that problem.

[Island_Tom]

Here's the boat: Unfortunaly, I can't seem to post the actual picture. (Did the right click and properties, but this is all I get)
http://www.imagestation .com/picture/sraid195/p9d10fdd379f45784f46b80c732092d0d/f1588c01.jpg (http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid195/p9d10fdd379f45784f46b80c732092d0d/f1588c01.jpg)

I plan to strip, replace a few soft spots, tighten planks, re-caulk and paint. Mast needs to be re-glued, boom stripped, rigging replaced. Don't know what I'll do with the cabin. Wife likes it. (It IS a good idea to keep wife of wooden boat owner as happy as possible) ;o) The cabin is not original but goes back a long ways.

Plan to work on this over the next few years. Hope to have it in the water in the summers.

[ 01-07-2006, 02:23 PM: Message edited by: Island_Tom ]

[landlocked sailor]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid195/p9d10fdd379f45784f46b80c732092d0d/f1588c01.jpg
How's this? Rick ;)

[ishmael]

She's got a nice butt! smile.gif

Is the boat leaking? Determine where. What, aside from the frame not laying tight to plank makes you think "rivets?" How big are the gap(s)?

Rivets can stretch. If not done properly, with a light hammer, the peening can bend them, too. That bend then straightens out under pressure, and you've got a loose fastening. Soft planking such as cedar can loosen simply because the rivet head has dug a deeper hole, particularly in the way of high stress areas such as the step and the shrouds. The place to look first for leaks. Also, the garboard to keel seam, which is probably screwed.

It's difficult to say from what you've said, but it could be as simple as locating leaks and hardening up loose rivets around the leaks, rather than doing large areas. Though easy to do, it is time consuming, takes two people and, as Ellis mentioned, some way to shore the plank up tight to the frame. You need a light ball peen hammer. Do some practice pieces so you get the feel for how hard to strike the copper. Lots of light blows.

Good luck.

[ 01-07-2006, 05:25 PM: Message edited by: ishmael ]

[Island_Tom]

Rick;

Thanks for posting the picture. Funny, but I meant to post the side view, I labeled them wrong in the album. Oh, well, better the boat than then wife's butt on the internet (although I think they both are nice!)

The boat has been out of the water for some time, although out of the sun and always near the water (our humidity is always high) Some water in the bilge is finding it's way out, and I assume the opening run both ways. But it will be interesting to get her in the water and see what happens after she swells a bit.

There are a couple planks I noticed that have sprung away from the frames and the ends stand out about 1/8". (no longer fair) And there's one above the water line that has come away a bit for 1/2 it's length. So I'm assuming there's others loose, but you're right, until the paint is off, I won't really know just how things are. That's why I asked the original question, if I can get away without a complete re-fastening for a few years, I'll go with that for now and get her in the water (hopefully) this summer.

And while I'm at it: Thanks to everyone for being so helpful and patient with a greenhorn. I really appreciate it and am soaking up as much as I can from people who have been where I'm about to go. (and far beyond where I'll ever be)