Rivets vs Screws

[Jim Budde]

If time was not an issue (a very unlikely assumption)... which would you prefer for attaching planks to frames on a 20' surf dory ... rivets or screws? And why?

[JimD]

Tell us more about the frames, Jim.

[Jim Budde]

I should have been more precise. The design is Tropic Bird, (WB 163). A friend indicated he thought rivets would look "more salty" than screws .. assuming I finish boat bright.

Construction is batten seam .. 1/4" planks on 3/4" battens. The frames vary in thickness from 1 3/4" at sheer to as much as 3" at garboards .. I suspect attaching at frames will be screws (as called for in plans). I haven't looked, but suspect 3 3/4" plus rivets are either not available or are not practicable at the higher thickness (keep in mind I have never used rivets w/ wood .. although I have done a fair amount of metal work) . It's the batten connection I was wondering about.

Does that clarify things?

[Cullen T.M. McGough]

Is this going to be heirloom-quality, or "just-get-the-dang-thing-in-the-water" quality?

Someday, someone, somewhere will curse your dead, dusty pile of bones if they have to repair a broken plank and you use rivets.

That said, they can build their own damn boat if they don't like it, and I actually agree- rivets look cool.

If you have trouble finding rivets that size, you can usually find copper nails of the correct size. (Snip the ends and you're good to go.)

-Cullen

[JimD]

Does that clarify things?

Yup! And my answer (drum roll, please) was gonna be if the frames are deep enough to hold a screw then I'd screw, if not, then rivet. Perhaps it all comes down to whether or not you want someone to someday curse your pile of dead, dusty bones

[Ross M]

I would strongly consider rivets - largely because my betters said so (IMO): Repost "Screws vs. Rivets"

Ross

[scepticus]

Originally posted by Cullen T.M. McGough:
Someday, someone, somewhere will curse your dead, dusty pile of bones if they have to repair a broken plank and you use rivets.

I thought rivets were much prefered over screws when it came to removing and refastening. Just grind off the peened part and punch the sucker out. Whereas with screws, the head has to be cleaned sufficiently to get a driver into it (thus the reason slotted screws seem to be much prefered over any other drive type) and the screw threads will have damaged the fastened-to member such that a larger screw will be required to replace.

[Jim Budde]

Thanks, folks. And Cullen, Norm has set the bar so high in Nebraska that even "just get the dang thing in the water quality" implies Smithsonian accuracy and and attention to detail.

Will give rivets a shot .. can always change my mind and go back to screws

[NormMessinger]

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