How do I remove Fishmaster Deck?

[meerkat]

Re: How do I remove Fishmaster Deck?

Thanks! I will probably use a combination of rivets and bolts.

 

[Gnarly]

Re: How do I remove Fishmaster Deck?

Meerkat, just one thing I thought I should add in the event you havent driven many solid rivets, Make sure you use an actual rivet gun with a teasing throttle rather than an air hammer, 4X would probably be best. You can cold work a rivet pretty easily if you hammer it too often with too light a gun and it will end up fracturing on you. The idea is to draw or just upset the rivet and then drive it in on fell swoop. Kind of like brp-brrrrrrrrp, what youre looking for is 2 diameters across and half a diameter high on the upset end. Nice round holes make for nice rivets.
Try not to put too many smiles into the rivet heads and your golden. Masking tape on the set is your friend!

You can always drill em out and wack em again

 

[meerkat]

Re: How do I remove Fishmaster Deck?

Gnarly, I have done many things but never driven rivets - and I would have used an air hammer. So thank you - good catch!

As far as the riveter is concerned, I did an on-line search & they sell for anything from $100 to $1000. I do not intend to go into business repairing boats so would something like this do the job?

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/topages/econorivguns.php

I am waiting for my aluminum sheet to arrive at the moment - so no rivets driven yet - so no damage done.

 

[Gnarly]

Re: How do I remove Fishmaster Deck?

No worries, the 4x gun is what you want and you'll need a set (dependant on rivet diameter measured in 32's so a #4 would be for a 4/32 or 1/8 diameter rivet 5= 5/32, 6/32 etc , most rivets (ad) will be 2117 series aluminum although if you can ,find some 5052 or other 50 series if available. You'll also need a bucking bar and a sense of humor.

try and set the regulator on the gun so that you can control it easily with the teasing throttle to deliver the blows from just a slow tap to a brrrrp, with the set pushed onto a 2x4 or some other wood while adjusting the throttle or trying to get the hang of it. Always use a spring to retain the set (.401 dia) and never touch the trigger until your ready to rivet (safety) the bucking bar should be reasonably heavy and pressed against the back side of the rivet with the gun and set held on the rivet head with the rivet head flush onto the material, never touch the throttle without the bar firmly against the rivet, you'll distort and damage the material.
Its gonna take some practice like anything else to get proficient with it so use some scrap and whack some stuff together before you attack the boat with it,
I feel bad and kinda wish I was there to give you a demo or two and a hand with it but like most skills a guy learns on his own once you get the hang of it you never lose it.

so to summarize , put some masking tape on the face of the set, it'll cushion the rivet heads a bit and your less likely to put smiles (damage) in the rivet heads, nice round holes are your friend and you'll have to experiment with the rivet length to finish with an upset rivet 2 diameters wide and a half diameter high, if your rivets are too long they'll dump on you (get pushed over to one side) dont worry you'll recognize it.
none of this is rocket science and Im sure you'll have no problem with any of it and if I can help feel free to shoot me a pm
cheers

 

[tjafab]

Re: How do I remove Fishmaster Deck?

You by any chance didn't take a picture of the interior of your boat before you added in the modifications, did you?

 

[meerkat]

Re: How do I remove Fishmaster Deck?

tjafab - please give me some more detail - what are you looking for? When you say interior - do you mean of the hull with all the decks removed? There are pictures posted showing the frame with the mods - the mods added were the extra cross brace (rib?) at the forward end, the two triangular pieces at the bow and welding all the existing cross braces (ribs?) to the stringers. Is this what you are looking for?

Gnarly - boat is all back together. Looks good. I took it out for a few hours and it did not leak a drop. Now we need to see what happens after a few sessions of rough water (and stress on the repairs). Hopefully it all works out. Many thanks for your help!

 

[Gnarly]

Re: How do I remove Fishmaster Deck?

Excellent!!
I'm glad it worked out well and am sure you have a stronger / better boat than when you started. Post up some pics if you get a chance