From: hlapa@Zeus.signalcorp.com
To: Land-Rover-Owner@uk.stratus.com
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 95 08:12:57 EST
Subject: Solid Rivets

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I have replaced several original solid rivets on my Series II with genuine L-R solid rivets, available (at lest a couple of years ago) from Rovers North. The correct way to remove the old ones, as any aviation metalsmith will tell you, is to drill them out from the head side. Drill size should match the rivet shank (i.e., same as the hole in the sheet metal the rivet goes through). Before putting drill bit to rivet head, centerpunch the head to create an easy starting point. Swivel the drill like a waist gunner in a B-17 if necessary to keep the tip of the bit headed down the centerline of the rivet as go drill. In theory, drill only far enough to penetrate completely through the head. If you've done it right, the head will pop off and ride up the drill bit. Then use a drift to punch out the remainder. If you insist on chiseling off the head, drill the head as described above first, and it'll pop off really easily.

Since Series L-R hole tolerances are not what they are in Phantoms or even P-47s, you may need to drill all the way through, because the shank expanded to fill an oversize or out-of-round hole.

Reinstalling new solid rivets is not hard if you have the feel of using a pneumatic gun. Try to get one with a pressure adjustment. If you're not used to it, it can get away from you quite easily and you could take out an unlucky bystander. They can be hammered by hand, but once you've gotten the hang of the air tool, it's too much fun to go back to primitive methods. Might be worth a trip to the local general aviation field to talk to an airframe mechanic.

Drilling from the tail side can be messy because rivets frequently lose their symmetry about the centerline on that end, tending to lean over to one side on a regular basis. After all, they were not installed in Solihull by guys who were building Vulcan bombers during the weekend.

I've long contemplated separating the galvanized gutter from the aluminum sheet roof panel of my 109, as part of the perpetual restoration, for regalvanizing. I assume the reattachment will be with aluminum (solid) aircraft rivets rather than the original (steel?) hollow-tails. There are so many of them, strength is not a worry, even for gutter-mounted expedition racks.

Regards,
Hank "We don't need no stinkin' Cherry-Max" Lapa