Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra
Here's a handy tool for rivetting tanks
|
Hi Hanno,
Great picture and I really appreciate you finding and posting it here. That's the kind of squeezer I was talking about (M3 Medium tank too). The one I've seen in a bit of movie footage of a similar arsenal only had a narrow throat maybe 4", this one has a huge thoat it appears. I've read that a 3/4" hot rivet requires 28ton (Google should locate a calculator). But Martyn's only talking 1/4 - 3/8th" at a guess so doesn't have to be so hefty. If a frame could be fabricated along with suitable rivet snaps, and an electric-hydraulic powerpack and a suitable jack to match could be borrowed from some place like a truck or other heavy equipment workshop, or even hired from any hire shop, then that would be far less effort than bashing them. The hull would generally be riveted from bottom working upward so with planning a wide throat may not be necessary. A couple of days with the right gear and it might all be done!
That makes it all sound so easy - but gauging the right amount of pressure would require some practice on something less important.
And Ledsel is right re the minimal safety gear. I've hardly ever seen eye protection in old pics except in the super high risk jobs. They might have used some cotton wool stuffed in their ears.
Regards
Alex
[Grant, Val, Ferret, WM20, CMP's]