[Grant Bowker]

The first sub-parts attached to the main sheet were the diagonal braces at the top of the opening. Installing these first let us use them to position the lateral stiffening brace and confirm its fit to the hinges and reinforcement straps. When it came to riveting the hinges to the gate, several experiments were made to try techniques. Although the original rivets were probably installed cold with a squeezer set-up we had to do one at a time. We were limited by several factors - my rivet gun is only rated to 3/16" steel rivets so we had to do without the nicer teasing control and use an "ordinary" air hammer. Even the heavier air hammer wouldn't do the 5/15 rivets cold so we had to heat each rivet to a toasty red, insert it in the holes of stacked hinge, tailgate sheet and reinforcing strap then grab our home-made bucking bar (made from a cast iron snow plow wear shoe) and use the air hammer on the rivet to make the shop head. Once the rivets were installed, the braces were welded into place. The holes for taillight visibility still need layout and creation - later. Also needed are the installation of the previously made hooks and cleats for tie down of the tarp.