Another two carriers roll off the production line

[maple_leaf_eh]

Ammunition reloading presses have all sorts of deflection problems to bear in mind. A simple cheap C-press will be fine for very light duty steps, but to do heavier more crunchy steps, the only ones worth using have 2 guides bars and form a letter H. Something to keep in mind if you are going to fabricate a rivetter of your own.

[George McKenzie]

My friend riveted his carrier with a air hammer made by Power Fist for $40 It weights 6 LBS an comes with an assortment of tools of whitch you can convert one for round head rivets You need a helper to hold the back side with a heavy bar ,shaped to fit a round head rivet while the other end is hammered .This is a light tool ,will get into tight places and don't take much air George

[Philliphastings]

Thanks to all for the information being posted.

I had it in the back of my mind to 'cheat' so to speak and use Ht coach bolts to replace the two side panels on the scout carrier (farmer brown had literally cut plough blades out of both armour plates.

My question is -

Has anyone else taken the short cut with coach bolts and
once fitted up and painted, is it obvious that the heads don't match ?

I can rivet if it's absolutely necessary but it's not something I have the skills or equipment to do myself and I hate having to outsource anything.

Cheers

Phill

[Ron Pier]

Part of the front armour on my carrier had been replaced with round head bolts before it came to me. I might have done it differently had I been involved, but it doesn't notice enough for me to worry about. One observation though, I've noticed modern coach bolts have a flatter dome than the older type. I'd be more inclined to get my local engineer to make me some with the correct head shape.

[Philliphastings]

Hello Ron, thanks for the reply

I have looked at a lot of different sources for coack bots and as you say the dome is quite flat. One thought I had in mind was to machine the heads of all the bolts to replicate the rivet dome. A long and very tedious exercise but thats still a long way down the track.

Cheers

Phill

[Philliphastings]

sorry to hijack the thread and of course I meant to type 'Coach Bolts but i amd slightly dyslexic

Cheers

Phill

[kevin powles]

Hi, Get a 3/8" shank snap head (round head rivet) 1/2" long, drill it out to take a 5/16" BSF thread, tap it.

Take a 5/16" shank mushroom head rivet 1 1/2" long, and cut a 5/16" BSF thread.

Cut the mushroom head rivet length down to suit the thickness of plates you are joining together.Thread the two together, if you wind the snap head in with mole grips the mushroom head will bind as you turn.

This gives an exact apperance of the correct rivet, mushroom head to the outside of the carrier.

If you want to go a stage further, heat up each side of the rivet until cherry red and then hit it with a the correct rivet snap to give it the apperance of an applied rivet, i have found this is only really necessary for the snap head type rivet on the inside, just to give it that used look.

The outcome gives an exact replication of the carrier rivets on the front armour, every rivet will look spot on.

I have done all my front armour rivets like this.

Only draw back is it a bit time consuming preparing the rivets. I have a technique for holding the rivets for drilling and threading if any ones interested i will expand further. done 40 yesterday.

thank kevin.