Re-riveting know how?

[rob love]

Quite frankly, if a jackstand collapsed, and the vehicle fell and pinned me, I would be happy if she even happenned by the shop within the first day or two. A workshop (to me) is as much a place of solitude as it is a place to get things done.

[jack neville]

My son Jake and I spent a whole week rerivetting the chassis of my Marmon Herrington gun tractor back together after striping two complete chassis, sandblasting the best bits and fabricating a replica inner skin. I got 7/16 size rivets from a company in the States which are slightly bigger than the original size rivets. The whole chassis was bolted together first and then each bolt taken out in turn and replaced with a rivet. We made a few different spacers using big bolts and screwing the nut onto the rivet or jacks or whatever was suitable to hold the rivet head in tight while we used an oxy to heat the shat and then peened them over with a hammer and dressed them finally with a home made tool. Went together quite solidly although because Jake is a builder he did all the hammering. It was quite satisfying to know it should never rust. One thing I hate on restored vehicles is seeing rust scale between chassis rails or bulging rust scale painted over.

[lallat]

I have a friend who has completely dismantled a civilian truck chassis and assembled it using wheel studs. He searched until he found the correct diameter. Most cases they would have to be cut to length. These were then driven into the prepared holes, the fluting on the studs enabling a tight fit, and nuts tightened up. The head of the wheel stud resembles a rivet head.
This guy is fastidious with his work and his restoration is second to none.

[Andy Cusworth]

Hi Tony,

I know wew were discussing this earlier but just thought, I agree bolting is just as strong if you do the right prep and use the right tensile bolts but if you rally want the riveted look instead of making your own which after doing this job you may never use again why not try the nearest Steam Railway enthusiast workshops as you may be able to take your chassis on a trailer and get the job done.... maybe Gympie Rattlers lads could be a starting point or the Wood Museum/Coalmine museum as they must do repairs and riveting inhouse..... or know a man that can !