OK it is time to skin my chassis. The question is do I glue on the panels on the exterior and have lots of pop rivet heads showing - which could look quite mean, or, messy depending on how you feel about these things. Or bend it round, which is cleaner. Thoughts please. Exterior does mean you can pop rivet bracing too. How do exterior panels and rivets go on SVA??
Cheers

Im thinking about the same thing. I dont think rivets are an SVA issue. Im not to sure about which i prefer. Panels folded over does look neater but i also like the 50's look of rivets on the outside.

Exactly, SVA wise I do remember sombody talking about little inserts for the centre of rivet heads and don't know if this was SVA, cosmetic, or.. just my memory playing up.....

It's worth using sikaflex and rivets- you'll increase the chassis rigidity.

Personally for the bottom of the ali panel I'd fold them over then rivet from underneath.

Rivets are no problems for SVA.

It's worth considering using closed rivets for the chassis rivets. If you use normal open rivets water can get in through the holes in the middle of them and rot the chassis tubes from the inside out. You can seal them with a smear of silicone sealant but using closed rivets in the first place seems a better solution to me!! You really need a compressor powered rivet gun for closed rivets though...... Hand powered rivet guns will struggle....

rivets everywhere, love em looks proper race car then

quote:

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Originally posted by BenB
It's worth using sikaflex and rivets- you'll increase the chassis rigidity.

Personally for the bottom of the ali panel I'd fold them over then rivet from underneath.

Rivets are no problems for SVA.

It's worth considering using closed rivets for the chassis rivets. If you use normal open rivets water can get in through the holes in the middle of them and rot the chassis tubes from the inside out. You can seal them with a smear of silicone sealant but using closed rivets in the first place seems a better solution to me!! You really need a compressor powered rivet gun for closed rivets though...... Hand powered rivet guns will struggle....

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Personal preference.. About where to have you rivets.. Personally like clean looking side panels, so bent them over..

If you have not got you rivets I would have a chat to primary fastener http://www.prifast.co.uk/
great guy he will sort you out with decent multi grip Avex rivets (these are sealed even though they are not "closed" rivets), as opposed to the cheap pop type.. He also sells a half decent hand rivet tool to pull them as well..

Dan

[Edited on 21/4/08 by Bluemoon]

Hi did somebody mention loads of RIVETS. It's not a proper car unless it's got a min of 4000 in.



Description [/img]

Cheers Matt

Nice... Like the look 8d spacing spot on!..

Dan

^^^

that looks so

Im sure Landrover shells have lots of rivets on the outside holding them together?

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Originally posted by oldtimer
Exactly, SVA wise I do remember sombody talking about little inserts for the centre of rivet heads and don't know if this was SVA, cosmetic, or.. just my memory playing up.....

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quote:

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Originally posted by foes

quote:

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Originally posted by BenB
It's worth using sikaflex and rivets- you'll increase the chassis rigidity.

Personally for the bottom of the ali panel I'd fold them over then rivet from underneath.

Rivets are no problems for SVA.

It's worth considering using closed rivets for the chassis rivets. If you use normal open rivets water can get in through the holes in the middle of them and rot the chassis tubes from the inside out. You can seal them with a smear of silicone sealant but using closed rivets in the first place seems a better solution to me!! You really need a compressor powered rivet gun for closed rivets though...... Hand powered rivet guns will struggle....

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Yep, closed rivets for sure, mine were supplied by ian gray at stuart taylor 4.8mm large head jobbies, all rivetted by hand

I went through the same dilema for weeks, but ended up going for folded edges and rivetting from underneath and inside so no rivets are visible on the exterior, looks much neater i must say.

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Would one of these make it easier?

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/cht132-lazy-tongs-riveter/path/staplers-riveters-2

Or would you already be using one?

quote:

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Originally posted by procomp
Hi did somebody mention loads of RIVETS. It's not a proper car unless it's got a min of 4000 in.



Description [/img]

Cheers Matt

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I have lazy tongs, brill but you have to rememeber to pull them towards you when the rivet is about to snap as otherwise the tong will smack the car and leave a dent

quote:

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Originally posted by Dangle_kt

quote:

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Originally posted by procomp
Hi did somebody mention loads of RIVETS. It's not a proper car unless it's got a min of 4000 in.



Description [/img]

Cheers Matt

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LOVE IT!

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Though not in the same league rivet number wise I thought this side pod turned out well, used counter sunk rivets.
Rescued attachment side pod.jpg

What's the idiot way of spacing the rivets so they look evenly spaced ?

Seem to recall being at a pub meet in 2002 (ish) and someone saying that you make up a sliding jig using some wood or steel and .....

my memory goes blank at this point.


(and yes, that does look pretty damn fine Matt. Seem to recall someone on here had problems with the locost formula for doing something similar in its early days. People where complaining it made the chassis a monocoque or something).

^ a peice of metal (angle perhaps to get the right spacing both on the tube and between rivets?) with 2 holes in it at the correct distance apart? drill, put something in the new hole and the one in the angle, drill through the next hole, etc

quote:

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Originally posted by MikeR
What's the idiot way of spacing the rivets so they look evenly spaced ?

Seem to recall being at a pub meet in 2002 (ish) and someone saying that you make up a sliding jig using some wood or steel and .....

my memory goes blank at this point.


(and yes, that does look pretty damn fine Matt. Seem to recall someone on here had problems with the locost formula for doing something similar in its early days. People where complaining it made the chassis a monocoque or something).

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You could make a jig but i used a pair of dividers .I just scribed a line 1/2 inch from the edge of panel and then decided on the spacing and marked out with dividers and centre punch, its a bit slower but by the time you have made a jig and set it up probably not much more work.Just remember to mark out the back of the panels as it takes a lot of polishing to remove scriber marks.
I made the panels flat on the side of the car rather than overlapping the tubes as i thought it would be more rigid than a folded panel secured the opposite side of the tube, also much easier to do and the rivets dont look out of place on a seven .
Paul.

quote:

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Originally posted by MikeR
What's the idiot way of spacing the rivets so they look evenly spaced ?

Seem to recall being at a pub meet in 2002 (ish) and someone saying that you make up a sliding jig using some wood or steel and .....

my memory goes blank at this point.


(and yes, that does look pretty damn fine Matt. Seem to recall someone on here had problems with the locost formula for doing something similar in its early days. People where complaining it made the chassis a monocoque or something).

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Hi Paulf,

Yep rivets on the outside of the side panels probably increases chassis stiffness particularly if you rivet all tubes as pro comps pic. If you put them on the fold so you can't see them I doubt it adds any more stiffness at all.

Dan

There's a tool that looks like the expanding bit of a lazy tongs riveter with a hole in every pivot.

It's used in aircraft construction, but I believe they use proper (solid) rivets.

Paul G

If you think you have it hard, just look what is involved in building a kit plane, all those panels riveted by hand and no dents allowed
Rescued attachment kit plane.jpg

^^^^^^^ What! no balsa?






Rivet spacer pic
Rescued attachment 12-11700.jpg

quote:

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Originally posted by 907
^^^^^^^ What! no balsa?






Rivet spacer pic

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the rivets you are looking for are called cherry max rivets they come from the states but 90% of the aircraft in the world use them so they are easy than you think to get hold of did a quick search on ebay for you and there are two guys on there selling them .sorry did not know how to link but just type cherry max rivet on your search . i ave them fitted to my car ,i chose to rivet mine with uni head type 5/32 ali use a 4.1 clearance drill and 3 to 4 in pitching's this should give the car some structural integrity .plus i wanted to give it a retro feel to the car asi could of used csk rivets instead ,i would not recommend you guys going any larger in dia as you will not have the equipment to pull the rivet do not try to use the steel ones as you need a special gun to pull them your ok with pop pliers from 5/32 4mm alu down 1/8 3.2 mm 3/32 2.5mm use a small amount of silkaset around the shank as this will stop any mostuoir getting in you should be left with a flush rivet you also have the correct lenght thease are measured 1/16 in 2mm there abouts . measure thickness of your sheet sides then the thickness of your tube add to gether this should be your length

1/16 = a 1 dash size the last didgets are the lenght on the part number look up cherry max rivets they can explain better than i .vin


[Edited on 21/4/08 by vinnievector]

So, thanks for all the imput.........I will be doing Rambo style exposed rivet heads!! I have never been one for clean looks so the SAS look it is! thanks for all the info.
Regards
Martin