[Healeys] Trunk/boot lip rivets

[Andy Thorp]

Thanks for the replies, I have a few ideas to try now.

First is to try one of the pneumatic aircraft riveters, the reason I didn't consider this previously is that I had misunderstood how they are supposed to work. I thought the cupped setter was to make the rivet stem rounded once installed but this isn't right. For the flat head rivets, they are driven from the headed side and bucked on the stem, rather than putting the buck on the head and driving the hammer into the stem to secure it. There may be room to get one of the narrow bucks inside the trunk lip so that will be the first attempt. This video helps explain things a bit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hB3rIECtxM

Second attempt is to make a set of squeezer pliers out of C-type vise grip pliers and weld on some flat ends to squeeze up the rivets, perhaps with some percussive assistance.


 "The real question comes down to
 is it work a couple hundred dollars to be “historically
 correct” for a few rivets?  Only you can make that
 decision. "

It isn't so much a matter of being historically correct, it is more a case of having to look at something for the next forty odd years and wish I'd taken a little more time to do it properly that one day back in 2016. The square headed rivets look very purposeful.

Andy.