Do I have to heat solid rivits b4 use?

[Bmikkalson]

Hi, I want to use some solid rivits. My buddy got them from work and says the mechanics heat them before they use them? The rivits are aluminum.

[anders nørgaard]

Hi Ben,
No, heating small rivets 1/4" < shouldn't be necessary ;)

[bzunker]

Hello. It has been nearly thirty years since I have worked in aircraft repair so my memory is a little fuzzy. I am sure other aircraft mechanics will correct me. What I recall is there is a rivet with a raised dimple on the head that is referred to as "ice-box" rivets. What that means is the rivets will age harden over a short period of time and needs to be reheat-treated before use and can be life extended by keeping in the "ice-box". I think the material number was 2017 and 2024. The problem with the rivets if they get hard is the shop head will fracture upon installation regardless of size. I never used these rivets intentionally but did get some mixed in the rivet box.

The rivets we always used for structural work had an inverted dimple on the head and do not require heat treatment. The material number for those rivets is 2117 I think.

There is another rivet that has no markings on the head for non-structural work and I think the material number is 1100 for soft-pure aluminum.

One more rivet has two dash marks on the head and they are magnesium material and used only on magnesium. Get them mixed in the rivet box and they cause the others to corrode.

Hope this is correct information and it is of help to you. Bob.

[Bmikkalson]

Hello. It has been nearly thirty years since I have worked in aircraft repair so my memory is a little fuzzy. I am sure other aircraft mechanics will correct me. What I recall is there is a rivet with a raised dimple on the head that is referred to as "ice-box" rivets. What that means is the rivets will age harden over a short period of time and needs to be reheat-treated before use and can be life extended by keeping in the "ice-box". I think the material number was 2017 and 2024. The problem with the rivets if they get hard is the shop head will fracture upon installation regardless of size. I never used these rivets intentionally but did get some mixed in the rivet box.

The rivets we always used for structural work had an inverted dimple on the head and do not require heat treatment. The material number for those rivets is 2117 I think.



There is another rivet that has no markings on the head for non-structural work and I think the material number is 1100 for soft-pure aluminum.

One more rivet has two dash marks on the head and they are magnesium material and used only on magnesium. Get them mixed in the rivet box and they cause the others to corrode.

Hope this is correct information and it is of help to you. Bob.


Geez I thought I was confused b4. hahah. Thanks for the info Ben sounds like I just need to get "standard" cold rivits..

[scranm]

where is a good place to buy rivets ?

[rexrogers]

Mcmaster Carr has a good selection. or you can go through Spruce East an aircraft supplier. I am sure there are plenty of other places. for steel rivets ether your local implement dealer or mcmaster carr
the 1100 aluminum rivets buck great but be careful once you start running a few rivets you'll end up wanting to put them in every thing.

[oldgoaly]

Old tyme hardware stores had them but most of them are gone, for odd ball stuff http://www.bigflatsrivet.com/ real nice people a Mom and Pop store, I would see them at Hershey, if they didn't have it there they would look when they got back home a week later here are the rivets just like the old ones. Lots of stuff they don't show in the catalog. tt;)

[Peter Miles]

As many of the responders have said, where you go depends upon what type of rivits you are wanting to use. One source for large head aluminum rivits is truck trailer manufacturing and repair companies. Those big aluminum boxes use some really nice large head rivits if that is the look that you want to achieve.

[welderboy]

Try the Byler Rivet Co. on-line

[Bmikkalson]

old tyme hardware stores had them but most of them are gone, for odd ball stuff http://www.bigflatsrivet.com/ real nice people a mom and pop store, i would see them at hershey, if they didn't have it there they would look when they got back home a week later here are the rivets just like the old ones. Lots of stuff they don't show in the catalog. Tt;)


awsome link!!!!!

[Sollis]

Hi, I want to use some solid rivits. My buddy got them from work and says the mechanics heat them before they use them? The rivits are aluminum.


if you rivet stronger then a part you making you may have a hart time to control the riveting job as example if you riveting 60 thousands aluminum with 2017t rivets you will probably make some damage on the panel from trying to squeeze that rivet ,the softies rivet is 1100 with a plain head it can hold shear strength 10000 psi , and yes you can anneal the rivets with heat

[bill wallace]

Ok. For years in the aircraft industry there were rivets that required heat soaks & then they were put on ice to retard going back to the pre annealed state & they were refered to as ice box rivets. These rivets were marked on the head with either a raised dot( d rivet ) or two raised dashes (dd rivets). The rivets were driven after the soak in a annealed state. However- now there are rivets that have the same strength that no longer have to be annealed to be driven. So if you find some older rivet stock that the rivets have the above heads they will require annealing but I dont think you will find many places using these older style rivets.