Question:
It seems I might have the opportunity to aquire a 85 to 89 Fisher. It
includes the 115 Merc, trolling motor with auto lift system, and all
the electronics. It is my old partners boat. The price would be
right. Now, in the past, I helped him replace a set of rivets on this
boat with bolts. It is one set about, if memory serves me(ha), 3/4
feet from the stern. He could barely reach them from the back with
the batterys removed. BTW, this boat looks like a fiberglass bass
boat but is alum. At the time we replaced them I told him to check
around at different shops that did aluminum work, like trailer repair
shops for advice on different types of rivets that could be used
effectivly. Now the big question. How about some advice from the
group on what to do with this set of bolts. I have seen repair shops
use some awfully large pop type rivets and then round the head, which
I was told also seals it, but have no other experience and that shop
is gone. Can any one help me out??
Answer:
- If you have to tear apart part of the boat to get at these rivets to
buck them, so be it- you need to be assured that the buck tails (the
upset end) of the rivets are done right. Remove and replace bad rivets
one at a time, so that your layers of sheet metal don't separate on you.
As you remove each rivet check to see if the new rivet fits the hole
snugly. If not, you'll need either an oversize rivet of that type, or
the next sized rivet.
If these are round head rivets, you either need a rivet set to fit the
head that goes into a rivet gun (an air hammer will do in a pinch, but
be sure to put a throttle valve on it so you dial the pressure down to a
managable level, or you'll smear the rivet.) or a relieved bucking bar
that goes on the head of the rivet while you drive the bucktail end with
the gun. Go slow, and make sure your partner bucking the rivets is
holding the bar tight to the rivet. If you drive the bucktail, use a
flat rivet set in the gun.
You will have to cut the rivets to length before installing them- about
3/16" beyond the skin so that when it's bucked properly you have about a
1/8" thick bucktail on the rivet. Be sure to cut the rivet off square or
you'll have the devil to pay to drive them straight.
Remember that each time you drive the rivet you will workharden it. So
try to drive your rivet all in one stroke.
If these are counter-sunk rivets, ensure the new rivet heads fit into
the countersink correctly- not sticking out beyond the edge, nor sunk
down into the countersink below the surface. You will have to take steps
to correct either of these conditions- either cutting more of the
countersink (a little at a time) or drilling an over size hole and
countersinking for the new sized rivet. And if the skin is too thin, it
can't be countersunk-it must be dimpled.
-this year we're moving close to
Lake Erie so next year I'm planning on buying a Fisher, probably a 17'
Sport Avenger with the walk through (has to double duty as a fishing
boat for me and a cruiser for the better half.)
