aluminium louvre panel

[lyndon]

in the instructions/build manual for the Hawk it tells you to rivet the panels together, could someone recommend a rivet gun small enough to use which wont damage the alluminium or is there another way around this tricky job.
Lyndon.

[guy mayers]

Have the panels been painted yet Lyndon? I wouldn't fix them together until then but can't recall having had a problem with a normal rivet gun. I also seem to recall that the instructions call for the panels to be riveted to the nose panel. The original cars had ally strips riveted to the inside edges of the louvres that were then bent over the retaining lip on the nose panel to keep everything in place.
Guy

[chris.richard]

I think you mean about fixing the four panels to each other using the lines of holes on their edges - I can see that a pop riveter might not fit. Either nothing or a few nuts and bolts could be the answer.

[stewart]

I used stainless bolts and stainless nyloc bolts and put it all together after painting. Certainly a fiddly way to do it as they are jolly small, but best for taking apart again if necessary and for any necessary alignment adjustment.

cheers

[lyndon]

Thanks for your guidence , I will take Stuarts advice and use stainless nuts and bolts which will put off buying a new rivet gun as I broke mine this morning fitting one of the inner panels
Lyndon.

[chris.richard]

Originally posted by lyndon
which will put off buying a new rivet gun as I broke mine this morning fitting one of the inner panels


Funny, two weeks ago I broke my riveter fixing the inner wing panels too! 3/16 rivets proved too much for it and one of the little jaw pieces broke. You can get replacement jaws however. I also bought a big concertina type riveter which eats 3/16 rivets.