Rivets - Aluminium or stainless?

[Hunter34]

Just about to go up the mast to fit a scanstrut mount for a JRC1500 radome but I am not sure what type of rivets I need.I am a little worried about using stainless as the mast is white and will no doubt corrode.Where I am in France it is impossible to buy Duralac so will aluminium rivets be strong enough or is there something else I can use as a barrier instead of Duralac (mastic?)

Thanks in advance

Andrew



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[Talbot]

You should be using Monel rivets. The ali are not strong enough, and the stainless will damage the mast.

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[tom52]

My scanstrut mount came supplied with rivets.

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[AndrewB]

Yes, monel (nickel-steel) is right, though these rivets are surprisingly expensive.

Duralac is a brand of zinc or barium chromate paste, which is available everywhere.

 

[brianhumber]

I agree - Monel with paste.

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[30boat]

If you drill and tap the mast for machine screws youll find that they will hold as well as rivets or maybe even better.It's better to use a coarse thread.Instead of Duralac use Loctite Stud lock wich should insulate the aluminium from the stainless and also keep them in place.When time comes to remove the screws a little heat with a hot air gun will soften the Loctite.This is how I always attach things to masts and it has worked well for me.

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[boatless]

Monel, paste. Sorry, don't know the translation, but it must be available there.

<hr width=100% size=1>my opinion is complete rubbish, probably.

 

[William_H]

Just one word of warning before you go up the mast check out your pop rivet pliers on the rivets you have chosen as many lighter pliers will not pull in and shear stainless or monel in 3/16 inch 4.5mm size. You will need the more powerfull lazy tongs I think they are called. regards will

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[Anchorite]

Accastillage Diffusion (chain of chandlers around French Atlantic and Med ) supplied me with MASTINOX 6856 H: made by PRC-DeSoto this is a Strontium Chromate paste (which gives French sailors the winning edge - and as used by Ellen M???). Price also has a leading edge: 21 Euros for a 160 ml tube. It must be good...

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[homerj]

Strontium Chromate can cause cancer. Read the data sheet before getting it on your skin or in your sandwiches. Deadly stuff !!!!!

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[Anchorite]

Re: Zinc chromate nasty, too

Occupational exposure limits are lower for Zinc chromate than Strontium chromate (which of course carries the may-cause-cancer warning). There is practically no marine maintenance product without a health warning of some sort. Just like most medecines...

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[wagenaar]

A Correction: Monel is not a steel. Monel is a mixture of nickel and copper. According to the textbook I ckecked, the composition is 65-70% Ni and 25-30% Cu. The remaining elements are Fe, Si, Mn, C, P and S. Considering the use, rivets, the amounts of other elements besides Ni and Cu will be low. One of the danger of rivets in my opinion is the metal used to deform the rivet. In the case of aluminium this is usually steel, which can corode the Al as well as start to rust and cause spots.

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