Rivets for mast steps

[Daverw]

Yes used 5mm for spreaders replaced last year

 

[vyv_cox]

However, I would be surprised if your spars are part "aluminium" and part stainless, which is why it is normal practice to use Monel where dissimilar metals are involved.

Plenty of stainless fittings on my spars.

 

[PCUK]

A mate recently bought a cheap rivet gun that fits in a cordless drill. It works well on normal small diameter rivets but. I don't know how it would work with big sizes. Maybe worth looking at though. If I remember I'll try it on a 4mm monel on Monday.

 

[penberth3]

A mate recently bought a cheap rivet gun that fits in a cordless drill. It works well on normal small diameter rivets but. I don't know how it would work with big sizes. Maybe worth looking at though. If I remember I'll try it on a 4mm monel on Monday.

Cheap, you say? Let me guess how good it is!

 

[patrigo]

I have found, over the years, that rivnuts are a better proposition than rivets. They are stronger than plain rivets, and can be removed easily. Material and corrosion resistance has been covered adequately above.

 

[Boathook]

A mate recently bought a cheap rivet gun that fits in a cordless drill. It works well on normal small diameter rivets but. I don't know how it would work with big sizes. Maybe worth looking at though. If I remember I'll try it on a 4mm monel on Monday.

So how did it work on the 4mm monel rivets ?

 

[Captain Jan]

A long & interesting discussion. as I am considering mast steps myself. However, has anyone good or bad experience of simply using stainless steel self tappers?

 

[vyv_cox]

A long & interesting discussion. as I am considering mast steps myself. However, has anyone good or bad experience of simply using stainless steel self tappers?

I think the biggest problem might be the damage they will do to halyards.

 

[NormanS]

A long & interesting discussion. as I am considering mast steps myself. However, has anyone good or bad experience of simply using stainless steel self tappers?

I have two masts. I made steps for the mizzen, and started with the mast still up, to fit them from a bosun's chair. Knowing how difficult it would be to rivet them from a bosun's chair, I drilled and tapped (IIRC 5mm). The mast wall thickness meant that I wasn't convinced that I would trust my life to the tapped holes, and so I gave up, and subsequently dropped the mast, and fitted the steps using Monel rivets.
When I came to do the mainmast, I bought folding stainless steps, and fixed them using Monel rivets. My opinion is that rivets are more secure than a tapped hole in a relatively thin section.