I have a new set of rootlieb fenders that I need to attach the mounting brackets. What is the best way to install the rivets without damaging the sheet metal or the rivet heads? I was thinking of using a press and making a die to conform to the rivet head. Let me know what has worked for you.
Thank you,
Todd
Todd, the die shaped like the rivet head will work. I set the rivets hot. This means it is a two man job at least, one to heat and pound the rivet after a second man has positioned the fender over the rivet.
The two top ones on the bead are easily accessed, as are the two on the inner skirt. On the outer lip it is much more difficult to get a buck in place to pound on and even more difficult to get a hammer to strike the rivet well. I have resorted to using what we call gutter bolts in Australia. These are round head bolts with thread all the way, rather than the square under the head. This is one place where a Phillips head is a benefit, as it is easily filled with bondo when you have things buttoned up.
Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.
I bought a set of '17 T fenders and used carriage bolts with the square ground off. Then I took a grinder and cut the rest of the bolt off flush with the nut.
Worked for me.
My 25 Speedster had new Rootlieb front fenders. I ground carriage bolt heads until they were the same size as the rivets on other T fenders. Figuring what to use was the easy part! The hard part for me was adjusting everything until I was confident enough of the bracket placement to drill the first hole in that new expensive fender!
Restoration supply co. has sort allen head screws with a round or oval nut that goes on top that looks just like a rivet .
I've also seen round allen screws used from the local ACE hardware store used put nut on bottom side fill the hole in the screw with JB Weld after you tighten it up then file or sand looks just like a rivet....
You don't have to worry about bending your new fenders with a hammer while driving hot rivets.... Pretty easy fix.
Thanks for the ideas. I may try installing the rivet and welding it to the bracket. That may be the cleanest and safest way to do it. I'll experiment with the old fenders first!
I find it amazing that they could produce 1.000s of these parts/cars per day. I would love to have seen how they did some of these operations. True craftsmen.
Thank you,
Todd
Be careful to not blow through the new fender, don't ask how I know?
Its not as hard to do as you might think. If I can do it anyone can. I bought fender rivets from Snyders and I believe Langs and Macs sell them also. I used an old fender for practice to build my confidence and it worked pretty well.
I blocked the fender in an upright position on my workbench with a piece of steel block for a backup against the head of the rivet.
With the new rivet in place and protruding out the correct length I heated ONLY the protruding length cherry red and braded it down.
After looking at several fenders where the fenders were riveted you can see some look a little different from others. The first thing I did was to use some short bolts the same size of the rivets and bolted the bracket in place in the correct position.
This way you can install a rivet one at a time as you remove each bolt.
This was all done by myself. The head of the rivet didnt dent hardly at all and if it did I gently filed it smooth. You cant tell at all after it was smoothed up.
I think Ford used rivets with a more flattened head at times and all the rivet heads on all the fenders I looked at seemed to differ very slightly so it depended who was setting
the rivets or running the rivet machine if it was done by machine. But thats my opinion.
Try Restorationsupplycompany.com they have a selection of these fully threaded fake rivets in lots of different sizes!!
My approach would be to insert the rivets and secure them with a plate and a c-clamp compressing the bracket and plate. Then just braze the extended rivet to the bracket.
quote:I find it amazing that they could produce 1.000s of these parts/cars per day. I would love to have seen how they did some of these operations. True craftsmen.