# ? How To: ? Applying JB Weld on a rivet?



## zeedogg (Sep 6, 2011)

Topic says it all...

After stripping, sanding, cleaning, sanding and cleaning again, I have a bare, clean rivet, that leaks. What is the best way to apply the JB Weld to this rivet?

Any pictures or a you tube video or anything personal hands on would help.

1. I don't want to over use it.
2. I don't want to do it wrong.
3. I don't want to do it again.


Thanks for reading. Any one have insight?


~ Erik


----------



## Ictalurus (Sep 6, 2011)

Fixing things with JB Weld just happens to be my specialty :wink: 

I've patched several leaky rivets on my boats with JB Weld and have never had a problem. I've prepped the same way you've described. Coat the rivet once with JBW, get a pretty good coat on there and let it dry. Follow it up with another coat and then sand to desired smoothness, then prime, paint or whatever. If you are putting a floor on and won't see the interior river, dab some on there as well. You should be good to go. Others may chime in with advice as well. I don't have any rivet pictures on habd, but here are some JBW repairs I made on my transom.


----------



## zeedogg (Sep 6, 2011)

Thank you for the reply. It actually sounds as though what I was about to do, was basically right. Quick question though, based on your photo;

Is that a flat surface on the transom there? Where the rivet is "raised" from the actual aluminum hull, is your JB Weld applied in a 
way that "hides" the bump of the rivet? This is the part that confuses me.


----------



## Ictalurus (Sep 6, 2011)

No rivets in the transom, just wanted to show that you don't need to goop it on too heavy, a few light coats work best. I've never tried to hide the bump of the rivet, just sand a nice little hump on there and it should be fine.


----------



## zeedogg (Sep 6, 2011)

just a drip or two on the tip of the rivet, then sorta let it "melt" down to the hull? forming a seal, then apply again after it cures, then sand/paint ?


----------



## BassBlaster (Sep 6, 2011)

A couple hammers and a buddy will tighten that rivet right up and is a permanent fix. JB Weld is just a bandaid. Might as well fix it the right way especially since its so simple.

Just hold a hammer against the flat side of the rivet and give a couple good whacks on the head of it with the other hammer. The buddy is only needed if you cant reach both sides of the rivot yourself.


----------



## GTS225 (Sep 6, 2011)

Just a tip for using JBWeld.
I talked with the company at one time, and was advised that one can thin out JB with mineral spirits, as much as 50%. (2:1 mix of weld to spirits.) I was looking at making it more "pourable", so as to use it for a sample part for casting into aluminum.

Thinning it out would surely help getting it into the leak area, assuming re-bucking the rivet doesn't help.

Roger


----------



## zeedogg (Sep 6, 2011)

Well I was bored and am still not sure how I want to go about the rivets, I took another pass at them with acetone and you wouldn't believe the amount of paint that came out again! Geez....


----------



## BassBlaster (Sep 6, 2011)

You only have one leaky rivot, correct? Rebuck it and Steelflex the bottom of the boat. Problem solved!!


----------



## zeedogg (Sep 6, 2011)

Weeellll..... I have several leaky rivets. I filled my boat up with water, and crawled under there to circle any leaking... Needless to say the bottom of the boat looked like I pained it black =\

Luckily it's only a 1032 jon and nothing in it at all, just benches from the factory. Boat is about '96 I might guess, Maybe earlier. Sears Gamefisher


----------



## BassBlaster (Sep 6, 2011)

Oh, your first post made it seem like only one rivot. I would still rebuck or replace if you plan to keep the boat more than a couple years. Rebucking is very simple. Since you have a bunch of them, I would pass on the two hammers method and purchase an air hammer. I got one at Harbor freight for 13 bucks. It came with several bits and I turned one of them into a bucking bit in about 5 minutes. I can post more on that if your interested. It will require a buddy though. It takes about 5 seconds to rebuck a rivot.

jigngrub has posted a thousand posts on replacing rivots with blind pop rivots. It requires a special tool as well and epoxy. I still dont feel like it's the best method but its definately better than just gooping some JB Weld over them. If your interested in his method it shouldnt be hard to find his links.


----------



## zeedogg (Sep 6, 2011)

Well there isn't a lot of time left for me to fish this year, with fall fast approaching. In the spring/summer next year I will use it again until this time.

I hope to then upgrade the boat to hopefully a 14/48 and plan to fully mod it out. That or find a really great deal on a bass tracker? It will all depend on how the money is. So in the short term, no I don't "plan" to keep this around forever, but at the same time, who knows in a couple years...


----------



## BassBlaster (Sep 6, 2011)

I hear ya. I dont "plan" to keep mine more than a few years either. I too would like to find a deal on a Bass Tracker or a good used 16' jon but with an 8 month old and a pregnant wife, not to mention the adoption were currently going through for our 4 year old, monies tight and I think my little boat could be around for awhile. That being said, I'm taking my time and doing everything right so it dosnt cost me more money down the road. I'm thinking it may be more valueable when it comes time to resell as well because of my work but that could just be my imagination, lol.


----------



## zeedogg (Sep 6, 2011)

I've been reading about the SteelFlex you mentioned... I can't quite pinpoint the function of this stuff. Is it like "truck bed liner" stuff, but for inside a boat, basically? Just coat the bottom of the boat from the inside? It's only a 1032 so I bet I could get away with using 1/2 gallon?

Hey, a well maintained used boat will get more than a cheaply fixed used boat. So I agree with you there! hahaha


----------



## BassBlaster (Sep 6, 2011)

No its not like bedliner at all. Its a 2 part epoxy that gets very hard and dries very slick but remains flexable. It goes on the outside of the boat. It requires a little prep but it sounds like your allready prepped if you wanted to go that route. Dosnt need any primer, just apply to bare aluminum. Checkout the "Everything Steelflex" thread to get all the info on it.


----------



## jigngrub (Sep 7, 2011)

Goo and paint are only temporary fixes for leaky rivets... and so is rebucking an already weakened rivet.


----------



## Ictalurus (Sep 7, 2011)

Zeedog, how many rivets do you have leaking? If it's under 15 or 20, I'd still fix with JB Weld. 

BassBlaster, why do you think the JB Weld is not the best fix (considering time and money)? I agree that replacing the rivets and air hammering in would be "factory" fix, but for a few here does it seem worth it?


----------



## acabtp (Sep 7, 2011)

Fixing it right by rebucking the rivet is free since most people already have 2 hammers, or a hammer and a sledge or whatever. I don't know why more tin boaters do not just do it the right way, we are cheap!

JB weld is a less effective solution both from a time and money viewpoint... it takes longer to mix and apply to a leaky rivet than a couple hammer taps does, you have to wait for it to cure to see if it holds water, and you are using a consumable material in the process which you had to buy!


----------



## Ictalurus (Sep 7, 2011)

acabtp said:


> Fixing it right by rebucking the rivet is free since most people already have 2 hammers, or a hammer and a sledge or whatever. I don't know why more tin boaters do not just do it the right way, we are cheap!
> 
> JB weld is a less effective solution both from a time and money viewpoint... it takes longer to mix and apply to a leaky rivet than a couple hammer taps does, you have to wait for it to cure to see if it holds water, and you are using a consumable material in the process which you had to buy!



I've read that:



jigngrub said:


> Goo and paint are only temporary fixes for leaky rivets... and so is rebucking an already weakened rivet.


----------



## BassBlaster (Sep 7, 2011)

Ictalurus said:


> Zeedog, how many rivets do you have leaking? If it's under 15 or 20, I'd still fix with JB Weld.
> 
> BassBlaster, why do you think the JB Weld is not the best fix (considering time and money)? I agree that replacing the rivets and air hammering in would be "factory" fix, but for a few here does it seem worth it?


If were only considering time and money, I can rebuck a rivot before you can get your pack of JB Weld opened and I can replace a rivot or at least be very close to finished in the time it takes you to mix yours up. As far as money goes, It cost me $13 for my air hammer, I made a bucking bit from one of the bits that came with it. I get the rivots local by the pound at $6 a pound. Theres a whole lotta rivots in a pound. So I guess my way costs a few dollars more but were talking a few bucks for a permanent proper fix rather than a fix that will need to be fixed again. This assumes one allready has a compressor to run the air hammer. If not, go borrow one. Everyone knows someone with a compressor. It dosnt have to be fancy. Mine is a little small 5 gal pancake compressor that is better suited for airing up tires. I cant buck rivots back to back to back but I'm not building boats, just fixing leaky rivots. It dosnt kill me to have to wait a couple minutes after a few rivots for the compressor to catch up.


----------



## Ictalurus (Sep 7, 2011)

Thanks Bassblaster that sounds very reasonable. That was my problem with the whole thing, I have no air compressor :shock: So by the time I get all of that equipment i'm looking at $200 in stuff. I gues I'm just a JB Weld fan and I beleive it's just that, a weld, which seems to hold very well and I've had zero problems with leaky rivets that have been fixed with it. Plenty of ways to skin a cat!


----------



## BassBlaster (Sep 7, 2011)

I agree theres many ways to do things and I'm also a fan of JB Weld. I just dont think its the best fix for rivots when rivots are so simple to repair or replace.

I used to race round track, just entry level compact classes. I had a guy get turned in front of me going into 1 and I drove into him hard. Busted the plastic radiator tank in my car. I went home and scuffed up the cracks in the tank real good and gave all of them a coatng of JB Weld. I raced the rest of the season and never had a problem!! :mrgreen:

For the record, there is JB Weld on my boat, just not on the rivots. When I was completely finished with everything and all prepped to Steelflex, I discovered a very small pinhole that I hadnt noticed before. I cleaned it up real good and hit it with JB Weld, then scuffed up the JBW and Steelflexed it all. I wasnt going back to the welder for a pinhole and it was right in the corner so drilling it out and putting a rivot there wasnt an option.


----------



## Ictalurus (Sep 8, 2011)

BassBlaster, I agree with you on all counts, didn't mean to come off the wrong way. Drilling out and replacing rivets is obviuosly the best way to go, if I had all the equipment it would be a no brainer. But, for a few rivets, the JB Weld is miracle stuff for the weekend warrior. I've also used it on radiators, bought an old Mercury Cougar for $170 and with a little elbow grease it ran for two years!


----------



## BassBlaster (Sep 8, 2011)

No worries, I didnt take anything the wrong way. Everyone has thier own way of doing things and I always post what I feel is the best way. Dosnt mean I'm right though, lol.


----------



## zeedogg (Sep 8, 2011)

I really appreciate everyone's input and passion. It really gives perspective on everything.

I was wanting to have the boat in the water this weekend, but I don't know if that's going to be possible.

I could do the whole, 2 hammers thing or the JB Weld at this point. I do not have an air hammer, nor a compressor. I asked my uncle and neighbor (bout the only 2 people that would have one that I know) and well, neither have one. So, for the time factor, I'll try the hammer idea with my brother.

I'll refill the boat, check for leaks, if any (all?) still leak then, I'll patch it with JB Weld.


How can I go about finding any Tin members from Illinois? More specifically central Illinois... Would be nice to find a local buddy that shares the same interests/goals.


----------



## IrishLegend (Sep 9, 2011)

BassBlaster, I would like to see your air hammer bit conversions if you have some pics and an explanation of how you did it. Gotta love harbor freight.


----------



## BassBlaster (Sep 9, 2011)

All I did was purchase the air hammer that comes with 9 bits from Harbor Freight for $12.99. I took the pointed bit and cut the end off it so it was flat. I then center punched the end of the bit to keep a drill bit from walking and started drilling the end of the bit with a 1/2" drill bit to get the dish shape. I used a rivot for test fitting to get some what close. I then put the air hammer bit in my drill and spun it while using emory cloth and sandpaper to smooth it up. Be careful drilling, you dont want to get too deep. If you cant get the exact countour, its better for the bit to be making contact with the center of the rivot rather than the edges. You can get it very close with the emory cloth though.

Hope that explains it and if you need a pic, I can go out and get one later this eveing or tomorrow.

For the record, someone else posted this before me, this wasnt my idea. It works very well though and takes about 5 or 10 minutes to make!!


----------



## IrishLegend (Sep 10, 2011)

Bass Blaster thanks sounds easy enough


----------

