rivets loose on corners

The rivets are loose on the corner pieces of the frame that hold crossmembers, do they need to be drilled out & replaced ?

They don't have to be, but re-doing them will help stiffen up the boat.

To really stiffen the boat, take it all apart and glue it back together with new rivets.

A search of the forums will give you more info on gluing boats together.

I have heard about that, some use epoxy, how about JB Weld ? It seems harder than epoxy ??

I think epoxy would be considerable less expensive and easier to work with. Use WEST System and mix with one of their thickening agents to a peanut butter consistency.

Epoxy breaks down under heat (propane torch), so it's possible to get the thing apart if you really have to.

Go with West System or something simliar - plenty strong. Don`t use hobby epoxies - they aren`t very good and cure too fast and can shrink a lot as they cure.

JBWeld certainly is great stuff, but it is probably not well-suited to this job. JBWeld is really just an epoxy (as i understand it) with a metal filler to better resist abrasive wear and tear. It also has additives that give it incredible heat resistance. So, it may be more permanent than neccessary for this job. (ie.) The frame may never come apart with the standard "torch" treatment.


Dave