Batten pocket rivet fix

Hey Everyone,

I tried doing my research before creating another post, but need to replace some rivets in a batten pocket on my Hobie 18 sail. I've heard there are different styles of pockets but mine is the old one with rivets, not screws. I looked at the parts guide and saw:

bATTEN PoCKET 8010020 (4)

which doesn't tell me much about the size of the rivet at all. what size is it? Do I have to order the rivet 8010020 from a hobie dealer or can i find one like it at home depot or another hardware store?

Also, on the parts guide it says: (above rivets requires setting machine which
is not available in a hand tool.) So I need a special tool also?

Please give me any info you can. I was planning on trying to get this fixed tonight but it looks like I will have to wait.

Thanks!

There are two styles of luff protectors and they all come/came from the factory installed with rivets. The old style has four rivets and the new style has five.

If you have the old style protector, all you need to do is order this kit from Murrays...



You carefully drill out the existing rivets and install this kit using a standard screwdriver (use loctite on the screws).

If you have the new (last 10 years or so) style luff protector with five rivets, then you have two options. You can order the replacement luff protector from Hobie which is intended to be installed with rivets using a special tool (however it may be possible to modify it to use machine screws and nuts). Or you can replace it with the old style luff protector, but you will have to add two small holes to the sail because two of the screw holes won't line up with the existing holes. Use a soldering iron or a nail heated with a torch to melt the holes. This is what I did on one of my sails, although I had a sail shop reinforce the luff with some dacron before adding the holes.

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Right or wrong I repaired one of these recently with some no. 6 SS screws I bought at the hardware store.The old rivets popped right out with a small phillips screwdriver.After I tightened the nuts up cut the screws short backed them and penned them just a little.Then sanded the nut side so it would be easy on the sails.

Ok, I thought it was just a matter of putting some common rivets in but I guess I thought wrong. Thanks for the replies.

The tubular rivets are available from Hanson Rivet Co. (hansonrivet.com) (stock #TAC1216, aluminum, plain finish). The minimum order is 100, but they only cost ~ $5.00.

The setting dies will set you back considerably more. I welded up a "C" clamp looking device to hold the dies while setting (don't try to set the rivets by hand with a hammer - the results are messy). It works reasonably well, but it's tweaky and really not strong enough to set more than a few rivets before the dies get out of alignment.

I got the ideas from a guy who rebuilds pinball machines: http://home.earthlink.net/~billg4me/pinball/rivet/

Before I knew any better, I replaced the rivets on my H-16 main with 3/16" aluminum pop rivets (just long enough to do the job). I'm pretty sure I used an aluminum washer on the back. Not pretty but works great with no adverse effects.

_________________
Jerome Vaughan
Hobie 16

ss nuts and machine screws easy fast fix