spanky543 said:
Looks like one of the rivets is totally blown out...
Not a problem. I have a 12' Starcraft that had numerous ones like that. Yes, I had the tools, garnered from the complete new transom skin rebuild to my 16' V-hull, but once you have the proper tooling ... the process is sooooo easy that my 12-year daughter repaired the 12' skiff. See: https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=41042
spanky543 said:
I forgot to mention...the seam that looks to be leaking is near a dent in the hull...can I get the dent out without messing stuff up?
You move the tin skin back in place, it needs to deflect well back the other way. The only way I would try it would be to put the hull down, where the lengthwise strakes were adequately and fully supported by hardwood blocks, so that the force put against the skin is going to displace that skin only. Afterwards I would re-buck the surround rivets.
FYI, the tooling as used on my 12-footer included:
- $50 pancake compressor, $20 air tool and a $15 air line kit, all from H-Freight
- $20 bucking bar from Vintage Trailer (https://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/Bucking-Bar-p/vts-825.htm) and a
- $10-$13 brazier head tool for the air gun, to properly set the rivets (see: https://forum.tinboats.net/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=41248)
Then just add 1100F alloy 3/16" solid aluminum rivets (https://rivetsonline.com/solid-aluminum-rivets-5-32-to-3-16.html) and go to town!
That's $115 worth of new tools for my collection, but I'm all set if I ever need to work on the boats again! Honestly, I consider it a cheap investment. And yeah, while the Haba Freight items admittedly are 'cheap' tools - they got the job done. You could use a block of metal or a sledge in place of that bucking bar, that surely came in handy in tight spots (under seats, etc.). You can borrow most of these tools from friends, but I would definitely BUY the tool head made for the aluminum brazier-type rivet heads.
For full disclosure, whereas I had almost 400 rivets to do on my bigger boat, I had borrowed a huge 21-gallon industrial air compressor from a friend. I recall I could get 3 to 5 good rivets set with the smaller 'pancake' compressor before it would need to re-fill back to the pressure needed.