Re: [VACList] Olympic Rivets and Water Leaks

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Ed - I've used boxes of those rivets over the past few years without  a
problem as you describe.  Are you sure you are using the right size hole? It
should be a tight fit.  Also, after you shave the rivet there shouldn't be
anything to put sealant in/on - you shouldn't see where the stem was without
a magnifying glass.
I don't use the washer kind, and use only a tiny amount of sealant in each
hole, just enough to wet the the hole - otherwise you are cleaning up stuff
constantly.
When replacing skin panels or other flange parts, there should be faying
surface layer of sealant on the perimeter of those parts, providing the
primary seal.  The rivet when it pulls together with squeeze sealant around
it, providing the seal.

Best of luck,
RJ
VintageAirstream.com
'65 Caravel
'56 Flying Cloud