how do i remove a riveted seat from a jon boat?

Question

it is a 1973 polarcraft....all riveted..i would like to take the center seat out...is there any way to do this???

Answer 1

Drilling out the head of the rivet with a large drill bit and removing the seat is how you get the seat out. This leaves you with a completely different problem. Thre will be a place where the rivets come through the bottom of the boat. Chances are, its bonded very good and if it isnt leaking the glue will still keep water out for the time being.

You may however lose a rivet while you're out on the water leaving you with a hole and a leak below the waterline.

My advice is NOT to grind the rivets flat when you drill the heads out and dont pound them out of the boat. Make sure there is a solid block of hard wood directly under the rivet you're working on and pein the stub over with a ball pein hammer. This will make a new rivet and keep the glue and integrity of the hull in tact and not leave you with a leak.

Answer 2

Drill the head out from the center of the rivet ( circle) use a drill bit as big as the (nail) but no bigger than the inside of the center. The rivet body can be pulled out after the center is gone . Don't drill too deep if you don't know what's under the rivet. tape the drill bit about an inch up the head and use that as a depth gauge adjust if nessessary If you are going to re-revit in the same holes you must use a slightly bigger rivet than before. good luck

Answer 3

Try using a drill that is slightly larger than the size of the rivet, usually a 1/4 inch will do fine. Drill slowly until the top of the rivet pops off.

Answer 4

Simple answer, need to drill out the rivet.

Answer 5

Sawzall. Cut it off as close as you can to the floor then smooth out the rough edges with a grinder.

Drilling holes through the bottom of your boat doesn't sound like a good solution.