riveting new front cross member

[H. L. Chauvin]

Hi Al,

Found it most convenient to:

1. Install all rivets cold with round head pointing downwards; &,

2. Securely support the bottom round head of rivets in the recess of a homemade bucking bar(s) resting on a solid concrete floor; &,

3. With a very fine flame of an acetylene torch, heat just the very top of the end of the exposed rivet shank; &,

4. When cherry red, set torch down on a homemade torch holder & form & tighten the rivet with a hand held rivet tool, (sold by Model A vendors), & hit with several licks of a medium sized hammer as opposed to a few licks with a large maul.

Note:

A. If the rivet holes in any of the parts of the steel frame are too large, they need to be welded solid & re-drilled for a tight fit because a rivet will "not" tighten properly in too large a hole.

B. Two (2) homemade bucking bars can be made from 3/16" thick x 1" x 1" steel angles:

(1) One shaped like a figure "6", about 7" high, but with 90 degree corners as opposed to a rounded figure "6", & with the bottom of the figure 6 resting on a concrete floor; &,

(2) The other one shaped similar to the letter "Y", securely welded to one end of a length of 2" pipe; & with other end of pipe, (with a pipe cap), resting on a concrete floor. This second bucking bar can be used to securely provide rivets in running board brackets with the tip of the brackets pointing downwards towards the concrete floor.

(3) Tops of both bucking bars can be provided with a 1-1/2" length of a welded 5/8" square steel bar with a rivet round head hole counter sunken in the top side of the square bar with a large drill bit & shaped with a Dremel grinding tool.

Just another simple Model A past experience -- successfully re-did an entire Model A chassis frame with a chain hoist, two (2) homemade bucking bars, & without a helper.