Re: [a/s] a couple of maintenance questions

[Matt Worner <wornmatt@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Karen,

There is a tool that should be available at any home center, (84 Lumber, Home
Depot, etc.) which consists of a handle with grooved rollers designed
specifically for re-inserting screen beads.   Imagine a small pizza cutter, and
you'll get the idea.  Usually double ended to fit the two most common screening
beads.  MUCH easier than struggling with butter knives, blunt screw drivers or
other such devices.

When drilling out aluminum pop rivets, you want an older drill bit (not too
sharp) about 1/64 or 1/32" larger than the rivet shaft.  Gently apply it to the
hole in the head and just drill until the head comes off the hollow shaft and
sits on the bit like a washer on a bolt.  The trick is to just cut the rivet
head, without drilling into the base metal.  If the bit is too sharp or pressed
too hard,  it might catch in the soft aluminum and hog its way through the base
metal and require replacement with an oversized rivet, which could look out of
place in an exposed area, or even not fit at all if in a tight location.

If you are working on an interior skin, where damage would be hard to disguise,
I'd advise riveting into a piece of scrap and drilling the rivets back out to
develop a "feel" for the technique.


Matt