Unlike previous rivets (pipework), these 4,8ø rivets were thick and hard. When I tried to rivet my first one, didn't have enough strength! Had to use both hands and squeeze them between the legs to get the rivet in place. These were not like the 3.2ø rivets and I was anticipating a hard and long session. After some 5 rivets, I no longer managed to do it. It even seemed like I was bending slightly the rivet pliers.
That was when I recalled a day in May 2010, when I visited Steve at Aries, during my process to select the kit car to order... He was giving me tips about building, showing me doing a kit car is not that hard and how he could prepare stuff to make it even easier. Then he grabbed his "heavy duty rivet pliers" and said that one of the best advices he could give me was to buy one of those. I had one that my wife had offered me on my birthday. Went upstairs to grab it and... It made all the difference!
After that it was just trying to juggle such a big plier between chassis and engine and go around applying the rivets. Didn't manage to finish it but before packing up I assembled the gear linkage to see where it would need to be bolted to the chassis. Had to fight a big urge to sit on the driver's place and pretend to be driving and shifting gears... This is bringing up the kid I have inside.
let go to the urge.i sat in mine the day that steve dropped off my chassis....your doing well
ReplyDeleteActually, I've sat there a couple of times. Once even took the wheel and seat to "check on driving position" ;)
ReplyDelete