Armortek

Hello Mk IV builders
When gluing rivets, is there a concensus as to the best adhesive, or do people have personal preferences?
Thanks
Kevin

I used Loctite 496 for all the rivets on my Mark IV after embracing the heresy of gluing as opposed to 'proper' riveting. I can't speak as to whether a cheaper generic product would have the same qualites but it worked for me.
The real key seems to be in the application of the glue, whilst on most sections of my tank the rivets are rock solid for some reason the sponsons on mine always seemed to shake some loose. Making sure the glue gets on the shaft and under the head of the rivet is key, it might also be worth double bonding rivets on the underside ares with some epoxy on the shaft - I did and haven't lost any.
To be fair gluing the rivets is not the strongest solution and the bond can be brittle but as I have found out it aids greatly if you ever have to do any dis-assembly for additional work/maintenance

Hi Kevin.
I have used super glue on some models , but have used Gorilla Glue too. on the wheels and tyers of my 251, it expands whilst cureing, so fills in any gaps. I apply the glue to the holes, wet the rivet and push home.
Hope this is some help.
Regards Walter.

Hello Kevin,

I used 2-component epoxy resin adhesive for heavy-duty requirements like "UHU Endfest".
In the picture below you will see some painted examples.

Regards
Oliver

have you fellow's herd about "clecos" used in aircraft building and motor car sheet work I've been using my sets for years in live steam sheet work ie tenders ,cabs and water tank on live steam locomotives these are magic little clamps for holding sheets to angles we do this for "poper riverting"

Thanks for the advice chaps. I will try these various methods and see what suits best.
One of my concerns is not losing rivets if I finish the insides flush- there won't be a great deal of bonded surface.
Kevin

On my 251 I pounded my rivets in, every last one. I wasn't sure how to tackle this at first, but after reading Dennis Jones 251 posting, in the SdKfz 251 section on this forum. It went fairly quickly. I copied what he did, and worked out well. Kinda gets a little tricky once the cab and rear is built because of the angles, so had to switch to a smaller hammer to peen them. End the end, i really enjoyed it.

I have hammered as many rivets as I could, I do not want them coming loose. Once you plan the order of what you are doing it is not too bad, the sense of achievement in the end is reward enough! Steve

I totally agree with Steve, but also from an historical perspective. If it was good enough for Foster's, Metropolitan, Beardsmore, Coventry, Armstrong etc. then we should at least try ....

Just start with the floor plate to get a feel for it. Then if anything goes wrong it doesn't really show !

The only parts where I admitted defeat were the sides of the front cab. Just couldn't seem to hit them right . So gluing was the only real option. Fortunately they're not weight-bearing, or holding anything together.

Good luck !

Chris