AV Bay -- what kind of plastic rivets, and where to buy?

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Bat-mite

Rocketeer in MD
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If anyone can post links to products with which he has had success, please do. I will need plastic rivets for my AV Bay for a 4" FG rocket. In my last rocket, I epoxied the coupler into the payload tube and slid the innards down the tube into the coupler. This time I want to have a removable bay with a switch band.

So, what should I use, and where can I get them, and how do they work?
 
Lots of places have them, most of them are the same as I'm sure that many rocket vendors source theirs from the same place. That said, I've found that I like the ones I get from Giant Leap better than the others - the heads are slightly harder and less pliant than the ones I've got from other sources.

However, I do NOT use them on 4" glass rockets. For these I want something tougher, and I opt to go with 8-32 bolts (small button-heads) with PEM nuts epoxied inside of the AV bay coupler.

s6
 
Hmmmm.... Seems there are some options, and I don't know the thickness of my materials. Anyone know how thick a Rocketry Warehouse Proline airframe is, and FG 4 coupler? I don't have a micrometer, so I may have to look and guess when I get home.
 
If anyone can post links to products with which he has had success, please do. I will need plastic rivets for my AV Bay for a 4" FG rocket. In my last rocket, I epoxied the coupler into the payload tube and slid the innards down the tube into the coupler. This time I want to have a removable bay with a switch band.

So, what should I use, and where can I get them, and how do they work?

I have used these from Apogee, though not in a fiberglass rocket.

https://www.apogeerockets.com/Building_Supplies/Misc._Hardware/Removable_Plastic_Rivets
 
Hmmmm.... Seems there are some options, and I don't know the thickness of my materials. Anyone know how thick a Rocketry Warehouse Proline airframe is, and FG 4 coupler? I don't have a micrometer, so I may have to look and guess when I get home.

I bought mine from McMaster, so of course I have a McMaster of them. Also, the rivets I purchased were the wrong size for the thickness of the tubes I was trying to hold together. (This is why I finally purchased a micrometer.) At some point I'll be buying the correct length rivets.

Send me your address (pm is fine) and I'll gladly send you some of the rivets I have curretnly. Maybe they will work for you, and if not, at least you'll know what size NOT to get :p
 
However, I do NOT use them on 4" glass rockets. For these I want something tougher, and I opt to go with 8-32 bolts (small button-heads) with PEM nuts epoxied inside of the AV bay coupler.

s6

Any reason why you don't use on 4" glass? Just strength?
 
Any reason why you don't use on 4" glass? Just strength?

Strength/security. They may work just fine, but I'd rather have something more secure on rocket in weight class. This could be overkill, but I'd rather not find out the hard way.

s6
 
This is the size I use on all my builds from 38mm up to 7.5in diameter tubes.

For a 4in kit, I use 3 of them space around the tube.
If you insert your coupler into the fin can[before you glue fins on], you can mark through the slot onto coupler for perfectly spaced 120 holes.
Transfer marks onto vent band and payload......drill holes 1.5 in from edge of tube for rivets.
Vent band is now marked for your altimeter breather holes..size them accruing to altimeter recommendation .

Obviously on smaller kits I use less.. on larger 4 or 5.

Never had a problem in years of use. Use a 5/32 drill bit, and go up and down several times to "loosen"hole a tad. They will fit perfect.

Screen Shot 2014-12-19 at 8.42.54 PM.png
 
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