PLATES SEAL

[Guillaume D.]

Were there a seal or something between steel plates before riveting or just metal-metal adjustement?
Is it 'hidden head' rivets (from E DECK)? For the water resistance maybe?

 

[Tim Aldrich]

Plates were metal to metal. Hot riveting plates together provides a decent seal. As rivets are heated up they expand in size. Those hot rivets get inserted into the holes in plating and are, essentially, squished together. The important bit is that as the rivets cool they contract drawing the plates even tighter together. After riveting was done the plates would be "caulked" but not in the way you may be thinking (squirting sealant from a caulk gun). The edges of the overlapping plates would purposely be deformed to further seal the plates. If you've ever seen a cold chisel with a "mushroom" on the end which is struck with a hammer, you can understand the principle of caulking.

 

[Guillaume D.]

Plates were metal to metal. Hot riveting plates together provides a decent seal. As rivets are heated up they expand in size. Those hot rivets get inserted into the holes in plating and are, essentially, squished together. The important bit is that as the rivets cool they contract drawing the plates even tighter together. After riveting was done the plates would be "caulked" but not in the way you may be thinking (squirting sealant from a caulk gun). The edges of the overlapping plates would purposely be deformed to further seal the plates. If you've ever seen a cold chisel with a "mushroom" on the end which is struck with a hammer, you can understand the principle of caulking.

Thanks Tim

 

[Tim Aldrich]

I went digging around and found this website which explains riveting and caulking in much better detail than I am capable of.

Repair Techniques of Riveted Vessels