Art,
I had not thought about any coatings but once I remove the vang tab, I will see if it is advised. Being a fresh water boat, we don' think about that here. I will look into that though.
As for rivets 3/16 x 1/4 or 5/16 should do it now that I have a snug fit.
Now I need a little bit more nice weather to get it done before the snow flies.
