Need to replace some snaps riveted to the fiberglass. The snaps are real loose and sloppy, the rivets are loose too. Question is,,,,,, how do you drill these out nicely without messing the glass all up?? They will most likely just spin when drilled. Can't get to the backside of most of them. Any tips?????
I plan to replace them with screw-in types and don't want to mangle the gelcoat.

I would just forget about saving the snaps and grab them with a pair of pliers then drill them out.

Jon

Understand what you're saying Jon, had no intention of saving the snap. It's just that even when you hold the snap portion, the rivet portion still rotates when you try to drill it. Tears up the gel and glass.

Probably best to hit it with a small nail and try and drive the portion of the rivet cupped into the snap through the snap and then through (into) the the boat. I am just guessing though.

Try to get something between the snap and the boat. Pry up on it like you're trying to pull a nail out(not too hard though, you don't actually want to pull it out!). With it held in that position, drill the rivet out slowly with not a lot of pressure. The prying should bind the rivet enough so it doesn't spin. It worked for me, but it was a slow process. You might even try to cock the snap to one side to bind the rivet. If it's a stainless rivet, it's going to be a lot harder to do. You'll also have to use a cobalt drill bit because HSS will just dull out quick. Also, remember to drill carefully, because if the rivet gets too hot, it will melt the gel, the rivet will pull out, and enlarge the hole. (I speak from experience)

can't you just carefully vise-grip the snap body a little at a time until you mash the center of it enough to pull the snap off? Then you can vise grip the rivet body enough to "streamline" it so you can tap it thru the other side.

Be careful prying behind the snap fro the frontside cause you can chip or gouge the gel.

anytime you drill stainless, use slow drill speed and frequently dip the bit in water to cool it. That way, the world's cheapest bit will still last almost forever. Once a bit loses its cutting edge, do NOT attempt to drill stainless with it. Only use sharp bits.

I've encountered the same problem many times with snaps for convertible tops.... the best way to remove them?.... take a die grinder with a carbide ball and grind away the area that you would normally drill out... Be careful that the grinder doesn't skip across the surface and damage it. Grind the area perpendicular to the bore of the rivet that holds it... that way it won't rotate. Good luck.