Our daily trip to the Caddell Dry Dock and Repair Co. on Staten Island, New York, was along Richmond Terrace after crossing the Goethals Bridge from Newark, where architectural history dictates building size, shape, and location. Along one side of Richmond Terrace wood electric poles rise from the center of the sidewalk, top heavy with cables and gray electric transformers, some poles bent from the weight. We drove into Caddell Dry Dock through a gateless concrete block wall, a clipboard attendant requiring personal documentation for entry.
Moored alongside one of Caddell’s heavy wood timbered piers was the Lilac, the last riveted steam-propelled lighthouse tender in the United States, scheduled for deck repairs. At the invitation of Mary Habstritt (Lilac Museum Director) and Luke Gayford (Lilac volunteer), we were scheduled to conduct rivet training to prepare Lilac volunteers to assist Gayford in driving replacement rivets in the ship’s deck and bulkhead.
Lilac moored at Caddell Dry Dock
Nan Jackson on board the Lilac
Mary Habstritt and Nan Jackson tour Caddell Dry Dock
On the first day aboard the Lilac, we set up the Lansing Community College rivet training fixture and a ship holder-on to be used to buck the rivets. The Lilac’s #60 Boyer field rivet hammer was used by the ship volunteers to drive rivets. These field rivet hammers are notorious for the internal driving piston and set/snap to bolt from the hammer when the trigger is accidentally pressed. To prevent this, Michigan Pneumatic designed a safety device attached to the hammer and set/snap.
Field rivet hammer with Michigan Pneumatic’s safety device.
LCC’s rivet training fixture is designed to allow trainees to drive rivets, then disassemble the training fixture to inspect the driven rivets and make any correction in their use of the hammer when the fixture is reassembled for another round of riveting. During the three days of training, Lilac volunteers and shipyard workers had an opportunity to drive rivets and develop skills and an understanding of the field riveting process.
LCC rivet training fixture and holder-on designed for ship riveting.
Luke Gayford reviews location along the bulkhead wall in need of replacement rivets.
Mary Habstritt, Gerry Weinstein, Vern Mesler
Gerry Weinstein, Vern Mesler, Angus McCamy, and Raisa Islam.
Vern Mesler, Gerry Weinstein, and Angus McCamy
Raisa Islam (at forge) and Angus McCamy
Raisa Islam, Vern Mesler, and Angus McCamy
Jim More, Raisa Islam, and Angus McCamy
Angus McCamy and Jim More
A rivet training fixture based on Gayford’s modification of LCC’s design was fabricated by Caddell Dry Dock’s machinist, to be used for future training of Lilac’s volunteers.
Shipyard workers driving rivets using LCC’s training fixture.
Lilac’s rivet training fixture.
Luke Gayford and Vern Mesler in Caddell’s machine shop.
