[Billfred]

(I searched "rivet" and didn't find anything, so here goes.)

So I know that there are those of the riveting school of thought, at least when it comes to your frame. I'm looking at the option of riveting up the kit frame next year (assuming it's the same and blah blah blah), as it seems to be an easy way to both drop some weight (albeit less than welding, but with the advantage of easier repair) and cut out the issue of locknuts backing out.

This leads to a few questions in my mind:

1) Are rivets a viable option for an average FIRST robot frame?
2) What kind of rivets are best for this? Aluminum is the cheapest option, but stainless steel rivets have higher strength by orders of magnitude.
3) If you've riveted the kit frame, is it best to just put rivets everywhere the bolts should go, or can you do well with less?
4) Is there anything in particular to look for in the way of damage after the robot has taken a few hits?