Zaphod Beeblebrox

Charke, Twisting and Pulling is exactly the situation I've got where the rivets are coming out. They are holding on leather attachment loops which dangle the bag from the mounting points on a bike saddle. I considered Chicago Screws as well but again, for the price point I'm working at they are too expensive. Although the biggest expense is having a bag fail because of a bad rivet, so the cost of using something like a Chicago Screw might be well worth the safety factor. Busted, I must not have explained myself clearly. I'm using a steel Anvil on the bottom side of the rivet, the Latigo is what's being riveted. I've got it like this: Rivet->Latigo Strap->Canvas(2 layers)->Latigo Strap->Rivet I put one side of the rivet on my anvil, the other side I hit with the setter and my claw hammer.

Generally I've got a piece of 1/8" latigo strap as backing, then 1 or 2 layers of 18oz Canvas then another piece of 1/8" latigo strap. I tried cutting the rivets down with a wire cutter but it just deforms the shaft and then it won't fit into the rivet head. I did some yesterday and switched to a big ol claw hammer and I have more success than previously but still had a few pull out. I'd go for the Rivet/Burr fasteners but they are like 20 cents apiece! I love the look of copper and all but that's pretty steep. Riddle me this, would a Tubular rivet offer equivalent strength to a rivet/burr fastener? They seem pretty tough and the price is a little more up my alley.

Very interesting... I can't help but notice the Tandy one uses Setting Dies and the other two don't. Do they offer dies for the less expensive types or are they less expensive because they don't use dies?

Along the same lines... is there a tool that will press the rivets together without the need for me to swing a hammer? Does such a tool work as well as a mallet and setter?

Yeah I'm already doing that. You just can't see it in the first pic and the second pic its already fallen off when the other side of the rivet fell off. These rivets are actually seperating, not pulling through the fabric.

I've got a problem with my rivets. They keep pulling loose on me. I'm using Springfield Leather's "Medium" Double Cap rivets http://springfieldleather.com/store/product/17192/Rivet%2CD-C%2CSB-Np%2CMed%2C50pk/ They claim they are "Identical to the Leather Factory's"...by which I assume they mean Tandy. I've got the Tandy "Deluxe" Setting kit which Has the correct setter and anvil for these Double Cap rivets. I'm using a Urethane Mallet to whack the Setter. The rivets are the correct length, I've tried the "Small" and "Large" rivets as well, they are just different post lengths. The "Small" is too short and the "Large" is too long. I'm sure I'm not using a rivet with a wrong length post.... Are these double cap rivets just not up to the task in terms of holding power? Should I be using Tubular rivets if Strength is what I'm after? This is the piece in Question... and the rivet... The head is just pulling right off. I'd say its happening on about 20% of the rivets I set.