Daggrim

So, could something like that cut thru that footprint if it was 12 oz leather?

Hah, I'm not sure you want to know, Ray. I don't make them, I buy blanks and wrap leather handles on them, and make sheaths, most of which are just riveted, but a couple of which are hand stitched. I have small daggers for the bodice, boot, neck and belt, and some big honkin' seaxes which are made from lance heads. If you want pics you canl ook at "http//:leatherhelms.com". or I can post some when I get off work. Doug

Ray, That's just what I've been wishing someone would make, a hand operated clicker. I thought they didn't exist, so I never searched. I have an email in to Weaver, asking about the price, but that's the ideal size for most of the things I make. In my type of business, doing shows, I produce lots of the same kinds of things, and I have maybe twenty separate pieces I make which comprises my inventory. A helmet can use up to 12 separate pieces, and I have some sheaths, too. I do some custom, but it's just customizing something I already make. Looks to me like there are people on the forum who do every job as a custom piece, and so they don't build up an inventory of parts on the shelf. Anyway, I'm excited to find out more about hand clickers. Glad you posted that. Doug

Welcome Janne, I really like the look of the shoe with all the Sam Browne fasteners. I've never seen that before. Daggrim

Ah, I'm making progress...I got the thumb whackin' part figured out after only five rivets

So Pete, or anyone, do you start to peen it over with the ball peen, and then use the rivet setter, or just use the rivet setter for the whole operation? Dag

Oh, ok, I have lots of scrap for practice. I won't give up yet. Doug

A number of posts were exchanged recently when I asked about using copper rivets. Here's an update. I got some #13 rivets, and tried riveting 2 pieces of leather totalling 1/2". The rivets consistently bent over inside the leather. An experienced friend had the same problem, so I think the shafts are just too thin for their length. The rivet heads were always tilted, and the burrs were dishing up like little battered bowls. I even tried cutting the rivets flush with the burr, and they still bent. They worked okay with a single thickness of leather. Fortunately, I found a hardware store by my house that has a bin of assorted copper rivets, so I can experiment without having to buy a whole box of rivets. Daggrim

BTW, thanks. I've been wanting a rune set , too. Glad you asked Ray. Dag

MHolzer! Asimov's three laws of robotics! You must be a baby boomer. Daggrim

The OTB rivets are just a pressure fit. I've whacked them until the shaft flattens out inside the head, and was still able to pull them apart with my fingernails. Seems like there's a sweet spot where they're nice and snug. I s'pose a drop of superglue would go a long ways toward making more of them permanent. Also, with experience, a person could probably master them. I've gotten lots of help here regarding the copper rivets, but very little feedback on jiffy rivets. Daggrim

I s'pose most of these folks stitch or braid rather than rivet? Anyway, I just got my first box of copper rivets and I'm going to give them a try. It'll be more time consuming, but I plan to charge for that. I think it'll open up another avenue of customers ($). Doug

Dragonfly, I feel your pain. The OTB jiffy rivets are, in my opinion, the bottom of the line, because of their imprecise compression fit. I've gotten the best result by having my rivet not stick up above the leather. The cap has a deep collar on it, and that goes way down below the surface of the leather to snug up on the rivet. If the rivet is higher than the surface , it's too long, and will bend over, weakening the pressure fit. The Tandy style jiffy rivet is better because the rivet shaft peens over inside the cap, making a more secure fit. Those style rivets need to stick up abiove the leather to get a fit, about 1/8" to 3/16". I made a helmet with the OTB rivets, and when I began giving them a real tug test, half of them pulled out. I will use my supply up, and not go back to them. There's a learning curve for getting them set. Taptaptap, not Bang. Hope that helps How thick is your leather? Because i found a real long 15 mm double cap jiffy rivet, that I had to order from Australia, if you need long ones. Daggrim

I use both kinds of punches, but for mass quantities of holes (over 50) in 12 oz leather, I use an electric drill. Any tags left on the hole edge are covered up by the head, but a slow entry with the bit ususlly makes a clean hole. It ain't a classy way to do it, but the results are the same as a hand punch. But, I'm definitely not the craftsman that many of this forums contributors are, so I'm just telling you what I do, and not making a recommendation. I feel like I know about 5% of what most of the folks here know. But I like to add my part, anyway. Daggrim

Great design Andy. So, how big is an average stamp? Inch by two inches? Doug

Ditto on the leatherguy.com. Hundreds of hides, different colors and grades.

Oh, yeah! You have all been so patient and helpful. I feel like I'm ready to put some rubber on the road! I'll post some updates when I have something to show. Daggrim

OK gents, thanks again. So, what's the procedure? The washer slips over the rivet, then needs to be "set". How do you set it? Then you nip and peen (pien?) over the rivet. Then round off the dome. Which part does a setting tool do? Sorry for the dumb questions, but I'm in the dark...moving forward, but groping. Doug

OK guys, that's what I needed to know. Gonna order some 3/4" #14s from Weaver. So, I'll nip off about 1/8". Is that practical, or should I just order 1" rivets?

Is that the same as a smidgeon? So then , is it SOP to nip them off to get them just right?

Okay, so if I'm copper riveting leather that's between 1/2 and 3/8" total thickness , how long should my rivet be? Is it standard procedure to nip them off? And, how much rivet do you need sticking out in order to set the burr and peen the rivet? I'm gonna give this a try. Dag

Gee, I actually really like that image. Looks like Jesus walking on the water, but the yellow and white might be the light of glory...like Him coming towards a person after they've died. So, Windy, you've seen LSD induced hallucinations? I'm shocked! Dag

Well Luke, Raven, Bruce, thanks so much for the help. I have a much better idea now of what copper rivets entail. It was difficult trying to put all this together from google searches. In the next month I plan to purchase enough rivets to make a couple helmets, and if I can do it, that'll be a big step towards making some premium grade helmets. Dag

Bob, wow, a tracking sheet is a great idea. I'm gonna make one this weekend. Dag

Oh oh. So they need to be peened on the inside? That'd be real tough to do. Just can't get two hands and a couple tools in there for some of the rivets. How would it look if peened on the outside. Also, yes , any pics of copper rivet work would be appreciated. Daggrim