How to Remove Cap Rivets?

[Silverd]

Good Afternoon Leather Working Friends.

I'd like to ggain a better understanding of the various methods, that are used by our members, to remove Cap Rivets from one's leather project.   Seems like a valuable thing to know.  Anybody have a technique that results in the rivet being extracted without damaging the project.   

Would enjoy a discussion! 

 

Silverd

[Handstitched]

I get a good  pair of wire ( side cutters) ,   carefully & gently get the tips of the blades under the rivet , flat part of the pliers against the leather , and hopefully, cut the rivet. 

Some on here may use a  small drill to carefully drill them out 

HS

[TonyV]

I've had to do that (more than) a few times.  A 1/8" drill bit in the drill press or hand drill will do it.  Using a center punch first will help.  I've also had success using a small pair of diagonal cutting pliers, gently worked under the cap until I could get in enough to cut the post.

[tsunkasapa]

I use a small cone shaped abrasive stone in my dremel.

[fredk]

I use a wood-workers awl to punch into the cap, which sometimes raises the edge then I wiggle in a small pair of wire side cutters and snip the rivet post.

[kgg]

1 hour ago, Silverd said:

to remove Cap Rivets from one's leather project.

If you mean the copper or brass rivets with burrs I use a dremel to grind the shaft off so the shaft of the rivet is below the burr but doing it slowly so as not to over heat the rivet or burr which would damage the leather.

If you mean the double or single cap rivets I just wedge a screwdriver under the small cap end and pop it off the rivets shaft.

kgg

[Dwight]

Having all my electrician tools handy . . . a flat sided pair of side cutters works . . . I do my best to pull the two pieces apart just enough to get the nose of the cutters between the leather pieces . . . squeeze . . . push in . . . squeeze . . . slowly work in until I cut the rivet or pull the  head off it.

Never harms the surface or the back that way.

May God bless,

Dwight

[bland]

Take a saddlers' awl/spike and punch a hole in the center of the rivet and pull it apart.  Easiest way with least damage to the project. 

[TomG]

After lots of trial and error, I found that if I take an old Phillips Head screwdriver and from the back side, punch it into the cap with a mallet. Smack it good. If done right, it will pop the cap off and in many cases, leave you with just the post. If not, than all you have to deal with is the internal part of the cap and can peel it off with some side cutter pliers.
No damage to the leather.

 

[RockingRA]

I have to remove rivets of all kinds from a fair amount of repair work brought in by customers. I have found that end cutting pliers work really well for most rivets. It is very easy to work the edges under a cap and squeeze!

[Silverd]

On 2/28/2023 at 7:33 PM, RockingRA said:

I have to remove rivets of all kinds from a fair amount of repair work brought in by customers. I have found that end cutting pliers work really well for most rivets. It is very easy to work the edges under a cap and squeeze!

Doesn't the process mark up the surrounding area?  

Silverd

[PastorBob]

I also use the side cutter method for double capped rivets.  Otherwise, I will drill out the head with a drill bit after center punching.  Typically one side of the rivet is not exposed and if you remove the rivet from that side, even if you leave a few marks, it won't be seen.

[doubleh]

It depends. I use the end nippers some and other times grab the head of the rivet with a pair of parallel jawed pilers and drill out the back side. The nippers can sometimes leave a mark. Nippers are fast way.