Anyone know where to find really short belt rivets?

[DanDSilva]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for belt rivets (the kind with burrs, not the threaded kind) for two layers of 2mm thick leather.  The smallest ones in the local store are listed as 3/8" and are 2mm too long, so I guess I'm looking for ones that are as close as possible to 19/64".  I'm not at all confident that 1/4" ones would work.

I know it should be possible to shorten and re-taper the shanks of 3/8" ones, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask before doing something that tedious.

[toxo]

34 minutes ago, DanDSilva said:

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for belt rivets (the kind with burrs, not the threaded kind) for two layers of 2mm thick leather.  The smallest ones in the local store are listed as 3/8" and are 2mm too long, so I guess I'm looking for ones that are as close as possible to 19/64".  I'm not at all confident that 1/4" ones would work.

I know it should be possible to shorten and re-taper the shanks of 3/8" ones, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask before doing something that tedious.

Don't really understand your question. With normal burr/rove rivets (they have many names) after you snug down  the roves you cut off what's left. 

[DanDSilva]

I mean, the shanks are tapered just toward the ends, the burrs don't fit down past the taper, and on all the rivets I can easily get, the length of shank that's not tapered is at least 2mm too long to snugly hold two 2mm layers.  So I'd have to either taper the shank further down, or widen the burr holes (which is also something I'd prefer to avoid if reasonably possible).

 

[kgg]

1 hour ago, DanDSilva said:

I'm looking for belt rivets (the kind with burrs, not the threaded kind) for two layers of 2mm thick leather.  The smallest ones in the local store are listed as 3/8" and are 2mm too long, so I guess I'm looking for ones that are as close as possible to 19/64".  I'm not at all confident that 1/4" ones would work.

It really doesn't matter on how long the rivet shank is. The shanks are all the same diameter for a given rivet size whether they are 1/4" or 1 1/2" long. Procedure normally in a nut shell is punch the appropriate size hole in the leather, put rivet through, put burr over the shank and with a the correct size rivet setter set the burr down over the shank to the leather, cut the rivet off slightly above the burr and then dome the rivet shank with the rivet setter doming part.

kgg

[Mulesaw]

The burr is supposed to be a tight fit over the shank. The tapered part is just to ease the mounting on the burr, so you get it through the hole before needing to "hammer" it in place.

If you don't have a rivet setter, you can make one form an old piece of pipe (a small pipe), or you can drill a hole in the end of a lag bolt or something similar. The hole just needs to be a little bit bigger in diameter than the shank of the rivet. 

Brgds Jonas

[bruce johnson]

You can drive the burr, nip it off slightly  more than 1/16”, then peen it to set it. There are tools for this. Economy one piece setters called a “tinner’s rivet setter” - designed for metal but works on leather. You just need to be careful not to mark your leather with then setter. There are three piece sets designed for leather work. A burr driver, peener, and domer for the head. Here is a link that shows the process with the leather set - https://brucejohnsonleather.com/products/rivet-setters

 

 

[DanDSilva]

Huh.  I've been using belt rivets for 15 years and it somehow never came to my attention that they're supposed to be used with a setter.  Thanks!