Aluminum rivets

[JDFred]

22 hours ago, fredk said:

Taking last first I've had aluminium corrosion being blue away from any contact with leather. When #1 son was younger he shaved his head. At one medieval history event he wore an aluminium  chainmaille coif. (coif = head covering) It was a very hot day. He perspired a lot. When he took the coif off his head was covered in a pattern of blue circles. He told others that he was an ancient Briton!  (who used to paint blue patterns on their bodies)

I used brass washers as I didn't want to use steel. For that will give an electrolytic reaction*. And I didn't have aluminium

The leather straps were un-dyed veg tan

As far as I can remember the rivets diameter was less that 1/4 inch. Maybe 3/16" or 5/32"   If I can find them I could measure. 

I was given about 2000 of them. Gave loads away for model steam engine building and used about 50

 

* in motor vehicle building we put a layer of sponge rubber between the steel frame and the aluminium body work otherwise if both were in contact during corrosion the aluminium acts as a sacrificial metal corroding away quickly

PS; when setting the rivets and peening, I drilled a counter-sunk hole in a large steel plate and used that to support the round dome head

 

Thank you for the tool tip on setting them and also for indulging my random question.