copper rivet saga

[Daggrim]

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

[rdb]

Everyone has had the same problems, at first.

I noticed the rivets bend over if the holes are too big. Believe it or not, the right size, tight hole helps.

Once you put the washer on, use the rivet tool hole to tighten it down, snip off the excess ( goldilocks length), then use the tool to reseat the washer again. One good strike of the mallet works best for me, rather than several taps. And of course a good hard surface, like granite helps keep the cupping controlled.

[TrooperChuck]

I agree with rdb... with the thinner rivet posts the holes in the leather need to be a tight fit. Otherwise, there's too much "wiggle room" and those slender rivets can bend rather than mushroom out. It took me a while to figure this out, and I tended to use a lot of bad words when I had to install long, thin rivets.

Fortunately, with the kind of work I do, I almost always use the heavier #9 rivets, and I've never had one of them bend on me.

[Daggrim]

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

Doug

[Hennessy]

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

Doug

i've put in thousands of #9'z,n bent tons,when you are ready to [dome]over the washer after cuttin off excessi always set on anvil,softly patting rivet tool untill a nice dome was forming over washer i always strove for a nice large dome then one thump with th ball pein hammer to set th memory.also i chose to hit steel on steel and wore down many setters. one i had new handles weld'd on at least thrice pete

[Daggrim]

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

[TrooperChuck]

I just use the setter tool for the whole job, but I've heard of others who like to use a ball-peen hammer to mushroom the end over the washer.

[Hennessy]

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

if my domer wasn't getting my dome goin i'd tap it a li'l with the hammer just enough to hold washer on,then go back to dome tool.the hole th rvt sits in helps if tight,also if you start with hard hits you'll bend rvt even tho it looks good finished.i rvtd for 31 years almost daily and have deliver'd some wicked thumps to me poor left thumb,had a free standing boot jack,a free standing bench anvil n a big thick block of graniten not enough hands at times eh pete

[Daggrim]

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

[tonyc1]

I use the setter on the bare rivit ( without the rove ) to make sure it is seated tight, then put the rove on and use the setter again to make sure the rove is down tight and then I nip the excess off the rivit. I then peen it enough to just hold the rove on and then use the setter to put a dome on the rivit, usually one smart hit is enough to do the job.

Tony.

[10x]

Has anyone tried using a arbor press to set the copper rivets?