Noob Alert How To Fasten Rivet Back Concho

[Kwekwe]

Hello folks, just learning and not sure exactly how to set Rivet Back Concho's is there a special tool or can I lay in concave dish and give a wack on the back of the Concho with a soft face hammer? Bought a Few hundred from Tandy as they were nice design and Fairly inexpensive. Thanks for the help.

[cwickgo9]

I know this is an old post that no one answered, but im searching for the same answer. The rivets I got have hollow posts but no caps came with them. I've seen others similar that had caps. Is there a way to set them without caps or do I need to sacrifice some caps from some plain rivets and try that?

Thanks in advance.

[bikermutt07]

I woul think they would need backs. I would lay the concho face down on a poundo or rubber mat and then use a shallow domed setting tool on it. 

Why didn't they come with backs?

[garypl]

All the conches I have bought came with the dome tops and I set them like standard rivets.

Gary

[Rockoboy]

On ‎14‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 9:28 AM, garypl said:

All the conches I have bought came with the dome tops and I set them like standard rivets.

Gary

How do you avoid flattening the concho?

I have some that have a bit of a dome effect, and laying them on a hard flat surface, (as I would set a rivet), will flatten and/or destroy the concho. If the surface is softer, I don't think the cap will set properly as a rivet does..

[garypl]

1 hour ago, Rockoboy said:

How do you avoid flattening the concho?

I have some that have a bit of a dome effect, and laying them on a hard flat surface, (as I would set a rivet), will flatten and/or destroy the concho. If the surface is softer, I don't think the cap will set properly as a rivet does..

Brian, I used the concave surface of my rivet setter anvil.  This only works with conchos that are fairly smooth.  I don’t use conchos very often, but I have also used epoxy on the concho and rivet cap if the concho surface is not smooth enough to hit it hard enough to really set the rivet cap.  I have never used conchos that have stones or other really bumpy surfaces.

Gary

[fredk]

Similar to a round front concho; I had some fluers-de-lys ornaments to rivet to a belt. I made a block of rubberised polymer clay with a recess in it to take the ornament. I then gently tapped the the rivet head home until it was tight. However I could not get it 100% tight. If I tried I cracked the cast ornament, but this might not happen with a non-cast concho

Also; I use a hard rubber mat to set rhinestone rivets without cracking the glass gem. I can get them totally tight.

I recommend having a hard rubber mat in your tools armory for these jobs

[Rockoboy]

Hmmm thanx @garypl and @fredk. I appreciate your information, but I fear I am still looking for a definitive answer. Maybe I am over-setting (also known as smashing) my rivets.

[fredk]

Its a fine balance on how hard your surface is. The hard rubber surface, about as hard as the side wall of a tyre, is hard enough to allow the rivet to set, but soft enough for the concho, or in my case the rhinestone, to dig in and be supported

At first I tapped lightly, several times, checking each time, now I can set the rhinestone in one - mild - whack. Not as heavy as I would do normally when setting a rivet to join  two bits of leather