Need Help In Setting Rivets

[Ian1783]

I've just started to set rivets in bags that my wife has been sewing, and am having some difficulties. I'm hoping to hear about possible solutions.

I really like the copper rivets we've been buying from our local Tandy; they have the look we're going for. But I haven't been able to get a completely smooth, peened dome. I've availed myself of discussions about this in this forum, and am heartened by the fact that many of you eventually succeed in getting good results.

I wonder if my problem might be the surface I use to set rivets: typically, our dining room table on which is placed a plastic cutting board (that's my surface, that cutting board). I use a medium weight ball-peen hammer and a Tandy rivet setter - the type with both a hole for setting the washer and a concave for pounding the dome into shape.

I have not as yet been able to set a river that doesn't have some rough spot, or space between the rivet post and the washer. This is very slight, but is rough enough to have me worry that one could scrape a hand too easily on these. Buy this, I mean the edge of the domed post is not fully contacting the washer, leaving a slight, but noticeable, and sharp edge.

I'm cutting the rivet with diagonals, leaving what strikes me as enough river post, while not being too much, I figure about 3/64" or so.

I'm hoping to put together a table better suited to rivet setting - small, heavy, stable, with a final surface of a metal plate or small anvil. My thinking is that all pounding forces will be better focused on the rivet, rather than been absorbed by the combination of inappropriate table, surface, etc.

Does this seem to be the proper direction for bettering my technique? And will I see an improvement in setting quick rivets as well? Quick rivets are bending at the post before they are completely set. I realize I've been attacking them too aggressively, and hope to get better at that.

Ian

SF Bay Area

http://imcinnis.blogspot.com/

[electrathon]

First thing to try is move to a cement floor and set your rivet there. It will answer your question about the stability of the serface.

[Randy Cornelius]

It really helps to have a very solid surface to set rivits, I use a heavy piece of steel plate under the rivit. Also when you get your rivit set with the setter, take your hammer and tap around the rivit top to smooth it out. You can also take a dremmel tool with a smooth sanding disk to smooth it out if the hammer does not help. Helps to have a good set of cutters when cutting off the top prior to setting.

Hope this helps.

Randy

[camano ridge]

When I do the copper rivets I take my nippers or side cutters lay them pretty much flat against the burr the angle of the cutting edge leave enough rivet above the burr. I make a partial cut then move the cutters arond the rivet a bout a quater of the way and take another partial cut I do this allthe way around the rivetand make my final cut this leave kind of a pyramid shaped end that domes nicely. The other thing to check is if you have a newer setter from Tandy I noticed the newer ones have a deeper wider dome that does not seem to set the rivet as well. The dome is to high and that might be why you have a gap between the top of the peened riet and the burr. I have an older one that does a very nice job, it has a much shallower dome. I will post a comparison picture later.

Here is a picture of some that I have done.

[Ian1783]

Electrathon - Stable, yes (the cement floor), and very solid. So, I suppose I'll have to relocate to my garage for rivet setting.

Randy - I've heard others mention a steel plate, and this sounds like the way to go: steel plate on heavy table (on cement floor).

Camano - Thanks for the tip on newer vs older Tandy setters. I'll keep an eye out for the right tools.

And to all: We've been setting copper rivets on leather aprons (for woodworking, gardening - with an order for one for iron working) with the flat side out (visible), peened-post side in. As one apron has a smaller pocket over a larger pocket, and its stress points riveted, there is a rivet - peened post on the inside of the pocket - to which a hand in the larger pocket comes into contact, and so our concern for sharp edges. I had not done any real research that may have exposed me sooner to the idea of having peened post on the outside. I was looking for a more pleasing look and thought the peened side should be hidden. Now, I see where a properly domed post-over-washer can have the effect of pleasingly-obvious handiwork as in your photo, camano.

Ian

SF Bay Area

http://imcinnis.blogspot.com/

[Dwight]

I don't know what kind of tool you are using, . . . mine is an old saddle makers tool, . . . it is a hunk of steel.

Using it and an suitable mallet are crucial to getting really good rivet tops.

Plus, . . . see the enclosed diagram, . . . it will help your work immensely to have something like this, . . . and get off the kitchen table.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Hennessy]

about th previous advice all is good,i've set thousands by hand here is my suggestion ,a solid bench, a flat piece of steel 4 wide 8 long n at least 1 inch thick. th new setter is not doming as was pointed out because of dome height you could grind down surface of domer slowly till you get a nice dome goin.i allways prefered a ball pein hammer to strike th steel domer it domes nice if you dont rear back on th hit but firm it n move th domer around with each hit.[steel on steel is not right but ] i've actually wore down 2 domers n my fav one i had a new shaft weld'd back on.its 1/2 down again.flat end out on jobs,get a tandy snap setter domer n dome th flat side thats out looks nice n not hard to figure out.

[Ian1783]

I visited a local supplier of leather goods and hardware, including rivets, and had something of an education. My wife was looking for a particular rivet and showed me samples of what she wanted. Turns out, these were the same rivets (in this case, "Quick" or "Jiffy" rivets) that we've used, though not without some problems. We were using a setting tool that was meant to maintain the domed appearance of the rivet as it came out of the package, when what we wanted was the flattened look that we'd seen examples of on different vintage bags.

Following newly learned techniques, and keeping in mind the advice offered here, I successfully set a couple of rivets in the manner needed for the results we were looking for.

I used only a hammer and metal surface (in this case, a small bench vice with anvil top). This is for the Jiffy Rivets, not the copper. I still have to make that attempt.

As mentioned, it's clear the work surface matters. Thanks for the tips on work bench styles. I will have to put something together.

Ian

SF Bay Area

http://imcinnis.blogspot.com/