First attempt at copper rivet

[RachelB]

I'm trying copper rivets for the first time. Not sure if I have exactly the right tools.  I have some side cutting pliers that can only trim down to between 1/16" and 1/8", and I may be leaving too much metal on the stem.   One youtuber suggests flattening the rivet with a flat hammer and then a ball peen hammer (against an anvil) rather than use the doming part of the rivet setter.  I haven't found the doming tool very effective, but, when I use the ball peen hammer, I end up mangling the burr and dinging it up quite a bit.   How do you get a nicely domed copper rivet?  Thank you!

[Tugadude]

There are youtube videos demonstrating various techniques.  What I do is cut the rivet as close as possible then use the doming part of the setting tool to mash it down some.  I then tap all the way around to dome it even more.  Sometimes that is good enough, sometimes I finish off with the doming tool again.  Copper is reasonable soft and if you get too aggressive you can bend the burr as you have discovered.

BTW, my pliers can snip qute close.  If yours do not, and you have access to a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel you can get really close with that.  I think 1/16"  to 1/8" is fine though and sounds like your pliers can achieve that.

[AndyNext]

I use end cutters rather than side cutters and they will let you trim rivets much closer. However you do need to leave enough to dome!!!

[kiwican]

Also using the appropriate amount of force when you dome and peen. Real easy to bash away and mess things up

[klutes]

I was having the same issues. When I did it the way most utube suggest I was not happy with the results. I wanted a more precise  even finished look each time. I found that having the exact length rivet each time and a way to spread and dome the finished rivet was essential. Too short / long and uneven cut rivet resulted in a wide variety of finished look. For most people’s desired finish look they wanted a typical hammered look I guess is ok. I didn’t want that. I wound up having to play around with the finished  cut length to get the results. Too short did not leave enough material to mushroom out so to speak to hold adequately. Too long resulted in the soft rivet bending in the material (my case leather). So cutting the rivet to the exact length each time is important to determine the finished result. Also I found cutting the rivet flat helped considerably in a nice uniformed finished look. I also wound up making a round concaved  tool to fit my rivet press. That way I had a controlled amount of downward pressure to form the finished rivet. I know this sounds like a lot to set a rivet. But I wanted a refined finished look on the rivet that I could repeat each time. It works for me but for most people that may not be needed for what they are doing. 

Also if you use different thickness leather each time the process start all over. But after doing it for a while you soon get the feel for how much longer the cut rivet needs to be the thicker or thinner leather. 

Some will say that I am going to to much trouble to just set a common  rivet. But it’s all in the finished look you are trying to achieve. Like most things it’s in the details. 

Hope this helps

Edited February 12, 2019 by klutes

[Mattsbagger]

These are what I use and work great to cut them off.

 

https://www.harborfreight.com/10-in-heavy-duty-end-nipper-60815.html

[AltaAndina]

We use all hand hammered copper rivets on our products - like these (see photos).

We actually made a custom setter for the specific rivet size so that it was a snug fit and a more accurate tool. In terms of videos, I like this one a lot. 

 

[Clintonville Leather]

When using the doming tool it is mandatory this be done on a very hard surface such as an anvil or piece of granite.  Trying to do this on a wood surface will not be good as wood is not hard enough.