Conundrum is riveting onto a finished piece

[CraigL]

   Long experience in other disciplines has led me to expect misadventures, or at least “untoward results,” especially in untested waters. An earlier teacher once said, “in any new medium, first, learn how to manage (even correct) your first-thousand mistakes.”

   Ive just made my return to leatherwork, and am finding that so much is forgotten. Such as planning the sequence of assembly steps.
   After I’d closed the double-needle stitching around the molded body of my first container, a holster, I discovered I’d left-off the rivets holding a belt loop to the reverse side. 
How would you handle this? Rip the 100 stitches, and apply the rivets directly, or pound them in place after inserting part of an anvil?

[Kcstott]

I machine stitch so ripping out a seam would not be too difficult. My problem would be cutting through the glue holding the seam together. 
Personally, I'd get a very large piece of steel that would fit into the holster where the rivets need to go. I'd then clamp that in the largest bench vise i have, set the rivets and be done. 
That said I'd never rely on rivets alone to hold a belt loop on a gun holster. 

[Handstitched]

@CraigL Welcome to the forum   take heart, you're not the only one that has left something out 

However, after learning from my mistakes, and,... having to fit rivets etc. ....after assembly, I came up with an idea. I have a long piece of Jarrah ( an aussie type of hard wood)  approx 18" long. I clamp that tightly to my bench,  its then sorta like a long wooden  anvil . Slide the item onto the 'long anvil'  ', I fiddle about ( while cursing)  trying to get hardware to go in the holes, and hopefully  ,  fingers crossed, fit the 'missed out' hardware, with enough space to use hammers, setters  etc. 

Its is fiddly ,  and a PITA ( Pain in the a**** ) but it works   Not sure if this helping any .

HS

[Spyros]

Welcome to my world, I hardly ever remember the hardware until it's too late LOL

I've become an expert on after the fact operations like punching holes in the air (drilling is a great alternative) and shoving various hard items of different shapes inside projects to be able to push a rivet in and somehow punch it to lock.  Also removing misplaced saddle rivets is kind of a specialty of mine.   Lotsa fun 

In your case I'd drill the holes instead of punching them and then I'd use Philips screws instead of rivets (don't forget the loctite).

[tsunkasapa]

I'd just cut the stitching. It doesn't take that long to restitch. Then stitch the loop in place. Barring that, maybe Chicago screws?

Edited October 28, 2020 by tsunkasapa

[CraigL]

Thanks for your thoughts. Found myself sitting in front of my “connectors” box containing three sizes of Chicago Screws, and I’d totally forgotten I could use a drill (!!!) [OK, it’s been decades] THEN, another look at the pattern Id made from research showed me where I’d also planned to stitch in addition to the rivets. It seems I can forget waaay faster than I thought....

So, yeah— I’ll rip the seam in the morning.... NP, 40 mins to resew— if I can cut the cemented part.

NEXT time I’ll remember? HA!  Next time I’ll remember that any first project is a learning experience and a toss-off till the second.

thanks for helping tonight’s sleep! I’m gonna like this forum!

C

Edited October 28, 2020 by CraigL

[Spyros]

3 hours ago, Spyros said:

In your case I'd drill the holes instead of punching them and then I'd use Philips screws instead of rivets (don't forget the loctite).

Derrr, I mean Chicago not Philips obviously LOL

[fredk]

a wee tip idea for placing those rivets into hard to reach places,

1. cut a length of thin card, thinner than cereal box card, but that would do

2. a few mm from the end poke a small hole, small enough to hold a rivet step fast. don't punch the hole, you need the card that forms a rough ring around a poked hole

3. use that assembly to take the rivet to its hole in the leather and push it thru that hole

4. when its in place snap on the head. most rivet heads snap on tight

5. either then or slightly later, give that card strip a good hard tug to rip that few mm at the end, allowing it to come free of the rivet. if you use thicker card, partly cut thru the card from the hole to the end of the strip to help it rip away

6. smash down the head of the rivet, using your favourite hard long anvil as backing

I have a couple of lengths of 3mm steel bar and an odd shaped bit of 6mm steel plate as insert anvils.

 

[CraigL]

Wow, great tips. Thanks for your generous gift of time to respond with your experience!

[fredk]

ooops, sorry, I was talking about placing ready-rivets, not brass rivets which need a setter.