Lesson 11: Rivets

Lesson 11: Riveting!
Riveting is most often your last step in a piece. All finishes should be done; patinas should be on (unless you will be putting patina on the rivets). If you are flush riveting you may need to touch up your patina.
For all rivets: Drill a hole the exact size of your rivet. Choosing a gauge for your rivet often depends on a couple of factors: How heavy is the piece? How much stress will be placed on the rivet?
As with everything else…. Copper is the softest, nickel is the hardest. If your rivet will be getting a lot of stress, use a harder metal. If it is decorative, use whatever you like!


Standard Rivet:
• Straighten a piece of wire.
• Put wire through your holes.
• Clip off the wire with your cutters so
that approx. .5-1mm sticks out on each side.
• If you leave too much metal the rivet will
bend instead of flattening out.
• Place piece on steel work block.
• Using narrow end of a riveting hammer, hammer
in an X pattern until you see the top start to flare.
• Turn piece over, repeat hammering.
• Turn piece again, hammer in X pattern until rivet
is close to surface.
• Using the square end of the riveting hammer, tap
gently on both sides to smooth the rivet.

Ball Rivet:
• Straighten piece of wire
• Put wire on edge of soldering pad, and ball
up the end with the torch.
• To make the best ball, melt until ball starts
creeping up the side of the soldering pad.
This gets the most even ball.
• Pickle, rinse, and dry.
• Put wire through your holes.
• Clip off the non-balled end with your cutters.
(same length- 5.-1mm)
• Put piece ball side down on steel block.
• Hammer in X pattern until rivet is close to the surface.
• Use the square end of the hammer to smooth.



Flush (Countersunk) Rivet:
• After drilling your holes, take either a
setting bur or a slightly large drill bit
and drill 1/3 or the way through your
piece on each side.
• Straighten your wire.
• Put wire through your holes.
• Clip off ends so approx 1mm is showing.
• Follow the Standard Rivet directions
• After the rivet is snug, you can file, sand
and finish for a truly flush look.
• To make your rivet “disappear” use the same
metal for the wire and the top piece.

Setting Bur: Hart Bur: Larger Drill Bit:







Tube Rivet:
• Measure the thickness of the piece as
it is to be riveted.
• Add 1-2mm to the length (so that you
have metal sticking out!)
• Cut tubing to final length.
• Make sure to use a very small blade when
cutting tubing. 4/0 are good for this.
• Also make sure to have your dust tray out,
as tubing tends to go flying.
• Put tubing through holes, so that .5-1mm is
sticking out on either side.
• Place on steel block.
• Place your scribe into the tubing and begin to
flare by working in a widening circular pattern.
• When flare has started, turn piece over and
repeat with scribe.
• Turn piece back over and using the small
dapping punches, flare tubing more.
• Flip piece, and repeat until tubing is pretty flat
against piece.
• Use square side of riveting hammer to smooth.


Step Rivet:
• Cut tubing to length of gap you want to
have between pieces.
• Make sure that your tubing has the same
inside diameter as your holes.
• Straighten your wire.
• Put your wire through the metal, the tubing
(as spacer), then the other piece of metal.
• Follow same steps for riveting.
• Make sure to have 2 or more step rivets. Using only one is very difficult to rivet, and will not support the piece- it will bend.


To make the riveted pieces move:
• When putting your rivet through your holes, put a layer of paper or tag board (depending on how much movement you want) between the layers of metal.
• Rivet as directed.
• After riveting, tear out the paper; dissolve any paper in water that you can’t get to. Remember that movement in your piece will wear away patinas!
• Movement works best with: standard rivet, ball rivet, and tube rivets.

Balling up the end of wires:
• 2 methods-
• Place wire off edge of soldering board and heat. The end will melt and creep toward the board. Hold the heat on until the ball begins to creep up the side of the board. This ensures a centered ball.
• Hold wire upright with tweezers or in Third hand. Heat bottom of wire. It will melt and creep up. Holding it upright also helps to center the ball.
If your ball isn’t centered:
• Hold the wire where the straight part meets the ball with needlenose pliers. Using another pair of needlenose, grab the ball and straighten.
To clean up balls (if desired):
• Use silicone abrasive wheels (white then black) or cup burs.

Tips:
• Slow and steady. Don’t rush.
• If your rivet is bending, your wire (or tube) is probably too long.
• Copper doesn’t ball up nicely- it blobs.
• Get down to eye level with the piece as you are riveting. This helps you see if the rivet is bending, and how much it is flaring.
• Gentle taps! No sledgehammers please.
• Practice! Try all the rivets.