Making dome-head rivets???

carpathiavh99 · Post by **carpathiavh99** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 10:46 pm

Does anyone out there have a fool proof way to make dome-head rivets. I've tried drilling a hole in a small anvil, peining a section of a nail and then using a dome-shaped form, but I keep distorting the nail. Can anyone help out?

Hugo de Stonham · Post by **Hugo de Stonham** » Sat Feb 07, 2004 10:25 am

I would like to know aswell how to make them. I keep having the same problem.

Grendal

Thomas H · Post by **Thomas H** » Sat Feb 07, 2004 11:43 am

you'll need a swage and something to heat the nail to red-hot.
http://www.anvilfire.com/iForge/
scroll down to number 84 and it shows what i'm on about

ArtemisGreen · Post by **ArtemisGreen** » Sat Feb 07, 2004 12:45 pm

For mine, I just drilled a hole in my anvil just big enough to stick the nail in. Mine is about 1/4" deep. Then, after sticking the nail in, I clip them about 1/8" above the hole. Then, I made a shim that slides on from the side. It looks like a "U". I made it from 16ga. The shim is used to pop the nail out after peining it. Then, just pein it until you've got the desired shape, pull up on the shim, and you've got a dome-headed rivet.

It may take a while to get good with doming. I don't even worry about it anymore. I just use the flat head on the nail and store the clippings for when I feel like doming them.

~Artemis

Forgot to add~ The shim may work better if it's only a piece of 16ga with a hole in it. Just put the nail in the hole in the anvil, put the shim over the nail, pein, pull, and pull the shim off the bottom of the nail.

carpathiavh99 · Post by **carpathiavh99** » Sun Feb 08, 2004 2:19 pm

That's actually the method I've been trying, Artemis. Maybe I just need some more practice.

ArtemisGreen · Post by **ArtemisGreen** » Sun Feb 08, 2004 2:26 pm

You may have not been clipping the nail close enough. It only needs to stick out of the hole just a little. If it's too far, the nail can bend over.

This sounds like a good tutorial to add to my website...

~Artemis

ArtemisGreen · Post by **ArtemisGreen** » Sun Feb 08, 2004 9:29 pm

Artemis spoke, and it was so.

Dome Rivet Tutorial

Hope you enjoy!

Ambrogio · Post by **Ambrogio** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 4:41 pm

Wouldn't it be great if you could just buy dome headed rivets in a store, think of the time saved!

Sorry, I coudn't help myself...
Do you have any good supliers for rivets?

carpathiavh99 · Post by **carpathiavh99** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 3:31 am

Personally, the only place I've even found dome head rivets is online. I really don't feel like waiting for my rivets, especially if I'm working on a project with a deadline. I've read that they're sold at most good hardware stores. If that's true, there must not be a good hardware store near me, because everywhere I've looked, they don't have them.

Otto · Post by **Otto** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 12:03 pm

I always order my rivets (of all types) on-line at rjleahy.com

Other than that, I've gotten sickle rivets from a local farm supply store (TSC)... it's a chain store, so there might be one in your area.

Why would one make their own rivets?... authenticity? Seems like WAY too much work when you can buy them at a variety of sizes and lengths and materials on-line.

ArtemisGreen · Post by **ArtemisGreen** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 3:34 pm

Same reason we make our own armour instead of buying it. It's possibly cheaper, you don't have to special order them, and you don't have to wait for your order to come in the mail. Also possibly for authenticity, but (for me) mostly because I can't order things online.