Wedge rivet maille problem

[Clinker]

So I bought some mail rings and rivets from Historic Enterprise to modify a mail haubergeon.
PROBLEM: How do you handle those teeny-tiny wedges to put them in the punched hole?
I've tried fingers, drop too many. Small needle-nose pliers are not too much of an improvement. Especially if they are in the least magnetic.

Ideas anyone? Or does it just get better with practise?

[Galfrid atte grene]

I use needle nose pliers. It definitely gets easier with practice. I try to reduce the time between placing the rivet in the hole and pushing it firmly in with my setting tool - less likely to fall out, even if my initial placement was poor. I don't try to jam the rivet in the hole with the pliers, I just insert it enough to be somewhat stable while I transfer the ring to the setting tool.

[Kaos]

I just use my nails to push them in firmly, then with the setting tool I carefully push the rivet through and pinch it firmly into location.
Eventually I give the setting tool a stroke with a hammer if the rivet isn't set tight enough.

As Galfrid said before, it does get easier with practice. Just push the rivet in deep enough initially so it won't fall out, then you can reach for the setting tool and carefully push it through.

It's important not to start hammering away, as the rivets will likely bend over.

[Steve S.]

Here is what I do:

Get a small tuppeware dish and put a sponge in it. Pour some water onto the sponge to make it damp.

Pour some rivets out on the face of your anvil.

Touch your fore-finger tip to the sponge to dampen your fingertip. Then touch a rivet - you want the rivet to point out away in the direction your finger is pointing. The rivet will stick to your damp finger tip until you can pinch it with your thumb.

Put the tip of the rivet into the slit punched into the ring. While the tip of the rivet is sitting in the slit, use your thumb to lift the back of the rivet up into the air perpendicular to the ring, and then "scrape" the rivet off of your thumb. If you try and just pull your thumb away it will stick to your thumb instead of staying stuck in the hole. The pressure you apply to the rivet as you scrape it off your thumb will make the point of the rivet stick in the slit enough to remove your thumb from it. The rivet will sit there in the slit with just the point of the rivet stuck in the slit.

Now carefully bring the ring and rivet over to your rivet setting tongs, over the deep hole, so that when you squeeze the rivet it is driven down into the slit and rips into the ring, seating the rivet.

Then bring the rivet over the peining pocket and pein the rivet down.

Steve

[Dierick]

I actually use a little block of beeswax. Works much the same way as Steve described with water. I just run my fingers across it a couple of times and it stays slightly sticky for a very long time.

[Clinker]

Thanks all for the different solutions.