How to Use Pop Rivets

A rivet is a fastener that joins two or more pieces of material together with a strong, permanent bond. It is made up of its narrow shaft and its head, which is wider than the shaft and keeps the rivet from breaking through the pieces being joined. The rivet shaft goes through a hole drilled in the parts that are being joined,then gets flattened back towards the head. Traditionally rivets have required that a worker have access to the front and back of the materials being joined. Pop rivets, however, allow you to fasten pieces together when you only have access to one side. This is accomplished by manufacturing a mandrel, or long, thin rod, into the rivet. To install the rivet, drill a hole in all pieces, slide the rivet through the holes, and pull the rivet towards the head by removing the mandrel.For more information about rivet sizes click here.

Drilling the Hole

When installing rivets, it is important to drill the right sized hole. Rivets come in many diameters and these are measured in both metric and standard scales. If the hole that you drill is too small, the shaft of the rivet will not fit. If the hole is too big, the rivet might not compress correctly, and the joint could be weakened.

Once you have determined the rivet size, drill a hole of the same diameter through the pieces you are going to fasten. The hole should be in a straight line so that the shaft slides easily into both holes. Clamping the pieces together can keep the holes lined up.

Insert the Rivet

Once the holes have been drilled, insert the rivet so that the shaft goes through all the pieces being joined. Pop rivets have a mandrel, which is a long pin that goes through the head to the top of the shaft. When installing the rivet, do not put the mandrel in the hole. Rather, leave it protruding back towards you so that the rivet gun can grip the mandrel and pull it out of the hole.

Compress the Rivet

After inserting the pop rivet, you will need to use a rivet gun to removethe mandrel. This process pulls the top of the shaft down towards the head of the rivet, pressing the pieces or metal together. This is what allows the rivet to tighten without pounding on the back side of fastener.

The rivet gun has two handles to squeeze together and a nose that the mandrel slides into. Bear in mind that different rivet guns have noses that will accommodate different mandrel diameters. Be sure to use the right nose fitting for your rivet. Slide the mandrel all the way into the nose of the rivet gun and pull the handles until the mandrel is removed all the way. Once it is removed, the shaft has compressed and the rivet is installed.

Alex Cokes has only one mission: to help inform people.Viist at www.hansonrivet.com for more info.