Rivets

Blind rivets

Blind rivets – a.k.a. break stem rivets, are tubular fasteners with a mandrel through the center. Blind rivets are inserted into drilled holes in the parts to be joined, and a special tool is used to draw the mandrel through the body of the rivet. The blind end expands, and the mandrel is snapped off. Unlike solid rivets, blind rivets can be installed in joints from only one side of the part—making them “blind” to the opposite side.

Solid rivets

Solid Rivets are among the simplest, most reliable, and oldest types of fasteners. Archaeologists have found evidence of solid rivet use dating as far back as the Bronze Age (circa 3000 BCE). These simple devices consist of a solid shaft with a head on one end; once installed, the headless end of a solid rivet is deformed with a hammer or rivet gun to hold it in place. Perhaps the most widely-used style of rivet, solid rivets are utilized in applications where reliability and safety are important.

Semi-tubular rivets

Semi-tubular rivets (also known as tubular rivets) are essentially the same as solid rivets, but with a shallow hole at the tip, opposite the head. This hole causes the tubular portion of the rivet (around the hole) to roll outward when force is applied. This reduces the amount of force needed for installation—tubular rivets require roughly ¼ the force of solid rivets.

Semi-tubular rivets

are often the preferred rivet style for joints where movement is required (pivot points), because the rivet material only swells at the tail. Common applications for tubular rivets include light fixtures, HVAC ducts, electronics, ladders, and brakes, among many others.

Drive Rivets

A drive rivet is a type of blind rivet with a short mandrel that protrudes from the head. Once the drive rivet is inserted into a hole, the mandrel is driven in with a hammer or other implement to flare out the end of the rivet that is inside the hole. Because they do not require holes to be drilled all the way through the material, drive rivets are popular for architecture and other aesthetically-minded applications.Drive rivets can be used in nearly any material—wood, metal, plastic, etc.—and, other than a hammer, require no special tooling for installation; a backing block may be needed in some cases, depending on the material and application. It should be noted that, in general, drive rivets provide less clamping force than most other rivet styles.

Tinner Rivet

Solid and flat-headed, tinner rivets, or tinner’s rivets, are most often used to joint thin sheet metal.For installation, a tinner rivet is inserted from the underside of the workpiece through a pre-drilled hole, with the flat head placed on top of an anvil or similarly large, flat, sturdy surface. From there, a rivet set, a tool with a dished depression at the end that is only slightly larger than the rivet diameter, is placed on the shaft end of the rivet. The rivet set is then struck with a hammer to flatten the shaft, creating a second, round head that holds the joined materials in place.

Split rivets

also known as bifurcated rivets, are a type of self-piercing rivet that are most often used to join softer materials such as textiles, leather, plastic, or wood. As the name suggests, these rivets are pre-split along the length of their shaft, forming two “legs”; when installed, a split rivet’s legs fold back to hold the joined materials together.Common uses for split rivets include the production of leather goods, clothing, cloth or soft-sided carrying cases, and similar applications. Bifurcated rivets usually require special tools for installation.

Compression Rivets

A compression rivet, also known as a speedy rivet or rapid rivet, is most often utilized in clothing, luggage, hand bags, and textile applications. Compression rivets can be used to join or fasten leather, nylon webbing, denim, and countless other sturdy materials.Rapid rivets come in two pieces—a stem and a cap—and are easy to install. First, punch/cut/drill a hole in each part; then, push the cap through the hole and insert the stem; place the rivet on a firm surface; finally, hit the rivet lightly with a hammer or use a rivet press tool. The impact/pressure will compress the cap and stem (hence, “compression rivet”) to securely the material.

Copper Brake Band Rivets

Copper brake band rivets are commonly used in the restoration of antique and vintage automobiles, tractors, and other vehicles and equipment that utilized band brakes. As with most styles of rivets, copper brake band rivets can be employed in a broad range of other applications, as well.A type of semi-tubular rivet, copper brake band rivets feature a shallow hole at the tip, opposite the head, which causes the portion of the rivet around the hole to roll outward when force is applied, creating the flange that holds the rivet in place. These rivets require a relatively low amount of force for installation, roughly ¼ that solid rivets require.

Copper Belt Rivets

As the name implies, belt rivets are used in the creation of belts and other leatherworking applications. They are also used when working with canvas and other types of sturdy fabric and textiles. The accompanying burrs are placed over the end of the belt rivet shank and peened with a hammer to secure the rivet in place.

Brake Lining Rivets

Brake lining rivets are used to secure brake shoe linings on cars, trucks, and other vehicles. Clutch facing rivets are designed to attach facings to clutch components in automotive transmissions. Both types of rivet have flat, chamfered, countersunk heads to provide as smooth a surface as possible once installed.

Rivet Nut

A rivet nut, also known as a threaded insert or a blind rivet nut, is a mechanical fastener that, as the name suggests, is a variation of the standard rivet. This one-piece, threaded, counter-bored tubular rivet can be anchored entirely from one side of the material in which it’s installed.They are available in many different materials.