Rivets 101

[csmatt45]

I can build a pedal, and run Pro-tools, but I have no idea how to put in a batt clip using rivets, like fulltone etc...

can anyone school me here? i searched and was surprized to not get much info...

best,

matt

[markm]

I ususally use JB Weld to attatch my battery clips.
Works real good and no extra holes in the enclosure!

[R.G.]

There are two kinds of rivets - real rivets and pop-rivets.

Pop rivets are installed with a special pliers-like tool. They are widely available and inexpensive. But they are ugly on one side.

Real rivets are also subdivided into two main classes, solid rivets and semi-tubular rivets. Solid rivets are just that - a solid cylinder of metal with a head formed on one side. The head is held in place while the skinny end is deformed into another "head" by pressure or pounding. Solid rivets are IMHO too much trouble for home effects makers.

Semi-tubular rivets are also available. They have pre-formed heads and tubular bodies. They are usually formed into shape by a special punch-tool, or a punch tool and an "anvil" shaped to hold the head.  The punch has an end which looks like it is the reverse of half a torus through the diameter. That is, it has a raised center and edges, and a circular valley between them. The end is sized for the diameter of the rivet in question. You put the un-formed rivet in the hole, hold it in place with a rigid holder backing up the head, put the punch tool in the open end, and either press hard, or whack the punch with a mallet, depending on the tool.

Rivets can be had from many places. A quick tour through Google turns up many companies that sell rivets of all kinds. Here's one, with an illustration of a semitubular rivet.
http://www.rivetsinstock.com/rivet22.htm

Here's an illustration of the kind of tooling that sets such rivets: http://www.chicagorivet.com/tools.htm

There's an illustration of a hand-setting punch tool for semitubular rivets here, but a poor one: http://www.rivet.com/

As always in any search engine, Google places the paid advertisers first up on the first search page, so you have to look down from the first item or two to find the real info.

[csmatt45]

Thanks guys.

Matt