Making A Custom Window With Rivets

[DickNervous]

Well, I feel much better that I am not the only one who doesn't understand rivets. I mean, I get the entire concept but when you look at a rivet... it just don't make sense I guess until you see it in action.

The rivet has one end that is like a nail, and the other end has a a sleeve over it, with, for lack of a better term, "ball" on the end. So, if I understand those tutorials correctly I would need to drill a hole and push the "ball" end of the rivet through it. Then you attache the rivet gun on the ball and squeeze it pulling the "nail" part through?

[crazybillybob]

Then you attache the rivet gun on the ball and squeeze it pulling the "nail" part through?

Your all right till here.

The ball doesn't go into the gun, the nail slips into the gun. Inside the "ball" of the rivet is the head of the nail. When you pull the handle of the gun it pulls the head up into the ball forcing it to mushroom out and expand tight to the walls of the hole you drilled in the material. Does that help?

Crazybillybob

[Guttenaffe]

billybob you left off the part that the "nail" part called the "mandrel" snaps off leaving the head or "ball" part of the rivet inside the warped body which does the holding.

There are different types of rivets out there. I'd recommend aluminum rivets for comp cases. Steel have to much draw strength.

[DickNervous]

Ok, I think I got it. I will have to try to find some time this weekend to give it a try.

Thanks!