Riveting

Aug 29, 2004 4 Replies

Hi Chaps,



Could anybody offer any advice on riveting. I'm just starting a 5" gauge 'Dougal' 0-4-0 tnak loco. The buffer beams are riveted to angle using 1/8" rivets. However, when I try riveting over the inside, using a snap, the head (tail ?) doesn't go straight. It seems to hold OK, but doesn't look very pretty. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.



Many thanks Mark


If the snap is not damaged - practice on some scrap. There's a bit of a knack to it. Make sure your hammer is hitting square on, and the snaps are square on too - slightly angled and they bend ;)

Also check your rivets aren't too long.

Cheers Tim

Tim Leech Dutton Dry-Dock

Traditional & Modern canal craft repairs

This probably isn't the correct way, but I first cut the rivet short so between 1/16-1/8" sticks out, then expand the rivet with the flat side of the hammer: with the round end balanced in one snap in the vice (this really needs 2 people unless you are really good at balacing, holding and hitting) Finally, the snap on the now flat squashed end finishes off the rivet on the inside with one blow.

Do practice as Mark says, put the end you are forming on the inside so it doesn't show.

Mart>>

This probably isn't the correct way, but I first cut the rivet short so between 1/16-1/8" sticks out, then expand the rivet with the flat side of the hammer: with the round end balanced in one snap in the vice (this really needs 2 people unless you are really good at balacing, holding and hitting) Finally, the snap on the now flat squashed end finishes off the rivet on the inside with one blow.

Do practice as Mark says, put the end you are forming on the inside so it doesn't show.

Martin L

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