# adding rivets--which method?



## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I keep working on this Aristo Mikado. The poor thing is asking for mercy, but I keep going

Ok, so I want to add rivets. 1:29 scale rivets. To the smokebox first, and then the sky's the limit.

I can't punch styrene sheets from the back--this is a premade loco. I guess I could punch styrene sheets, and then laminate them onto the existing smokebox, that might work. Big job though, hard to avoid a lot of obvious seams

But instead i've been thinking of two alternatives 
1. I found some tiny brads at a craft store. They're short and the heads are the right size. But I can't drive them. So I'd need a very small drill bit--very small. Where to find those? How to use them. I'm thinking I can't chuck them in a drill. Maybe in a dremel tool?
2. Bruce Chandler's 3d paint method.  Apply a small drop and wait. Seems easy, looks pretty dern good. Bruce, if I clome out there Sunday, be prepared to talk rivets!

Can't think of any other way


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## David Buckingham (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Lownote 
In the UK there is a firm called Cambrian Models they make plastic rivets that you stick on. 

I have used many hundred with success but may be a little large for 1/29 but you could ask the normal Gauge I folks they may have something you could use. 

Punch and wrapper sounds good but use the drop weight system to get even sized rivets 
Dave


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## Bruce Chandler (Jan 2, 2008)

I've got some 0.025" rod you could slice and make rivets.

I used that technique on my boiler when I was upsizing my 10 wheeler to 1:20.   It's rather tedious...


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

These are HO track nails  on the cab of my 7/8's scale (1:13.7) rail truck-











These on the smoke box were punched individually with a small philips head in a 0.010 stryene sheet overlay -











and these on the boxcab done with the pounce / tracing wheel on 0.010 styrene




















-Brian

_(Brian, Shad was in working on the system getting the monthly photo contest setup to work and that was what was causing the problem with posting images, I've corrected the code in this reply and deleted your following two, sorry for the inconvenience. SteveC mod.)_


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

I can't get it to work either, maybe something wrong with the site at the moment?
It works in Preview but then when submitting it gets hosed.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

One way I've done rivets/bolts is to use plastic rod. You can use round rod for rivets, hex rod for bolt heads. You can cut tiny pieces to glue on, but I just drill a small hole with my Dremel. Get a drill chuck for your Dremel(they make one to screw on), makes it LOTS easier to use, I hate those chucks! Anyway, drill the hole, put a bit of glue on the rod, and push it in, I cut them to length with square nose nail clippers, leaving a bit sticking out. Dremel has a drill bit set, smallest is 1/32nd, or you can find smaller bits at Micro Mark or at your local hobby shop, if you are lucky enough to have one. You could look for real small nails/track spikes also for your rivet heads. I guess sewing pins would be too big? Jerry


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## N.S. Rob (Jan 2, 2008)

You can find a really nice hand drill with small bits at your local welding supply store. It is a tip cleaning set that looks like a pen. Inside it has various bits.


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

You can drill small holes with a pin vise. I have this one, and purchased some small drills (large numbered - yes the opposite) with it: 

pin vise


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## David Buckingham (Jan 2, 2008)

Yet another method 
I have a punch and die set that punches various small discs from styrene to stick on works well 
Dave


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## Matt Vogt (Jan 2, 2008)

Bruce - Love the way your ten-wheeler turned out!

Brian - all three methods look great! I'm sure the ponce wheel is the fastest/simplest. Did you use two different types on the box cab? The panel rivets seem more of a conical shape, while the horizontal rows look elongated.

Thanks,
Matt


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Matt Vogt on 02/16/2008 6:03 PM
Bruce - Love the way your ten-wheeler turned out!

Brian - all three methods look great! I'm sure the ponce wheel is the fastest/simplest. Did you use two different types on the box cab? The panel rivets seem more of a conical shape, while the horizontal rows look elongated.

Thanks,
Matt


Thanks Matt. The elongated rivets were just an artifact of trying to do two rows of rivets on thin styrene strips with the ponce wheel. It turned out to far more difficult than i thought it would be /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/crazy.gif. I did a bunch of them and finally gave up and just chose the best of the lot. Only the camera and young eyes can really pick it out. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif

-Brian


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

It just looks like an old metal panel that has been painted so many times the paint has run and built up between two close rows of rivets.!


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## Guest (Feb 17, 2008)

i use two methods.
where it is not so important, i just take the aluminiumfoil bakingforms, punch them from behind (by hand or with one of those weels) and glue the alufoil on.
where i want details, i put in those needles, one needs to put cloth together, before sewing. (i allways can steal those from my wife...)
i cut those needles short and stick them in burned holes.
for burning these holes i use a selfmade tool. an ordinary welding iron, with changeable tips. for the tip i have cut off most part of the handle of one of those probingtools, the dentists use.
the biggest disadvantage is, the welding iron is kind of long. good markmanship and a smooth hand is required.
after burning the holes, i paper off the borders of the holes with one of those cheap paperfiles, the ladies use for there nails, and glue the needles in.

korm
.


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