Rivets

Rivets are metal pins that come from the factory with a head on one end. Rivets are commonly found in aircraft, ship, and bridge construction. Rivets are commonly used in laboratory apparatus to make permanent joints between structural members or secure sheet metal to a frame. They are inserted through a hole in the two parts to be joined, and then the pin end is deformed or “bucked” until it forms a second head that permanently secures the fastener and parts. Rivets are best suited for shear load bearing applications and are fast and economical to install.

Hand setting of rivets:

Setting with a rivet gun:

A variety of rivets called pop or blind rivets can be used when only one side of the joint is accessible. They are hollow tube-type rivets with a shank running through their core. A special tool (air, electric, or hand) pulls on the shank after the rivet is inserted into the hole and deforms the back side of the rivet. The shank is then broken off and the joint is fast. Rivets can be easily removed by drilling off the head and punching the core out.

Using pop rivets: