How to Rivet ??

[SReynolds]

Old set of tongs. I want to rivet them back together. How do I make the rivet tight but not so dang tight the tongs will be stuck tight together? I see youtube guys use round stock. Heat the tongs AND the round stock together.....and place atop a plate on anvil with hole to forge one side of rivet head. Then reheat and do the other rivet head flat on anvil face.

 

So...the two holes must be a bit larger than the round stock used for the rivet???

 

so..the other question would be; what if I want two pieces of stock to be held tight with a single rivet and NOT move/rotate..........?? How would you do THAT?????

Edited April 8, 2015 by SReynolds

[Eddie Mullins]

The trick is using the right die.

[Crazy Ivan]

If you set your rivet head too tight, put one head unsupported in a bolster plate to support the boss area, but not the rivet head and hit the rivet head from the top side. This upsets the head of the rivet without pinching it down further. One hit, then check the tightness until you get it to where you are happy. 

Making a riveted connection that will not rotate is easy. Square hole, square rivet.

[SReynolds]

In the youtube video one method used is to upset the hot rivet in the hot tongs. A bolster plate is used to upset the first head. Then the tongs (and obviously the rivet) are again heated to orange. The tongs are set atop anvil.....nothing to support the tongs or rivet.  And the other side of rivet head is upset. When doing this, as shown, the rivet swells and the tongs are held tight.

 

So is it trick camera angles employed in the video? Is it edited to show a different set of tongs that are free to rotate around a properly set rivet? 

 

Are you saying that you make the rivet tight and then hold the tongs on a bolster plate to free-up the rivet when cold??? 

[Crazy Ivan]

When I say "support the boss but not the rivet" I mean have the (already headed and set) rivet unsupported on the bottom and hit the top head of the rivet while the area around the head of the rivet is supported to prevent knocking the boss out of whack. It is upsetting the rivet head but since there is no support on the other end of the rivet you are essentially lengthening the shaft of the rivet (or shortening the head however you want to look at it). This makes the compression of the rivet on the pivot area less so that it can freely rotate. And yes, I do it cold. This is for adjusting a finished rivet if there was any confusion. Also, keep in mid that the steel will shrink as it cools which plays a factor in the final set of your rivet if you do the whole process hot. I use a straight piece of round bar to rivet my tongs together. Nuts work well as spacers to get even stick out length for the initial set. I slightly upset both sides using a bolster of the right depth COLD so that I don't have problems with the length moving, then to the fire and finish the rivet in one heat. Let it cool (or quench depending on what your tongs are made from) and adjust cold as needed. Sorry if this is not the easiest explanation. I'm not good at typing explanations. I do much better verbally lol.

 

[Frosty]

Use a LIGHT hammer to set the rivet, this will cause the end to upset more than the shaft. Get it started and then use the ball pein to texture it if you like. Once you have it headed open and close the tongs while they're still hot, reheat if necessary, to free up the rivet and make a good pivot that's both tight and free moving.

A good way to keep a rivet from turning is to use a chisel to incise the hole in one or two locations. When the rivet expands in the hole and the head sets it will flow INTO the incisions and be locked in place. I know a number of folk who lock one head of the rivet in their tongs to extend the rivet's life. They will wear and loosen over time, gonna happen if you use them, just normal wear and tear.

Frosty The Lucky.

[petere76]

On tongs, to get the fit snug but not binding, rivet using a bolster till tight. Don't kill it just get it tight. Next heat up the joint till the joint moves. Quench the joint while vigorously working the tongs, open closed. Do this in the water till cool. 

Option two on tongs. Use a piece of paper between the joint. Rivet with a bolster till tight. submerge the tongs in water cold and work until the paper disintegrates. This works well on small scroll pliars made of of spring stock. You don't run the risk of cracking the tongs at the joint. 

You can also tighten things up when the get loose from service by using a bolster and upsetting cold. Not too hard just enought to tighten things up. 

Good luck.

Peter  

 

[SJS]

It is a good idea to lock the rivet to one side of the reins on a pair of tongs. If the rivet gets bent and it can float freely on both reins it is much more likely to bind, than if it is fixed to one side. Like someone else said use a chisel to score one side, if you have an old star chisel in you kit that works great. I like to use a snap/rivet header to back up a store bought rivet, and finish the peened side gives it a nice finished appearance. I also like pyramidal heads, and 5 clout heads... Just a little trickier to make your snap for those.  If you have 3 or more hands you can use a small set hammer to get your pyramid or 5 clout...

[bigfootnampa]

You can rivet cold too!  Tongs are normally too tight to open and close easily after riveting... EASY to fix... just heat them and work them while hot a few times!