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1” scale rivets

Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2019 11:49 pm
by cp4449
Looking at building a riveted tank car. If I use PVC for the tank, in 1” scale any good suggestions for what to use for rivets ? The prototype has pointed head rivets

Re: 1” scale rivets

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 12:04 am
by Greg_Lewis
I'd take a look at the drive screws from McMaster. They have some rather small ones. If you must have pointed heads, you'll probably have to make them yourself. There was an article in Live Steam years ago about making a rivet making machine. I'm away from home and will have to wait until tomorrow night to look up the article. You make your own head-forming die so it could be made to make pointed heads.

Re: 1” scale rivets

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 4:55 am
by little giant
There is an article on discoverlivesteam.com from Adam Madlinger titled “A riveting article” that explains a lot about rivets and how to set them. Adam made an outstanding riveted oil tank car.

Re: 1” scale rivets

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:02 am
by Sandiapaul
Greg,

Yes that article....I've studied it closely several times and there are a couple aspects to it I just can't quite decipher. I thought I would make it but never got past the drawing.

I bought rivets from these folks:

http://sapphireproducts.co.uk/641t1.htm

Re: 1” scale rivets

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 6:27 am
by Sandiapaul

Re: 1” scale rivets

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:35 am
by RONALD

Re: 1” scale rivets

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 3:00 pm
by Gary Armitstead
Christopher,
I buy all my rivets (for my 1-1/2 inch stuff) from Hansen Rivet in Pacoima (local to both of us). The smallest solid rivet they carry is 1/16 in diameter with a .101-.122 diameter round heat and about .045 high (copper or steel. Should be pretty close for a 1" scale tanker. Painted black and five feet away, you won't be able to tell if they are "pointed" or "round" :).

Re: 1” scale rivets

Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 3:50 pm
by jscarmozza
If you are not actually fastening parts together, an alternative is to punch/press artificial rivets. I disguised my whistle to look like an air tank by pressing artificial rivet heads around the circumference on both ends. An appropriate jig for straight rivet runs can be made easily, a jig to evenly space rivets around the circumference of a cylinder is more involved, I used a small indexing device to space the rivet heads on my whistle. You'll need to experiment with punch and die diameters to get the rivet head size you want with the metal thickness that you're using. Once you get set up it goes pretty well, attached is a photo of a couple of test pieces I experimented with.

Re: 1” scale rivets

Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 9:47 pm
by Bill Shields
PVC for the tank with rivets sounds like a potential problem.

Squeeze the rivet enough to flatten the head on the inside and you are liable to crack the pipe...maybe not at the time..but you will have to be very careful

push in rivets may not stay put in the plastic...

Re: 1” scale rivets

Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 9:52 pm
by Greg_Lewis
I think if you use drive screws, they'll work fine in the PVC. I've got a few little ones I could send you for a test if you PM me your address.

Re: 1” scale rivets

Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 2:06 pm
by kenrinc
For this application I would recommend as Greg did, using drive screws from McMaster. I use them a lot anytime I need rivet detail but do not have the ability to actually rivet the piece together. I just drill a series of holes and drive in the drive screw. Done. I used this technique on my Kozo A3s smokebox. 1/4" thick steel pipe. Not plastic, obviously, but same application.

Ken-
KozoA3_2.png

Re: 1” scale rivets

Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 6:31 pm
by Cary Stewart
Gordon Sherwood made truncated conical rivets from round head ones by turning them in a jewelers lathe. He made lots of them so the job was tedious. They were for his 2-6-0 for 7 1/2" gage. If you go with the brass ones the top should be flattened off. I think that the cone angle should be a little shallower for a more squat rivet.
Cary