Using rivets to join pieces of metal in jewellery making is a great alternative to soldering as it can be done by anyone with the most basic of set ups. Formally termed cold connecting because of the lack of heat involved, all you need to rivet a piece is the metals involved, and either some wire or tubing, and some basic silversmithing tools.
Wire Riveting
To wire rivet you will need to following:
Your pieces of metal you wish to join
A drill with fine drill bits
Wire of the same diameter of your drill bits
Asteel block or anvil
A chasing hammer
Step 1
Drill a hole through both pieces where you with to join them. Its easiest to do this if you dimple them first so the drill bit doesn’t slide around during drilling. Use a pointed punch to tap in the dimple.
Step 2
Cut a length of the wire to about 2mm longer then the combined thicknesses of the metal pieces you are joining. Sand the ends with 400 grit paper to remove any burrs. Pass it through the holes you have just drilled, and set the piece onto the steel block.
Step 3
Gently tap the rivet with the flat end of the chasing hammer until the end starts to splay out. Be careful not to do this too hard or too much, as this will cause the rivet to bend. Turn the piece regularly and keep tapping the rivet until it is securely fixed in place.
Thats it, your first rivet. As with any new silversmithing technique, its best to practise this on scrap base metals until you are happy with your skills.
Tube Riveting
To tube rivet you will need to following:
Your pieces of metal you wish to join
A drill with fine drill bits
Tube of the same diameter of your drill bits
A steel block or anvil
A chasing hammer
A flaring tool
NB – a flaring tool is a metal tool like a punch, which is tapered at one end and flat at the other.
Step 1
Drill a hole through both pieces where you with to join them. Its easiest to do this if you dimple them first so the drill bit doesn’t slide around during drilling. Use a pointed punch to tap in the dimple.
Step 2
Cut a length of the tube to about 2mm longer then the combined thicknesses of the metal pieces you are joining. Sand the ends with 400 grit paper to remove any burrs. Pass it through the holes you have just drilled, and set the piece onto the steel block.
Step 3
Gently tap the tube rivet with the flaring tool until the end starts to flare out. Be careful not to do this too hard or too much, as this will cause the rivet to bend. Turn the piece and repeat on the reverse until both ends have flared.
Step 4
Using the ball end of the chasing hammer, tap the rivet until it lies flat against the metals you are joining. Again, you need to keep turning the pieces and working evenly on both sides until the rivet is smooth and flat.
And that’s how to tube rivet. Simple really. The main difference between a wire rivet and a tube rivet is that a wire rivet is solid, whereas a tube rivet has the hole from the tube down its centre. In can create an interesting industrial look, and you can combine sections of tubing with wire rivets, using the tubing as a spacer to create depth and texture in your work. All that you need is a little imagination, and some practise. Enjoy!