Rivets

[PortCharmers]

There is a sort of aluminium sheet that's used for printing pictures through from the backside to create a relief. I used that to cover a submarine-model. I had a cog from a meccano set, made a handle for it (meccano of course) and ran it along a ruler to create long lines of rivets. Then cut the sheet into rectrangles, shape them over the hull and stick them on. Thus you can imitate not only rivets, but also the typical texture of a hull made from overlapping plates.
For a futurre project, based on the C.S.S. Hunley, I want to avoid the tedium and just glue on some narrow stips adorned with double rows of rivets.
There are even cogs with handles for sale for this very purpose, but basically any old cog will do, as Long as you can fashion a handle for it. If it is a wide one, you will have to roll it on its edge, but it works, as well. 

[Rich H]

Lithograph plate or litho plate.  It's like thick aluminum foil.
If you sharpen the cog with a file you can change the shape of the rivets.

[PortCharmers]

Yes, that's the stuff. I got it from an arts and crafts store. And I'd like to add, since this is a VSF thread, that there is copper foil as well. Not just copper painted Aluminium, but actual copper, on which appropriate alchemy or the passage of time can create real patina.

[MYNKD]

Privateer Press did a guide on making a piece of terrain that might be useful.

TL;DR: They use a rotary hand sewing punch to push rivet shapes into plasticard and plastic and then attach that to whatever they're doing. It gives a really nice result:

[Rich H]

They look good for large rivets.
 Will have to check that out.

[The_Beast]

Okay, just to be clear, some of what I'm seeing are flush or sunk rivets, which, I think, tend to feel a bit futuristic for scientific romances. The small rivets Privateer Press introduces using a mechanical pencil in green stuff, for instance.

One of those times I wish they'd done a video; for instance, I don't understand where the 'rivet shapes' come from.

Doug

[Rich H]

Photobucket have decided to eat my images...  right click and open in new tab will reveal them.

I imagine PP small rivets will be a thin layer of greeenstuff then use a propelling pencil to punch out a small cylinder.  use the lead to pop it out.  Then use a wet finger to smooth and round it.

[MYNKD]

Okay, just to be clear, some of what I'm seeing are flush or sunk rivets, which, I think, tend to feel a bit futuristic for scientific romances. The small rivets Privateer Press introduces using a mechanical pencil in green stuff, for instance.

One of those times I wish they'd done a video; for instance, I don't understand where the 'rivet shapes' come from.

Doug

They just press the end of a mechanical pencil (without the lead sticking out) into the green stuff. It gives a flush rivet look as the edges of the tip push it in whilst the gap leaves the "rivet" in place.

[snitcythedog]

I have tried a bunch of ways both commercial and by hand and it really depends on what you want to do.  Many have already been mentioned.  

You can add rivets to the surface with a few commercial products:  
Green stuff world has their rivets and bolts mold.  It will allow you to make as many as you want but you will have to cast them and wait for them to set.  
There are many hobby punches for scale modeling that you can use to punch individual rivets and then glue them on.
You can purchase rivet decals and add them just like a regular decal.
Other options that I have seen for adding rivets to the surface are:
Adding a drop of superglue to the surface with a toothpick or pin.
Using greenstuff or other putty to make the rivet and using a metal tube (brass, steel or other) to punch the putty onto the surface then cleaning up the excess.
Using a hobby knife to chop plastic or wood rod and then gluing the disks onto the surface
Drilling into the surface and adding either pin heads or small glass beads to simulate the rivets.

To emboss rivets onto a surface you just turn the material over and use a pointed tool to push the surface You can also use a ponce wheel to press a line of rivets into he surface in a straight line.  The most appealing method that I have used is to use a pair of jewelry pliers like these.

They emboss a very clean rivet into any flat surface in several sizes.  This is my go to method since it is accurate and you can reproduce results without glue.
Again most of these have been mentioned here.
Hope that helps.
Snitchy sends.

[The_Beast]

They just press the end of a mechanical pencil (without the lead sticking out) into the green stuff. It gives a flush rivet look as the edges of the tip push it in whilst the gap leaves the "rivet" in place.

Understood; I just was saying that I didn't think flush rivets were developed, or, at least, in common use, before the turn-of-the-century. One, of course uses future tech in vSf, but some visual cues tend to dilute Vsf.  

"I don't understand where..." was about sewing punch ones, but I think I get it.

Doug