Rivets

[Thunderchicken]

Hi all,

I'm in the process of scratch building some VSF goodies and cant put off covering them in rivets any longer. Just wondered what other pople have used for rivets. Advice on any scale will do.  

Many thanks.

TC

[Glitzer]

I've used dots of white glue or epoxy to get a rivet effect for my Necromunda vehicles

[Svennn]

depends how big (or small) you want them but a lot of the aftermarket truck model companies like KFS sell them in resin along with bolt heads etc etc. Most truck kits are 1/24th though although some of the 1/50th would be ideal

[drferling]

Antenociti's workshop do some nice rivets that you simply cut off and glue on.  I haven't used them but have seen some pretty impressive stuff done with them.

[Hammers]

I am the proud owner of a nifty little pewter thingummybob with rivet or nut shaped indentures of various sized into which you push the heated end of plastic sprue. Shave that end off when it's cool and, hey presto!, you have a rivet to glue on your steam contraption.

[Westfalia Chris]

I just use various strengths of plastic rod for rivets and screws. Works well enough for me. Try to get as clean a cut as possible, and after the glue has set, gently sand over the whole set of rivets to get a more even finish.

[warrenpeace]

Friend of mine put rivets on his 28mm gunboat by cutting off the heads of clothing pins, the more flatheaded type.  He had a bit of pin left connected to the head and simply hammered or pushed them in to the boat material.

[Wirelizard]

For smaller rivets (or rivets in smaller scales, either way), I've gotten good results using very thin plastic sheet (.010" usually) and embossing rivetheads into it - especially good if you want a line of rivets along the edge of a sheet.

[WillieB]

Takes a bit of practice but you soon get the hang of it.

Drill holes where you want the rivets. Insert plastic rod about half the size of the rivet you want.

Hold the -lighted- end of a cigarette approximately 1cm from the plastic rod.
Do not touch the plastic rod!.

Almost immediately the plastic rod will form a sort of dome that lies flat against the surface of your model. Ideal for bigger rivets on 'pulpy' vehicles.

BTW also a good way if you've rigged your biplane with plastic sprue and the wires have sagged a bit. Just hold a burning cigarette an inch or so from the wires and they will snap taut.

[tsar1701]

I use this object ... with a thiny plastic card.

Absolutly no idea about the english name for that.

[twrchtrwyth]

It's a punch.

[Hammers]

Takes a bit of practice but you soon get the hang of it.

Drill holes where you want the rivets. Insert plastic rod about half the size of the rivet you want.

Hold the -lighted- end of a cigarette approximately 1cm from the plastic rod.
Do not touch the plastic rod!.

Almost immediately the plastic rod will form a sort of dome that lies flat against the surface of your model. Ideal for bigger rivets on 'pulpy' vehicles.

BTW also a good way if you've rigged your biplane with plastic sprue and the wires have sagged a bit. Just hold a burning cigarette an inch or so from the wires and they will snap taut.

Interesting technique. Doesn't it warp the plastic sheet the rivet is imbedded in? Wouldn't a solderig iron give you more control?

[tsar1701]

It's a punch.

I'll try to remember
thanks for helping improving my english  

[WillieB]

Hammershield,

No, not a problem at all. I'll try to take some pictures of some WIP this weekend.

I mostly use 0.20 thou plastic card for building or converting models and it doesn't warp at all. The -Slaters- plastic rod absorbs all of the heat apparently.

Haven't tried it with a soldering iron yet,  but this may be a better solution for a non- smoker :-)

Yes, I'm still addicted to the weed....

[WillieB]

As promised some pics of the technique I use for rivets.
Not great pictures but you will probably get the general idea.

According to Murphy's Law I found out that I had no suitable plastic rod anymore and had to use strecthed sprue for this demo.
As a result the rivets are a bit uneven, but that is only because I had to use a square/oblong sprue.



This is the vehicle in question. It's a VSF thingie -actually an armoured tricycle powered by a poor Schutztruppe Askari. It will have an MG and gunner. The armoured  front door is still missing and that's what we'll use .

Here the plastic rod is inserted into a pre-drilled hole.



Heat from cigarette is applied- do not touch the rod!



After a few seconds the plastic rod will start to 'shrink' forming an almost perfect dome.



And here's the result. Not as good as usual but as I said that's because I had to use a very uneven stretched sprue and not plastic rod.