Rivets are designed to join two pieces of metal or plastic together through a pre-drilled hole. They can be used in making metal or plastic objects or for repairs around the house, such as re-attaching a loose piece of guttering or iron.  Rivets come in varied thicknesses and lengths and attached to a pin as shown. For general household use it is best to buy a selection of sizes. Once the rivet is passed through the pre-drilled hole, the head of the rivet remains on one side of the pieces being joined (see illustration below). On the other side, the pop-riveter compresses the soft alloy material of the rivet (usually aluminium) to create a flange that holds the two sheets together. Rivets can also be bought in steel, copper and nickel copper for specialist jobs where galvanic corrosion, electrolytic incompatibility or marine exposure might be a problem. (See also, What metal type should your fastener be?)

If you are joining plastic, it is a good idea to make allowances for a small washer on the back side of the join. This will stop the rivet pressing into the plastic while it is being attached, thus weakening the join.

How to choose a pop rivet size

Pop rivets are sold with a stated ‘grip range’, which is the total thickness of the parts being joined, so look on the packaging to assess the size of rivet you need for the job. For example, the length of a flat- or round-head aluminium rivet should be 1.5 times the diameter of the rivet shaft plus the thickness of the parts being joined.

How to use the riveter (rivet gun)

Align and temporarily clamp the two pieces of metal or plastic together in the desired position. Drill a hole (the same diameter as the shaft of the rivet) through both pieces of metal or plastic, in the desired place. You might need to punch a light dent in the metal first, in the exact place you want the hole (using a centre-punch, or even a nail), to make sure the drill bit does not skid as you begin to drill. (How to use a power drill) (Safety with power tools)

Once your rivet is selected and your hole drilled, look at your rivet gun. It has a selection of inserts attached to its frame. These can be unscrewed using a wrench that is usually also attached to the frame. The insert you need, for your particular job, will be the one that snuggly accommodates the pin of your rivet. Screw the correct insert into the head of the riveter.

Place the pin of the rivet into the head of the riveter as shown. Pass the rivet through the pre-drilled hole in the metal or plastic sheets. Check that everything is aligned and squeeze the handles of the rivet gun together until you hear a snapping sound. Sometimes this might take two or three squeezes. The rivet is now attached.

Usually the rivet pin remains in the rivet gun. Remove this by pushing it through with another rivet pin.

Rivets cannot be undone so it is very important to align the pieces being joined correctly.

To remove a rivet

Rivets can only be removed by destroying the rivet. There are two methods:

Drill out the core of the rivet. It’s not easy to determine the size of drill-bit needed just by looking at the rivet head, so drill it out with a smaller drill bit than you think necessary, then look into the hole to see if you need a wider bit to drill the remainder.

Another method is to grind off the head of the rivet and punch the core through.