Rivets

[mountainman]

Just wondering where you all get your rivets from?
I'm doing a silver nose cap, just wondering where I can buy silver rivets?

[Stophel]

I would think that probably you'll have to make them yourself out of silver wire.... now, where do you get silver wire? 

[smylee grouch]

Some time ago I found some german silver nails that I used to make silver rivets that were real hard to make out once dressed down.

[Craig Wilcox]

I get my silver from Rio Grande Jewelry Supply,  But many of the metal sellers are around the country.  I'd use a fairly heavy gage, like 12 or 14, for rivets.

[flinchrocket]

You can saw a short strip from the material your using to make your rivets.

[mountainman]

You can saw a short strip from the material your using to make your rivets.

When making your rivets do you aneal it first?

[Acer Saccharum]

Oh, yes, please do anneal it first! Dull red, and quench in water. Heat travels in silver like lightning, so use pliers to hold the wire, even if the piece is fairly long.

You can make a block of steel with a hole and a countersink. Drop a piece of wire in the hole that's just a tad longer than the hole, and hammer it down to fill the countersink. File off any extra, and push the rivet out from the other side. You might even want to anneal the rivets after forming.

[Craig Wilcox]

I use a jewelers "charcoal" block, lay the rivets on it, and heat til dull red. Then you can dunk it or let it cool.
Wrap some wire around the block to keep it from breaking.

[Jim Kibler]

I generally make rivets by cutting a slice off with a saw.  Clamp it in the vise with enough sticking out.  Round this and taper with a file.  The area held in the vise ends up being the head.  Easy a pie.

[mountainman]

I generally make rivets by cutting a slice off with a saw.  Clamp it in the vise with enough sticking out.  Round this and taper with a file.  The area held in the vise ends up being the head.  Easy a pie.

That's what I did then today, anealled about 4 times per piece, here's a photo of my attempt, I suppose they'll work. I flatten the head as I formed them, it was more or less rounded, then I filed 4 sides, to keep them from turning in the mortise.
Thanks all again!