Brian,
You can make your own rivets from metal that you can find. Shoemakers,
old hardware stores, harness makers, boatyards are all sources for rivet
material. Tell them what you want to make; take a sample rivet.
If you can't find what you want, use copper rod. Rod should be the size
of the hole through which it passes. You can clamp a length of the rod
into a vice and pein over one end to get the rounded shape you want.
THen, you put it through the stock you want to rivet together (headlamp)
and nip the rivet to about 3/32 inch. WIth the head you formed on the
vice or anvil, then you pein over the cut end. Listen--the metal makes a
dull sound as you work around it, but as the rivet tightens the pitch of
the sound will rise. When it's snug you will know.
If you bugger it up, grind off the head and try again. If you find the
rod is too hard to work easily, heat with a bernz torch until glowing red
and let it air cool. This softens the metal.
Riveting sounds complicated, but it's one of these things that is
easier to do than to describe.
Bob
On Wed, 14 Feb 2001 14:13:04 -0800 Brian Smith <btsmith@island.net>
writes:
> . They almost appear to have been brass or copper, does
> anyone know of a source for these rivets?
>
> Local sources just laugh and tell me that they can't get rivets like
> that any more and suggest using pop rivets(?).
>
> Brian
> Campbell River
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