Rivets In Woodworking?

[Derek Arita]

Just wondering if anyone uses rivets in woodworking? Right now, I'm making some boxes using 1/4" hardwood. Sure would be nice to be able to use rivets to attach things like handles and latches using rivets. Do they even make rivets that would work?

[Dave Richards]

Copper rivets are common in wooden boats and sometimes in Shaker pieces like the oval boxes. (Although they are more often a copper nail that is cut short and clinched.)

You can see some options here. You can buy special tools such as a rove set. When I riveted the planks on my son's baby cradle, I made a rove set from a large bolt with a hole drilled for the rivet. I threaded on a bunch of flat washers and a nut to give it some mass.

[glenn bradley]

Copper will look nicer with wood but, soft pop rivets could also be applied. It is easy enough to test a few on some scrap to make sure the rivet you want to use has an effective cycle pressure that won't crush your material.

[Peter Christensen]

If using pop rivets put a small washer under the tail so it squeezes it instead of crushing the wood.

[Bill Dufour]

You can buy pop rivets in copper for roofing work.

[Frank Pratt]

You can buy pop rivets in copper for roofing work.

Yes, I used copper pop rivets when I made a copper range hood fan.

[Mike Cutler]

I haven't seen too many "pop rivets", outside of wooden boat hulls, which is actually a different type of rivet, but I have seen Chicago screws used in wood working.

[Jim Becker]

Rivets are used commonly in some applications, such as attaching knife scales to the blade. That same type might be a nice way to do your box projects simply because there is very limited protrusion on both sides and they can even be made flush with some minor countersinking. This type is like a "press together" Chicago bolt...unthreaded, but when the male and female sides are knocked together, they grip very well.

[Tom M King]

By backing up with an aircraft rivet "bucking bar", you can make the size rivets you need with pieces of copper wire. You can buy cut lengths of different sizes of copper ground wire in the big box stores. Google bucking bar. They're handy to have for all sorts of things, and come in all shapes and sizes. Mine weighs about a pound and a half, has a flat end, and a 45 degree end.

[Wayne Lomman]

We often get plywood crates delivered that have been riveted together using light gauge steel angle for the edges. They are bl...y hard to knock apart. Give it a go. Cheers

[Jim Becker]

The "road case" industry has used rivets with wood and aluminum for eons....