Rivets

[ipwizard]

Does anyone know the name of the rivets used on these old sets? Specifically the rivets with the smooth some what domed head and the rolled over bottom, and are these sold anymore?

[D R FORD]

can;t think of the name for them but i would try a FASTEN-ALL store or a welding or sheet metal shop

[Steve Davis]

Look at these http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-rivets/=ghtmlg The heads may be flatter than you like.

Steve

[Arran]

I would search on one of the other forums for this, there was a guy that had a restoration thread on a Zenith farm set who had to buy them from someplace and it wasn't McMaster-Carr, the same place supplied the tool to peen them over with as well.
Regards
Arran

[Eliot Ness]

On the Zenith set that Arran mentioned he bought his rivets from drillspot.com. Not sure if their inventory has changed, since that was back in 2009, but the McMaster-Carr link (that Steve posted) looks to have a better assortment of both domed and flat head solid rivets.

Seems like it might be hard to set that type of rivet on a crowded radio chassis, but I've only had experience with pop-rivets.

[Chicago Jimmy]

Aircraft rivets. The majority of them need to be peened.

[Texasrocker]

My Dremmel tool has removed lots of the original types. Never really understood a reason to replace the originals. That's just a lil bit over the top "purists" to me, but hey!...to each his own indeed!!

[codefox1]

(03-04-2012 07:23 AM)Texasrocker Wrote:  My Dremmel tool has removed lots of the original types. Never really understood a reason to replace the originals. That's just a lil bit over the top "purists" to me, but hey!...to each his own indeed!!

Gotta agree, an assortment of good quality stainless steel screws, nuts, and lock washers can be had for about $15 and will last a very long time. Just to be sure, I dot the nut/screw junction with a drop of fabric glue -- locktite would also be OK.

Plus I never throw away anything before taking useful hardware and fasteners off. Not that I can ever find them again when needed.

[DeckApe]

(03-04-2012 06:02 PM)codefox1 Wrote:  Plus I never throw away anything before taking useful hardware and fasteners off. Not that I can ever find them again when needed.

I'll drink to that.

[Arran]

(03-04-2012 07:23 AM)Texasrocker Wrote:  My Dremmel tool has removed lots of the original types. Never really understood a reason to replace the originals. That's just a lil bit over the top "purists" to me, but hey!...to each his own indeed!!

I can fully understand why someone would want to replace the originals with something close. Lets say that you have a Scott radio or a Philco 37 or 38-690 that is rusty or you want to replate, well using a bunch of phillips slotted machine screws just plain looks stupid, even slotted ones don't look quite right. In some instances the screw heads will also prevent you from seating a tube properly in it's socket. The original style rivets are trickier to find but they aren't expensive either.
Over the top to me involves using cloth wire for everything, even bellow the chassis where it won't be seen, and I'm not totally sold on the idea of restuffing the original paper caps either. But for above the chassis I can definately understand it, just like having the original style condenser cans, power transformer, tube shields, and ST style tubes rather then metal or GT style in the case of a Philco.
Regards
Arran

[ipwizard]

Thanks for all the replies everyone.

I was just curious if those types of rivets were still available. I generaly use flush head pop rivets or screws and nuts to fasten things down with when needed.

I dont think I would ever try to replace an old style rivet with one that looks the same even if it was on a 37/38-690 or any other higher end radio unless I was doing the restoration for someone and thats what they wanted.