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How do u make rivets?

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  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: springfield
How do u make rivets?
Posted by prowannab on Sunday, December 7, 2008 9:24 AM
I 'm working on a KW rig right now and had to sand some of the rivets off to make the seam disappear, Well the problem is that I need to makae the rivets come back to make the truck look right. But I have no idea as to how to make rivets, oh by the way this is a 1/25 scale anad the rivets need to be raised. Thanks for all help, and have a good day.
Patriae Fidus (FAITHFUL TO MY COUNTRY)
  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Westerville, Ohio
Posted by Air Master Modeler on Sunday, December 7, 2008 10:31 AM
What I do is sand them off and use a sewing needle to rescribe them. I simply poke and twist the needle in place where the rivet will appear and this gives it a raised look. I am an aircraft modeler and this is how I replace the rivet detail on aircraft.

Rand

30 years experience building plastic models.

WIP: Revell F-14B Tomcat, backdating to F-14A VF-32 1989 Gulf Of Sidra MiG-23 Killer "Gypsy 207".

  • Member since
    June 2008
  • From: Iowa
Posted by Hans von Hammer on Sunday, December 7, 2008 11:07 AM
In 1/25th scale, you really have to "salami slice" stretched sprue for rivets... Tedious, but about the only way I can think of.

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: California
Posted by rabbiteatsnake on Sunday, December 7, 2008 1:38 PM
A technique I've found to work great on round raised rivets is to use artists gesso.  I pencil in tic marks where I want the revits to go, then useing a 5-10 /0 brush I pick up a dollop of gesso and blob it on the part. It does level off some when it dries, if you need it proud go over a second time, two passes are still way easier than putting on all those tiny styrene bits.
The devil is in the details...and somtimes he's in my sock drawer. On the bench. Airfix 1/24 bf109E scratch conv to 109 G14AS MPC1/24 ju87B conv to 87G Rev 1/48 B17G toF Trump 1/32 f4u-1D and staying a1D Scratch 1/16 TigerII.
  • Member since
    June 2008
  • From: Iowa
Posted by Hans von Hammer on Monday, December 8, 2008 11:35 AM
Enlighten me on "artist's gesso".. Never heard of it...

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: California
Posted by rabbiteatsnake on Monday, December 8, 2008 10:56 PM
Emulsified acrylic latex, its white, its thick, its filled with gobs-o-zinc to make it opaque.  If you're a artsy fartsy type, it is the primer used on canvas to seal and yield a clean foundation.  Working with John Warren building a 1/3rd scale stretch limo for the film "Strange days" he told how he filled syringes with it to make the rivets on the 1/6th Harrier for "True lies". At that scale a hypo makes a rivet as big  as a pencil lead, so I substituted a 00000 sable brush, works so well I wish I'd thought of it.  An added bonus, if you goof let it dry and pop it off with an X-acto.
The devil is in the details...and somtimes he's in my sock drawer. On the bench. Airfix 1/24 bf109E scratch conv to 109 G14AS MPC1/24 ju87B conv to 87G Rev 1/48 B17G toF Trump 1/32 f4u-1D and staying a1D Scratch 1/16 TigerII.
  • Member since
    January 2020
Posted by Shad Adnoids on Sunday, January 19, 2020 9:38 AM

"Painting" on rivets is a great solution! I tried to make rivets with the Gesso as wisely suggested, but I think my 00 brush was fine enough or my Gesso is too old. The rivets were too inconstant. But I still didn't want to cut 40 or 50 microscopic styrene rivets! 

Being one of those artsy fartsy types, I thought I would give acrylic modeling paste a try. It's used by painters to build up a surface or make dramatic 3D brush strokes. You've probably seem it if you have seen a painting like that. Anyway, adding water, I experimented with different consistencies until I was able to successfully make very uniform, little domes to scale by dotting them in place at a right angle to the surface with a toothpick. So thanks! Never would have got there without you. This is my first post.

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • From: Close to Chicago
Posted by JohnnyK on Monday, January 20, 2020 12:43 PM

I use this tool from RB Productions. The tool comes with four wheels with different spacing of the teeth. 

Just run the wheel along a straight edge to produce a row of rivets. Very easy to use. Just make sure that the rivets are equally spaced and straight.

 

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Monday, January 20, 2020 12:59 PM

This thread (11 years old) clearly shows that there are a broad range of answers. Type of rivet, scale, application.

Aircraft rivets stopped being raised a long time ago. So the pounce wheel or other methods on making little marks works pretty well.

Regarding the OP and his rivets, here's a decent read:

https://talk.newagtalk.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=449201&DisplayType=flat

I only include it to identify yet another type of rivet fastener.

I thought the idea if little discks of stretched sprue was a good one. On an aircraft no and no, but for something like a tank (tracked of full of oil) it might be the trick. Those types of things generally are not as tedious as you might think.

 

 

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Monday, January 20, 2020 1:35 PM

For flush rivets I use a slightly different metal color, and dip the sharp point of a toothpick in  a thin layer of paint, and then touch that point to the surface.  For round head rivets I dip point of toothpick into a bit of white glue and place it on the surface. I put it on after final layer of paint and then paint the rivet head with another toothpick.

 

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posted by Real G on Monday, January 20, 2020 2:14 PM

For automotive subjects, the number of rivets is less than for an aircraft, so rivet decals are a viable option.  Archer makes a lot of different sizes and styles, so it can be bewildering.  But their on-line catalog has 1:1 PDF examples, so it is possible to figure out which set you need.

For aircraft, the rivet wheels are definitely the way to go.  A dream product would be rivet wheels with sharp hollow points, to better simulate flush rivets.

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • From: Close to Chicago
Posted by JohnnyK on Monday, January 20, 2020 4:11 PM

Real G

For automotive subjects, the number of rivets is less than for an aircraft, so rivet decals are a viable option.  Archer makes a lot of different sizes and styles, so it can be bewildering.  But their on-line catalog has 1:1 PDF examples, so it is possible to figure out which set you need.

For aircraft, the rivet wheels are definitely the way to go.  A dream product would be rivet wheels with sharp hollow points, to better simulate flush rivets.

 

Those rivets would be great on a tank.

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

  • Member since
    July 2013
  • From: Chicago area
Posted by modelmaker66 on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 1:11 AM

"How do u make rivets?"

 

A rivit maker of course! Big Smile

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 8:18 AM

Okay, I would like to try those Archer rivets.  I take it they are dry transfer.  What is a good source for them?

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posted by Real G on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 11:43 AM

Don,

Actually they are wateslide decals that are thin, tough, and stick well.  PLUS, when they dry, any wrinkles in the carrier film can be scraped flat with a sharp knife.  And the rivets are little dots of resin, so they do stand proud.  I like the product a lot and can wholeheartedly recommend them.

https://www.archertransfers.com/SurfaceDetailsAircraft.html

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Thursday, January 23, 2020 2:26 PM

Well;

        There are three ways to go about that.There's the rivet sets from Grandt Line( Model rail product) or there's the Archer decals. I think either one is the Cat's Meow! The model RailRoad ones can be gotten in " N" scale which I believe would look better on the KW. The originals as molded would've been as big as half Golfballs in 1;1 scale.

      The third way is a little complicated I think. mark your rivet line with label tabe or a double thickness of Scotch Magic Mending Tape. Measure out your Rivet Spacing on the tape. Then use the finest point paint pen you can find. Personally,I would go with one of the first two.

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: New Braunfels, Texas
Posted by Tanker-Builder on Saturday, January 25, 2020 11:07 AM

"G"

    Hi. This talk about rivets is about as ongoing as the one about the color of the Arizonaon that terrible day. I for one have worked on modern jet aircraft. The rivets are indeed Flat. and better NOT rise above the surface in any way, Especially on the A/Cs skin.

       I remember a Falcon Jet model 20 ( Dassault Avaition) that even after a few flights was a smooth as the proverbial " Baby's Butt" Now my old Warbird did have some Domed rivets in Places. These were because of field Mods. None were in an area that affected airflow!

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • From: Close to Chicago
Posted by JohnnyK on Saturday, January 25, 2020 11:30 AM

Here is a closeup and a super closeup of the rivets on my B-24. The rivets look like small dimples and are flat. They have a slight texture when a finger is run over them. There are probably thousands of rivets on this model. I think that they look pretty realistic. I used a rivet wheel. Really easy to use. 

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

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