RIVET WORK SUGGESTIONS UPDATE MARCH 2024

This one source. Precision Scale is another.

https://model-motorcars.myshop...small-parts-hardware

Generally if you wanted to emboss rivets you would use thin sheet like .010" or less and apply it to thicker material. Rivet tools are becoming hard to find now that Northwest Short Line is no more.

Pete

If you want just a suggestion of rivets, a ponce wheel might work.

I use them for nail holes in wood. Not sure how well they would work in styrene. Maybe if you heat it...

You could also try some of the rivet decals available today.  They consist of tiny raised rivet heads on decal film and get applied just like any other decal.

https://www.micromark.com/O-sc...ther-surface-details

The seamstress's pouncing wheel above I've used for Strathmore board/ card and thin styrene (say 0.005"). If you can find an old drafting compass set with a shouldered or stepped point, it gives you even depth on the same stuff and even thin brass sheet. The riveted layer then goes over your base construction.

Another method 9which I haven't used) is a home-made hinged drop hammer with a set backstop, so that the hammer is lifted to the stop and dropped exactly the same height every time. 

Skipping all that, Tichy Train Group makes ABS rivet sheets and individual rivets, but I'm not that much of a rivet-counter. https://www.tichytraingroup.com/Catalogs.aspx

Northwest Short Line  still has a web site up.  Never heard it went under ?

Archer transfers is your best bet

 They have various patterns and weld seems.

If you want to really add details!

I have used both a pounce wheel and Archer rivet decals. 

For most applications I use Archer Rivets, but I find it challenging to make a long straight rivet line, particularly if you have two that parallel each other and must line up with each other. For rivet lines longer than the decal sheet it is particularly challenging.  So I use a modified pounce wheel

For the pounce wheels I cut off every other point to get a better spacing for O scale, and I round the remaining ones slightly to give a more rounded head:

Here I punched rivets in long straight styrene angles...................

........to provide reinforcements for the catenary poles:

Here is an example of Archer Bridge rivet decals as applied to a brass catenary signal bridge.  (I primed the bridge, applied the rivets, then painted the bridge),

There is a video on the Archer site that gives lots of good tips on how to apply them

@CHOO-CHOO MIKE posted:

Northwest Short Line  still has a web site up.  Never heard it went under ?

It was reported on some sites the new owners are not interested in keeping it open. I know they don't respond to inquiries and most all of their former dealers like Walthers show out of stock. If you google Northwest Short Line you may see some of the references to their closing.

https://ogrforum.com/...t-short-line-closing

Pete

@prrhorseshoecurve posted:

Archer transfers is your best bet

 They have various patterns and weld seems.

If you want to really add details!

I'll second that!  They are very good and have so many patterns to select from.

Thanks for the all of the suggestions and John I appreciate the suggestion with the added results.  I will look into some of these and see what will work best for my needs. 

Dave

@John Sethian posted:

I have used both a pounce wheel and Archer rivet decals. 

For most applications I use Archer Rivets, but I find it challenging to make a long straight rivet line, particularly if you have two that parallel each other and must line up with each other. For rivet lines longer than the decal sheet it is particularly challenging.  So I use a modified pounce wheel

For the pounce wheels I cut off every other point to get a better spacing for O scale, and I round the remaining ones slightly to give a more rounded head:

Here I punched rivets in long straight styrene angles...................

........to provide reinforcements for the catenary poles:

Here is an example of Archer Bridge rivet decals as applied to a brass catenary signal bridge.  (I primed the bridge, applied the rivets, then painted the bridge),

There is a video on the Archer site that gives lots of good tips on how to apply them

 

 

 

John,

How do you cut the off the points on the pounce wheel and round the remaining ones? Because the bridge is already constructed I'm not sure how I would secure the structure and "mask" of the section to be riveted to keep the rivet line straight. I really like the results in your pics.

Dave

Aha, I found where the rivet counters congregate!! 

@luvindemtrains posted:

John,

How do you cut the off the points on the pounce wheel and round the remaining ones?

I used a grinding wheel on a Dremel.  

Because the bridge is already constructed I'm not sure how I would secure the structure and "mask" of the section to be riveted to keep the rivet line straight.

If your bridge is already constructed, go with the Archer Rivets. They are really very good!

I really like the results in your pics.

Thanks

Dave

John

Thanks John!

Micro Mark sells rivet decals.

George

In an effort to not ask for advice then not update the people who made suggestions that were used, here are some photos of the bridge where I needed the rivets. I used a jewelry tool called a stoker to create the gusset plate rivets and Archer rivets on the diagonal members of the bridge.  I can't believe this thread was started four years ago! That's just crazy. I just finished this project up about 6 weeks ago.

Thanks again for all who chimed in. Even if I did not go with your suggestion, it pointed me in the right direction and provided me with options.

Dave

Glad that I stumbled upon this for future reference.

Thanks for all of the ideas shown here.

Tom

Dave that came out very nicely.  Is that the stoker in the picture?  Did you have to punch every rivet individually?  How in the world did you keep the spacing the same?  I also like the laser cut lattice you added.

The rivet details and weathering on the bridge look awesome.