Getting Attached: Rivet Making Revealed
Learn one of the most versatile and strong connection methods and leave
that glue in your drawer! Whatever the materials used, hand-made rivets
can often be employed to strengthen and enhance your assemblage work
or jewelry. Recommended for the Precious Little students and for anyone
interested in attaching objects securely. Get it together and keep
it together...
REQUIRED TOOLS:
The tools below are things you will beusing in the workshop, and to avoid having to wait for a communal tool to become available, you should plan on getting them for the class:
• Hand drill. A cordless, variable-speed hand drill is perfect
and will be one of the most useful tools in your home, trust me! Here
is one for $30 that fits the bill: <http://toolprice.com/product/1292L>
Be sure to charge up the battery before getting to the class! For those
who don't want to get the electric drill, Fiskars
makes a good and very inexpensive one (like under $15!): <http://www.yourartsncrafts.com/fiskarsmanualdrill.html>
It isn't as versatile, but it will work in a pinch.
• Two 1/16" drill bits
• Piece of scrap wood to drill into
•
Riveting hammer. Available for about $7 from Gesswein or any other jewelry
supply store. On this page, scroll down to the 'Swiss-style riveting
hammer' to see the type that's best: <http://www.gesswein.com/catalog/catalog.cfm?cat=2&sub=5&subsub=2&catalog=1&CFID=267209&CFTOKEN=86567434>
• roll of 're-bar tie wire' (found for under $5 in hardware stores
in the construction materials section, near the cinder block and chain-link
fencing. IMPORTANT: make sure it is steel or iron wire, NOT galvanized!...it
should be dark grey-black). If you are travelling light, snip off about
four feet of wire which should be plenty. No need to bring the whole
roll.
• 1
or 2 bar clamps (an excellent bar clamp called 'Quik-Grip'
can be found at Home Depot...get the smallest ones available)
• spring-loaded, or 'automatic' center punch. Can be found at most
hardware stores, but go here to see what they look like (this is a lightweight version that is quite nice): <http://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-Pocket-Automatic-Center/dp/B00004T7RJ>
• steel hand vise. This is a fantastic tool, which can
be seen (and purchased) here at Rainbow Jeweler's Supply: <http://www.rainbowsupply.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=58.120> NOTE:
These vises can often be purchased as antiques on eBay, as "Gunsmith's
Hand Vise." They look like a vintage version of the same thing.
This will be a crucial tool for the class, although if you're coming
with
a friend, you can arrange to share.
• Flush-cutter. An
absolutely brilliant pair of cutters can be found here: <http://www.americanjewelrysupply.com/products/jewelry/plier26.html>
Specify
the FLUSH-CUT model. They cost $29. If
you cut wire with any frequency, these are more than worth the money.
I covet my pair, which I paid way too much for ($70!), but even so,
I wouldn't give them up for anything. However, if you want a cheaper
alternative ($7), these will do: <http://wire-sculpture.com/item.php?item=G2-6&curFile=wholesalecloseouts>
or cheaper still ($3), for those who aren't planning on using them
much outside
the class time: <http://wire-sculpture.com/item.php?item=G2-59&curFile=wholesalecloseouts>
• small steel bench block. This is a steel anvil surface for you to hammer on. Here's a very inexpensive one: <http://www.widgetsupply.com/page/WS/PROD/jeweler-anvil/BKG06>
• Sharpie marker (fine point)
• A handful of metal things to rivet together.....anything from large coins to sheet metal will do. Grab a bunch of found objects and you're bound to have rivet-able stuff.
Please email me with any questions you might have that this page didn't address.
See you there! Keith
