Just saw an amazing home made rivet tool on starship modeller site. This is a MUST for the larger scale modellers (not so appropriate perhaps for 1/350, but just right for 1/72, 1/48, 1/35). Excellent for armour too.

http://www.starshipmodeler.net/cgi-bin/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=43241

fellow named "futch" has turned a nail punch into a flat OR domed rivet tool. beautiful work.

Hi Wink

This is great.

Thanks for sharing.

Regards

Sean

That is truly one of the slickest creations I've seen in quite awhile.
The results look great!
However, drilling out the tip to make it concave looks to be challenging.
I would suggest trying that with a small drill press.
Awesome tool though! And the Falke Pkf.85 kit as well!
Thanks for sharing that Wink,
Best regards,
Gary

Hi WInk,

Great idea, thanks for sharing that one.

Cheers

Al

Excellent link, Wink, Thanks!!

Amazing results from this little bugger! I'm heading out to the shop right now to make one up (ah, the joys of having a full scale precision toolmaking shop at the office!! )

~Gunny

Thanks guys, just had to share.

Gunny - [note intense envy re: precision machine shop!] Please report when done, am concerned I'll be going thru multiple nail sets on my $99 drill press: SLIP/GOUGE/D'oh!

If only someone had a precision machine shop and wanted to make multi-sizes to SELL...? Hmmm

Gunny,
You taking orders yet?

:-)
Sorry Gary!
Listen, this tool is not very hard to make!

The original creator of this idea used a normal, 1mm nail to make his tool. . .so I set to thinking yesterday, and decided to try to "modify" one of the tools that I stock here daily, which is a standard precision pin punch (insert favorite precision tool manufacturer here).

I found one that was close to 1mm in diameter, and since they are made from hardened steel, drilling presented another challenge, even if it was just for a conical bowl, as shown in the article.

I just so happen to stock precision drill bits with a TIAIN coating (Titanium Aluminum Nitride), which gives a tool supreme hardness. . .ideal for hardened steel!

Next, a little work with a micro drill press, and I had a tool with a tip that looks practically like the original inventors (without the cork though! ), and took only about five minutes to do so. Haven't tried it out on styrene yet, but I DID give it a go on some .001 brass shim stock, and it looked really convincing!
Give it a go!!
~Gunny

Thanks Gunny, I'll give it a go this weekend.

Thanks Gunny, I'll give it a go this weekend.

Ditto!