Solid Steel Rivets

What is a "nice soft nail"? One for driving into balsa wood? Where can I find one? A brass brad perhaps?

(I'm just ribbing here; your idea is quite right.)

The proverbial mother of invention is is in play here Del.

Great response and oh, so simple.

Cats and Tinkerers always seem to think things thru.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#steel-rivets/=a81c87

This is odd - I followed the guest's link and couldn't find a 2" x 1/8 rivet

I think Del should have the GA

And I might add that galvanised nails tend to be softer steel than bright nails.

Also a 'bullet head' nail will bash to 'countersunk' if you drill a hole on a bit of steel, counter sink it, insert nail and apply hammer. If necessary some heat.

Heat will also aid in the peening over process and residual heat in the rivet 'shaft' will give you a shrink tightening.

Old fencing wire (the 1/8 thick stuff before high tensile became available) is softer and excellent riveting stock (if not too rusty and pitted).

On the web page I submitted, you should first scroll down to the "lenght" option drop down and scroll select 2", next page will offer thickness, choose .250, next page will offer material options and then head thickness. I am sure you will be happy with the choices, cost and quality. I have been were your are needing rivits and have been very happy with this vendor.

As a comment, if you are riviting electrical laminants, you will need to take extra caution to assure they are tight when you peen over the rivit end. They do not need much space to vibrate hence rattle nad humm. I have sucessfully used a dremel with mini cut off and notched a cross from the end almost to the depth that the rivit sticks out the material being rivited.but done before insertion. I then used a nail set to start the rivit material to expand which in turn helps tighten the laminates. Once you see that they are tight you can then beat with you peening head or if you have lots of the bucks do a search on the same vendor web for "solid rivit setting tool" to help get a professional looking finish.

The last I knew .250" is 1/4" not 1/8" (.125") as requested by the OP

Ditto

M3 set screw & nut?

OK guys, I had already tried the nail, it was of course, the obvious answer, however the execution of same proved to be quite difficult, in that the steel content of same is such that it is of uncertain content. Despite an attempt at annealing, the act of rivetting cold, proved impratical. After much deliberation, and a visit to a friend (he has oxy acetylene) it was accomplished using 3.2mm nails as per my original attempt. But I must add, not without some difficulty!! It is to be rembered that the slug had to be set up with some degree of accuracy, remembering that it is a moving within the confines of two coils. I liked the idea of modified nuts and bolts, but difficult to source. Anyway lads, moving on, Thank you one and all for the ideas, as I've said before, one is only as strong as his circle of friends. Thanks again,, Norm.

Good one Norm - & nice to hear back