A rivet is a fastening pin or bolt used for joining two or more parts or pieces of material together. They very securely fasten wood, metal, plastic and other varieties of materials. Joining is achieved when the plain or “buck-tail” end of a rivet passes through holes and is deformed into a second head.
Rivets may be heated for added strength in building construction. When hot rivets cool, they shrink. The two heads then pull parts or materials together very tightly. Rivet holes can be drilled and reamed, but some rivets are simply punched through the materials that are to be joined. Miscellaneous washers fasteners are also sometimes used to help reinforce rivets, particularly when soft materials are being joined.
Two types of rivets that have special applications are blind rivets and pin rivets. Blind rivet fasteners are used when you cannot access one side of the parts or materials to be joined. Pin rivet fasteners are tubular. The buck-tail end of the pin rivet has an opening that is smaller than that at the head or “factory head” end. When it is driven, the tube spreads out over the edge of the hole at the buck-tail end to form the second head.
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