| Captain Jack Flack | 20 Oct 2005 4:34 p.m. PST |
I would like to modify some modern armor and futuristic robots into retro- Victorian- SF machines. The main requirements seem to be adding an appropriate number of smokestacks, and adding rivets to the models. So, What is the easiest and best way to simulate rivets? Thanks |
| liborn | 20 Oct 2005 4:55 p.m. PST |
Check out Model Expo. They sell brass nails for wooden ship models that work well if you're working in 28mm. |
| Todd Boyce | 20 Oct 2005 5:04 p.m. PST |
A mechanical pencil with no lead provides a good tool to create rivets. Put a thin layer of sculpting material down, poke at it with the pencil and then remove the excess. |
 Editor in Chief Bill   | 20 Oct 2005 5:14 p.m. PST |
You can also make "rivets" with dots of glue. |
| GuruDave | 20 Oct 2005 5:14 p.m. PST |
Another method is to use the thickest CA glue you can find ("super gap filling") and use a toothpick or similar tool to place small dabs of it along the seam, etc. It's takes some practice to get the rivets a consistent size, but it is a pretty quick method. Todd's mechanical pencil method sounds way cool! |
| NoNameEither | 20 Oct 2005 5:23 p.m. PST |
Buy either individual rivets from GrandtLine ( link )and/or buy a rivet sheet from us! link The rivet sheets have multiple sizes of rounded rivets in strips of various lengths – so to make a line of rivets that go around a smoke stack f.ex you just trim off the size you want in the length you want and then just glue that to the smoke stack – et voila. One smoke stack with an evenly spaced set of uniformly sized rivets for very little effort. Of course if you want some great variety in size and shape/style then go with the grandtline stuff, they have lots of funky types from the little ones on this picture to the larger ones on this picture |
| elsyrsyn | 20 Oct 2005 5:23 p.m. PST |
Another alternative is to pick up some model railroad Nut-Bolt-Washer (NBW) castings. There are several companies that make them in HO and N scales. Doug |
 Extra Crispy  | 20 Oct 2005 6:04 p.m. PST |
I use really small rivets…. |
| Cosmic Reset | 20 Oct 2005 6:34 p.m. PST |
SIG used to make little copper rivets, I haven't used them in almost 20 years, but I'd guess they are still avaialable. |
| mweaver | 20 Oct 2005 6:52 p.m. PST |
THe heads of straight pens work well; cheap, too. And if you are "riveting" something like foam core, you can leave a bit of the pin and peg them in place. |
| cloudcaptain | 20 Oct 2005 6:59 p.m. PST |
Fast and Economical method: Go to a real craft store. Buy the smallest "googly eye" they have in the doll making area. They can range down to the "darn small" region. they are essentially smaller, uniform plastic split peas in shape and form. Glue these down. Paint over them. Wallah…cheap and clean rivetwork. |
| ming31 | 20 Oct 2005 7:04 p.m. PST |
Use a pounce wheel ond set the run on the reverse side of thin plastic sheet .
take plastic rod and cut thin slices and glue them into place . |
| Rob Jedi | 20 Oct 2005 7:46 p.m. PST |
I use evergreen plastic rods (can't remember the size) I cut slices off it for as many rivets as I need and glue em on with liquid cement if it's onto a plastic kit or use zap if it's metal, it can take a while and it's a good idea to sand em all after the glue has dried so they all look about the same height but it adds so much nice detail it's worth the effort in the end. |
| DyeHard | 20 Oct 2005 11:21 p.m. PST |
I cover a number of ways to make rivets and give some links to even more at: link It is often a matter of what you want to put the rivets on that determens which is "best" DyeHard
link |
