Pop rivets as baseboard dowels

[47137]

The disposable part (prong) of a pop rivet is made of a hard metal (steel?), to a close tolerance. The rivet part provides a handle:

 

 

I was intending to try round wire nails, but looking through my boxes of fixings these pop rivets seem to be made for the job. Easier to use than pattern maker's dowels, especially because I was adding them after laying the track.

 

Edit: I ground down the points on the prongs, to make them safer.

 

- Richard.

Edited January 16, 2018 by 47137

[roythebus]

It's different I suppose.

[Dick Turpin]

I always use the shank end of 5mm drills as dowels if I need to, but any diameter would do. They are hardened and ground at 5mm diameter, and if needed to be permanent, you can always use ones that have seen better days, glued in place. 

Edited January 20, 2018 by Dick Turpin

[Miss Prism]

What do the ends of the pop rivet go into?

[47137]

The ends go into 2.5 mm holes drilled through the ends of the baseboards. I've measured the ends, they are all a shade over 2.4 mm diameter so with 20+ mm of engagement, they are a snug fit.

 

It seems good enough for a home layout getting say a dozen assembly cycles; a more 'engineered' version could use some metal tubing to line the holes.

 

I expect I was lucky to have the drill bit and rivets to hand at the same time.

 

- Richard.

[Miss Prism]

The ends go into 2.5 mm holes drilled through the ends of the baseboards. I've measured the ends, they are all a shade over 2.4 mm diameter so with 20+ mm of engagement, they are a snug fit.

 

It seems good enough for a home layout getting say a dozen assembly cycles; a more 'engineered' version could use some metal tubing to line the holes.

 

Thanks. 2.5mm i/d or drilled metal tubing would probably be more 'engineered', but with 20mm engagement, a decent bit of wood is probably good enough. Reliable dowelling tends to rely on getting good perpendicular pilot holes through both mating faces.