If you cannot get the rivet apart, reset the cap with a hammer and attempt the drill press again.If not, you may need to push the rivet out with a nail or place a screwdriver under the cap and gently try to pry the rivet apart. In some cases, the rivet will easily come apart. Wait for the rivet to cool before handling, and be wary of any sharp bits of metal.At a slow speed, lower the drill onto the rivet – do not press down hard.For double caps, you will need to drill through the cap. Choose a drill bit that is a tiny bit larger than the hole on the post side.Place the piece on the press with the cap facing down.In most cases, the use of a drill press is the easiest way to remove an old leather rivet. If you prefer a flat and slightly stronger rivet, hammer the domed top flat using a hammer.Set the domed part of the copper rivet setter over your rivet and burr and hammer down to create a smooth surface and remove any sharp edges from trimming.Trim the post if necessary, using diagonal cutting nippers.Hammer down on the setter until the burr is flush with the leather.Using a copper rivet setter, place the setter over the post and top of the burr.Set the post flat against your anvil or setting surface and push the burr down over top as far as it will go.The washer of a copper rivet is called the burr. However, it should be at least 3/16″ above your leather. Post length is much more flexible with copper rivets as the setting involves trimming the post. Typically, this involves lining the rivet up under the press and pushing down on the handle – a quick and simple way to set these larger rivets. If you’re using a kick press to set your tubular rivet, follow the instructions of the kick press. Using a mallet, hammer down onto the rivet to set.Hold the peening tool in line with the hollow point of the rivet post.For the peening tool, set the rivet head flat against your anvil or setting surface.To set you can use a kick press or peening tool.Ensure that you’ve punched your leather to fit the size of your tubular post before beginning. Tubular rivets have a thicker post than other rivets and are often used for more industrial projects. The post should stick out about ⅛ inch above the leather to properly set or “crimp.”.Otherwise, the bottom cap will flatten during the setting process. With the double cap rivet, you have a cap at the bottom and top of the post, so if you’d like your bottom cap to maintain its curve, you can use a rivet anvil setting plate. With your rivet setter placed concave side down on the cap, tap the setter lightly with a hammer or mallet a few times.ĭouble cap rivets follow the same process as the rapid rivet.Place the leather on an anvil or other setting area of your workspace with the cap side facing up.Take the cap and place it on top of the post.The post should stick out about ⅛ inch above the leather in order to properly set or “crimp.”.Take the post and push it through the hole you made in the leather.Then proceed by following the instructions for setting the type of rivet you’ve chosen. These holes should be just slightly larger than the post of the rivets you choose to use, which in most cases will be around a ⅛ inch.

In order to rivet your leather, begin by punching the appropriately sized hole into the leather pieces you intend to rivet. Rapid, double cap, tubular, and copper rivets all use similar but slightly different methods of setting, so you have to ensure you’re using the proper method for the type of rivet you’ve chosen. How you rivet your leatherworking project will depend on what type of rivet you choose to use. Rivets are functional but, in many cases, are used for their aesthetics. Holes are made in leather, and the post of the rivet is threaded through the pieces that you’re looking to join before securing the rivet with a washer, backing, or another method of setting. Leather rivets are a secure and supportive way to join together two or more pieces of leather. The support from a rivet in an area under high tension, such as you’d see with a project like a dog collar, where dogs can pull on their leads causing tension, a rivet is second-to-none when it comes to keeping material secure and intact. They are available in a rapid, single cap, double cap, tubular, and copper to suit any leatherwork project.

Leather rivets are made from steel, brass, copper, or aluminum.

Additionally, they add to the aesthetic of your leatherwork project with a variety of metals, materials, and colors. Leather rivets are metal fasteners that help to secure multiple layers of fabric together.

Rivets for leather craft