Things You'll Need:
- Peen rivets (one per hole)
- End nippers or wire cutters
- Small anvil with peen rivet holder
- Small round peen hammer
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Step 1
Insert the peen rivets into the holes of both pieces of metal. Insert two rivets at the beginning of the job, to keep the metal and all holes aligned.
Push each rivet until the shoulder of the round head rests on the face of the metal surface. -
Step 2
Turn the metal pieces over. Cut the rivet shank to length with the end nippers or wire cutters. Place the backside of the cutter against the metal surface. Close the jaws to cut the rivet. The remaining metal will be the correct length for peening.
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Step 3
Place the top round of the rivet into the peen rivet hole or holder on the anvil. The rivet hole will be a depression in teh shape of the rivet head.
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Step 4
Strike the cut end of the rivet with the small round peen hammer on the side of the shaft. The object is not to flatten the end of the rivet, but to shape the rivet into a shallow round head.
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Step 5
Work your way around the rivet in a circular pattern. Shape the rivet slowly into a rounded head shape. Move the metal by striking accurately.
The final round head should overlap the hole by approximately 1/16 of an inch evenly around the opening. -
Step 6
Continue shaping the new round head slowly and form a smoothly-shaped contour.
