Copper rivets

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Lakc

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Recently, I have been rather unsuccessful with some copper rivets, until I tried annealing them first. Do you always have to anneal rivets, or just the ones that have sat around too long and hardened?
 
Jeff,
What was the nature of your unsuccessfulness?
 
During the first swaging operation, instead of the body of the rivet expanding when "hammered into itself", it just wanted to bend over.
 
When I copper riveted a PMR boiler I had to anneal repeatedly.
 
I've never found the need to anneal them but I don't use multiple tools just set the rivit then straight onto the end with the snap and a few good blows.
 
When I copper riveted a PMR boiler I had to anneal repeatedly.
Yep, wound up laying each rivet on a firebrick and torching until a pretty golden color made them nice and soft. Only took a few seconds for each one.
I've never found the need to anneal them but I don't use multiple tools just set the rivit then straight onto the end with the snap and a few good blows
I had these rivets laying around for a few years. I dont know if they age harden, but annealing certainly made working with them much more enjoyable.
 
Some copper alloys do age harden. Depends what they're made of.
 
This thread is about copper rivets , apart from brass I have never come across "copper alloy" rivets , what would they be used for ?
Copper work hardens and will be in that state after the rivets are manufactured , like any other copper anneal them before use by heating to red heat and cooling.
 
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