Unusual Uses for Pop Rivets

Pop rivets are handy little items to have around, but you can do more with them than join two pieces of sheet metal together, They are also great for making cable ends and also make great pivot bushes or axle bushes.

This is pretty easy just grab some pop rivets of various sizes and knock the core out with a hammer and a vice. They come out easily and you will have a handy little tube and to use on your next project.

Bike cables can be a pain if you have to cut the end off but with a small pop rivet tube, you can put an end on it so it says in one piece and doesn't stab you in the finger. Just cut off the swage on the end and insert it into your pop rivet tube and give it a tap with a hammer on the back of the vice.

If you can't hit it with a hammer electrical terminal crimpers work almost as well

Also great for motorbike carburettors if you have to make a new cable, the little end fits perfectly in the carburettor slide.

If you need to make a loop just use a bigger rivet. Great if you want to make fishing lures or snares, also great for emergency repairs or throttle cables on cars and go-karts.

You might wonder how strong is that loop? Very strong!

Pop rivets can also be quite useful if you need a nice pivot. the core can be used for an axle but needs to have the crimped part filed down so it will spin nicely when put onto the tube back to front.

In the example wood has a couple of holes predrilled and the tube and core are tapped in with a hammer. you could also use a nail the correct size if you wanted to.

If you make toys or need a small wheel or pulley the rivet can also be useful as the centre and axle for your project, Just file or sand the crip of the core of the pop rivet and you have the perfect little axle and centre for your next wheeled project.

I've also used rivets to repair the small pulled inside some car door window regulators, as sometimes the plastic pulleys fall to pieces if they are not too far gone you can replace the centre with a rivet.