Created in 1916, blind rivet tools – also known as pop rivets – connect at least two objects made of various materials, allowing for the mounting of fasteners on one side of an item when the opposing side is inaccessible or cannot be seen.

The nail-shaped mechanism has a mandrel at one end made of wire. Inserted in the rivet gun, which resembles a pair of sheers, the tool is used to drill a hole in the material, allowing for the joining of items including metal, plastic, and wood. Blind rivets are a craftsman’s staple because they are the quickest, most streamlined way to bond materials. Understanding how to use a blind rivet tool can thereby reduce the costs and time associated with assembly or repair.

Choose the correct rivet size Pop rivet pins to come in a variety of sizes, making them useful on everything from car bodies to cellular phones. Blind rivets each have a grip range listed on their in-store packaging. Grip range is the combined width of the items being joined.

For example, the length of a flat- or round-head aluminum rivet needs to be 1.5 times the diameter of its shaft, while accounting for the thickness of the two parts being connected. If the incorrect rivet is purchased, push the rivet in each hole of the rivet tool gun until the snuggest one is located.