Rivets revisited - Almost nailed it

[CJ57]

Must have missed that one...

Luxi (orange) just arrived, to assist in finishing after rouge. I will desist from as I think its very good! In the absence of trying menzerna of course!

I use Luxi White and blue, it's ok, sometimes I go back to rouge as it takes out firestain better. It's the micromesh I'm not sold on but I only bought 2 fine grades, maybe I need to go back to Amazon and buy the set!

[Vos]

One other question comes to mind. What is the general concensus on the smallest gauge wire for rivets from experience?

I'm thinking of combining my last two designs and fear that 2mm rivets are going to be waay too large. See below...

[Dennis]

There really is no lower limit, just use what looks right, and what your fingers or tools can manage. After all think of the wire used for commercial chains and what weight pendants you would entrust to them.

There are two considerations, though.

1.For rivets acting as hinge pins, you might think less than 1mm too flimsy to resist wear and tension, if made of silver, but still satisfactory in gold.
2. You usually make one head before inserting the rivet. The other end should protrude for spreading about the same thickness as the diameter of the wire.

Dennis.

[CJ57]

I would say it's proportionate to the size of the piece. Mine are usually about 1mm maybe 1.5. My soldered decorative ones are 1mm but I have seen me use finer for that purpose. It depends on the job and what you're trying to achieve. The bigger the rivet the more industrial it start to become so who are you targetting your jewellery at

[Vos]

Cheers Dennis! If it's down to finger size I'll stick with 5mm wire

As for target markets I'm still trying to find 'my style', so can't really say where I'm aiming. I figure if I just practise at all the techniques my style will develop organically. Well that's the theory anyway...

[CJ57]

It would also depend on whether you are using tube, which supports the wire or riveting 2 sheets directly together so a finer wire would work as it's not so long
I'm still looking for my style, it changes all the time!

[Vos]

The idea in mind is tube set again. I guess I need to look up how small the ID's of tubing go down to

[Dennis]

The idea in mind is tube set again. I guess I need to look up how small the ID's of tubing go down to

At Cookson, 0.65mm. Smaller than I can see to set.