# Restoration: Where to Buy Fender Rivets?



## Talewinds (Jan 27, 2011)

Is there a resource to buy the type of rivets and a punch that was used on the balloon style fenders of the 30's-50's?


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## HIGGINSFOREVER (Jan 27, 2011)

Talewinds said:


> Is there a resource to buy the type of rivets and a punch that was used on the balloon style fenders of the 30's-50's?



 Google EASTWOOD CO.


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## Talewinds (Jan 27, 2011)

Sure I'm familiar with them. But a search of their site yields nothing that looks even remotely like what we're talking about.
 Have you purchased the rivets from them specifically in the past?


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## redline1968 (Jan 27, 2011)

I have cage nuts from the 30's that are steel and look like rivits and stay on tight.  if you want that type without pounding the fenders.   they are  set for a bike 4.00 plus ship


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## HIGGINSFOREVER (Jan 27, 2011)

Talewinds said:


> Sure I'm familiar with them. But a search of their site yields nothing that looks even remotely like what we're talking about.
> Have you purchased the rivets from them specifically in the past?



 Yes at one time they had then in all sizes.


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## Andrew Gorman (Jan 27, 2011)

I found a bunch of the threaded ones on ebay under chevy  or ford grille rivets.


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## Talewinds (Jan 27, 2011)

HIGGINSFOREVER said:


> Yes at one time they had then in all sizes.




Ok cool, I'll give them a call tomorrow and post what I find out.


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## pgroah (Jan 27, 2011)

They  are called tube rivets. I have been able to source them from hardware stores, you know in the little bins.  Compressing them is another issue.  I have used modified C-clamps, leathercraft punches with varied success. I have seen tubular rivet tools on e-bay but they are about $150.


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## PCHiggin (Jan 28, 2011)

Somebody on the old Schwinn forum was selling the threaded fender rivets. I bought a bunch of them.They look great,you can't tell they're fake.

Pat


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## ratdaddy (Jan 28, 2011)

i bought regular fender rivets this week off ebay.i think the galor inc koolstuff.i will be making a rivet tool this week


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## abe lugo (Jan 28, 2011)

I saw in the memory lane classics catalog, the screw type rivets, I recently got an old dx and it had this type of rivet as a fix.


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## popawheelie (Jan 31, 2011)

I am very happy with the ones off Ebay. Yep, they are threaded, and when and if you need to take off the fender braces, ya don't end up wrecking the finish on your fenders. I bought the original type, then I used a huge hammer and the correct punch on top of an anvil to just test how much effort was needed to do it right..... whacked it 10 times and the end didn't flare one bit......not even a dent in the metal. The factories must have used Pnuematic rivet fasteners cause it must take an enormous amount of energy to spread out the hollow shaft on the back of the rivets.    The threaded ones have a great semi curved head and look original.....they take ten seconds to attach.
Mike


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## Talewinds (Jan 31, 2011)

That's very interesting, definitely the kind of stuff people need to know. Thanks for the info Popawheelie.


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## pgroah (Feb 26, 2011)

*Here is what I am doing*

I use a peening tool, a modified C-clamp, and i just bought a full fledged rivet squeezer.  The peening tool is useful in hard to reach places.  The C-clamp works OK but can slip and mar your finish.  I have tested the new rivet tool and it really works well, it has interchangable dies and gives consistent  results.  

The rivets I use are like the originals with matching washers.


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## STRADALITE (Feb 27, 2011)

pgroah said:


> I use a peening tool, a modified C-clamp, and i just bought a full fledged rivet squeezer.  The peening tool is useful in hard to reach places.  The C-clamp works OK but can slip and mar your finish.  I have tested the new rivet tool and it really works well, it has interchangable dies and gives consistent  results.
> 
> The rivets I use are like the originals with matching washers.




I have been using the threaded rivets but I want to do my fenders correctly. Where did you get the rivet squeezer? How much? What size are the rivets?
Josh


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## Gordon (Feb 27, 2011)

A friend of mine is a custodian at a local high school. He gave me a handful of the threaded rivets and when I asked where he got them, he said that is what is supplied to put the school lockers together.


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## abe lugo (Feb 27, 2011)

memory lane classics has those threaded rivets for like .50 cents each


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## phib (Feb 27, 2011)

Hey,

I have seen alot of cheap rivet sets at Harbor Freight both online and off.

Brian


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## Eldon (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi,
I bought my rivet from P.O. Box 7865. Garbutt Townsville North Queensland 4814.
I hope you will find it quite easy to also buy from here.
Thanks


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## pgroah (Mar 1, 2011)

In response to STRADALITE I got the squeezer of of ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/Hand-Rivet-Sque...607?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4155795687 , you will also need a 1/8 tube rivet head http://cgi.ebay.com/Rivet-Squeezer-...217?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3effbda209 .  the rivets are stainless steel truss head 1/8" X 3/16, or 1/8 X 1/4 depending on how thick your braces are prewar flat being thicker. I hope this helps


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## STRADALITE (Mar 19, 2011)

pgroah said:


> In response to STRADALITE I got the squeezer of of ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/Hand-Rivet-Sque...607?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4155795687 , you will also need a 1/8 tube rivet head http://cgi.ebay.com/Rivet-Squeezer-...217?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3effbda209 .  the rivets are stainless steel truss head 1/8" X 3/16, or 1/8 X 1/4 depending on how thick your braces are prewar flat being thicker. I hope this helps



Well after looking through all of my junk I discovered that I already had an old rivet squeezer from years ago. Now I just need to get the dies for it.
Josh


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