I found this tutorial a while back when I was looking to do cold connections... enjoy!

http://www.turtlebayjewelry.com/page.cfm/Tut_Riveting

I thought this was a "how to" post, and was going to post that same tutorial!  I love that one, it's so detailed and explanatory.  I have Joanna Gollberg's book on cold connections, and while I like it....I like this tutorial best. 

Great tutorial, thanks for posting it!

Cindy

Great tutorial! I had it bookmarked for some time now. I found it a some time ago while searching the web for information on riveting.

Yay! I'm so glad everyone is still using that tutorial and I'm even more happy to hear that it's a favorite to some. I really enjoyed making it and was hoping it would help people realize how truly easy it was to do cold connections. If ever I can be of assistance, please don't hesitate to ask. I've discontinued my own forums at TurtleBay due to my busy schedule (it literally takes a monumental miracle to run them efficiently) but I'm never more than an email or a phone call away if anyone needs anything. Best to you all here and thank you for all your positive words... Fair winds and following seas, ~Danielle

I have a question for all of the artist here that tend to use rivets in their work. If one is using a decorative rivet that has a ball on one end (for instance wire that was balled with a torch), how does one protect the ball from being flattened while hammering the rivet on the other side of the piece? Any suggestions? Thank you! :)

 use the hole in the anvil or the side of the anvil/bench block?

That is what I was thinking but I was not sure since I never tried it. I was hoping to get an answer from someone who has experience with that kind of rivets. Did anyone on this forum tried it?

Does hammering the rivet leave markings on the ball of the rivet (from the wholes in the anvil - for instance if the whole is to shallow)?

 

Hi Ignis, I do round headed rivets in fine silver, sterling and copper (edit: Oh yeah! Gold too, lol!). I use two things to support the ball as I'm riveting- a hockey puck or a piece of pine. Either will support the rivet head without leaving marks on it. The little hole in your anvil might mash up the head.

 

Hope this helps.

I have made a handy little tool out of brass that is similar to a Pexto rivet set. It sure is handy for making sterling rivets that have a round head. I also made a rivet forming tool out of a piece of brass rod to create the first head then I use my little homemade Pexto tool. With this tool I can get a round rivet head on both sides. If you are using more then one gauge of wire then you need to make more then one Pexto tool but it is not all that hard. If you were real industrious you could make them out of tool steel.

Thank you so much for your answers! I really appreciate them!