Bay Supply Blog - Rivets, Fasteners, and Tools | Rivets

Rivets, blind fasteners, and lockbolts may seem to be insignificant, but they are literally the parts that hold things together. Whether you work in manufacturing, construction, shipbuilding, solar installation, or another industry, having the right fastener in stock is what keeps you productive. More professionals are purchasing fasteners online to find the parts they need when they need them.

Manufacturers need different types of fasteners for industrial applications. Some jobs require closed-end rivets, and others need trifold rivets. Other products use general-purpose and high-clamp assemblies. You want to choose the right industrial fastener, whether you are manufacturing appliances, assembling recreational vehicles, or building computers. You also want to choose industrial fastener brands that work well together to ensure lasting performance.

Blind rivets have been used for more than 100 years, but they’re still misunderstood. British inventor Hamilton Neil Wylie first patented the blind rivet design in 1916. Since then, blind fasteners have been used for everything from making automobiles to manufacturing appliances.

Rivets have been used for millennia for everything from shipbuilding to construction. As long as humans have been building with rivets, there have been rivet tools.

The earliest rivet tool was a hammer, used to drive rivets through pre-drilled holes. As fastener technology has progressed, new materials and rivet designs have called for new rivet tools.

Fasteners are essential components in automobile manufacturing and repair. Bolts, rivets, blind bolts, screws, washers, and other components hold a car together, so it’s essential to choose the right fastener for each application.

Breakstem rivets have become the mainstay of the fastener industry. Commonly referred to as blind rivets or pop rivets, breakstem rivets are used for everything from patio furniture to construction.

Breakstem rivetsare so popular because of how versatile they are. They come in different sizes and materials and can handle multiple grip ranges. They are also easy to install using either manual or power tools.

When you think about rivets, you usually think about one-piece fasteners designed to join two pieces of material. Solid rivets are designed to be installed using a bucking bar to flatten one end. There are also blind rivets designed with a shaft and a mandrel that you pull to form a secure joint on the blind side of a workpiece. These types of rivets are one-piece fasteners that are easy to install. 

Rivets are increasingly used with plastics to assemble electronics, appliances, and other applications. Using rivets with plastics takes special considerations to get optimal performance. You must choose the right rivet design and materials for a lasting joint.

We have been blogging recently about easy entry rivets, what makes them unique, and how to use them. In this blog post, we want to delve deeper and discuss where to use them.

We write a lot about blind rivets, lockbolts, threaded inserts, and other types of fasteners, but we don’t want to overlook solid rivets. Solid rivets are probably the oldest and most reliable type of fastener and have been used for millennia. The ancient Egyptians used rivets to fix clay pots, and the Vikings used them to secure the planking in longboats. With every new application for solid rivets that emerged, new rivet materials were needed.