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Please note: Woodworking is an inherently dangerous activity. The non-woodworking techniques described here aren't all that safe, either. Sharp tools, powerful motors, big lumps of wood, chemicals, fumes, etc. can cause you serious bodily injury or even death. These pages are NOT meant as a substitute for instruction by a qualified teacher, just as an illustration of how I do certain things. I take no responsibility for any mishaps you may experience during a fit of inspiration. You've been warned.

A bubinga rocket that's been finish-turned but not yet sanded.

Photo 1

This is a small rocket box in bubinga that I want to decorate by adding rivets around the nose. The rocket has been finish-turned, but has not yet been sanded. I've pencilled in the line that I want the rivets to follow. I'm also using a special flat toolrest. You can use a regular toolrest, you'll just have to be more careful. More on that later.

Marking the placement of the rivets.

Photo 2

I've decided on six rivets, and I'm using the indexing feature of my lathe to help me mark out the locations. Here's where the flat rest comes in handy. I'm using a pencil with a cylindrical barrel, and I've set the height of the rest so the point of the pencil is close to the lathe's rotational centerline. Being a little high or low of the centerline isn't critical, but keeping the pencil at exactly the same height for each rivet is. The procedure is: pick your start spot, lock the indexing feature of your lathe, mark the spot, move to the next index.

Photo 3

Using a centerpunch to mark the rivet locations.

Once the rivet locations have been marked out, I use a centerpunch to make an indentation at the mark. This gives the drill bit something to locate on when I drill out the hole for the rivet. I use a centerpunch rather than an awl because the conical mark the punch leaves is just the right size for the drill bit tip. I push the punch in by hand, it doesn't take much force in most woods.

The size of the drill bit used depends on the size of the wire I'm using for rivets. Here, I'm using 14 gauge nickel wire. It's just a bit over 1/16 inch in diameter, so a 1/16 inch drill bit gives me a hole that will grab the wire enough to hold it in without requiring glue. I drill the holes to about 1/8" deep.


 

Page last updated 7 July 2009