Really awesome assortment of rivets

Was at Harbor Freight and while I buy a lot of stuff there (yeah, I admit it), I thought I'd drop a quick report on their 90 Piece Plastic Rivet Set at $8.99 (pictured below). First off and while looking them over, I thought I couldn't go wrong, there's a good variety of sizes and they come in a Plano type container with fixed dividers. Well as it turns out, the best thing I could do was dump them in the garbage and find an alternate use for the container.

I discovered this as I had previously mounted an anchor cleat in an inconvenient location, leaving two small holes when it was relocated. As suggested here on the forum, I should just fill said holes with Marine Goop and a couple of Rivets. So of course, none of my new Harbor Freight rivets fit, requiring I oversize the holes from the original "quality" rivets. Three drill bit sizes later, the smallest one still wouldn't fit and three of the rivets had disintegrated, attempting to force start them into the now larger holes.

At that point, I said (probably out loud and worded a bit differently), "Screw this!!" I then smartly crossed the garage to one of the hardware indexes on the wall, grabbed two rivets intended for kayaks, the Marine Goop and the rest is history. Maybe this should have been under the DAMHIK heading. 

I was going to buy those but the aluminum rivets. They were 3.99 there at Harbor Freight. Did you try those? I was going to pick some up but they didn't have the riveters in stock.

True

I was going to buy those but the aluminum rivets. They were 3.99 there at Harbor Freight. Did you try those? I was going to pick some up but they didn't have the riveters in stock.

True

I wouldn't use aluminum rivets for anything that will have any kind of strain or stress on it. The metal is just too soft and will pull out eventually, and probably at the most inopportune time. The good stainless rivets from hook1, etc., are pricey in comparison, but absolutely neccesary IMHO.

The good stainless rivets from hook1, etc., are pricey in comparison, but absolutely neccesary IMHO.

I was going to buy those but the aluminum rivets. They were 3.99 there at Harbor Freight. Did you try those? True

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Haven't used aluminum on my kayak, but do have quite an assortment of those too, for lesser projects. Since I was only filling holes, I assumed the plastic ones would be fine. Well, you know what they say about assuming and it was right again. As for the ones Jonah mentioned and Spot has included the pic of, I agree totally and that's a great price. I've been buying them in PDX for 50-75 cents each and they don't come with the little Barbie Doll chastity belt, like the ones Spot has in his picture (leave it to Mark). Not certain what that's for or how you would use it? If it goes on the back, you can reach the rivet and at that point, I'd use s/s screws, washers and lock nuts.

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I've been buying them in PDX for 50-75 cents each and they don't come with the little Barbie Doll chastity belt, like the ones Spot has in his picture (leave it to Mark). Not certain what that's for or how you would use it? If it goes on the back, you can reach the rivet and at that point, I'd use s/s screws, washers and lock nuts.

I believe that would be the trifold rivet that you are looking at.   

"Barbie Doll chastity belt?"  CastIronTrout, that turns out to be an excellent description of that compressed rivet, but how you ever came up with that sure makes me wonder...

CastIronTrout - They worka lika dis.... 

CastIronTrout - They worka lika dis.... 

Ahhh, much better picture INSAYN, or maybe it was the gangsta slang. I bet that'll keep Ken out, huh CHM? 

Note to self:

Avoid the toy store if I see CastIronTrout parked there.   

Note to self:

Avoid the toy store if I see CastIronTrout parked there.   

Only if you are Ken.

Note to self:

Avoid the toy store if I see CastIronTrout parked there.   

Only if you are Ken.

 

Yes, the stainless steel chastity belt should definitely outperform the plastic one. You'll notice that on either of them, though, the stud gets cut off at the bottom of its shank, once it has been cinched in tight.  So maybe they are not chastity belts, but stealth guillotines!

In the interest of clarification and making this as clear as the water in the Willamette, I prefer and use the kind Spot included the picture of, but didn't initially see it as a before and after, thinking the chastity belt (on the upper left) was an add on and not the finished item.

The picture insayn included, of the all Stainless steel type illustrated the same thing, only clearer (to me). Its also probably what he prefers as he's a manly man and always creating manly man projects. As you pointed out CHM, they both snap flush and I think the Harbor Freight (all plastic ones) may as well, in the application they're intended and when used by someone other than me. I just got fed up after the third one and was ready to throw them all in the trash.

And finally, without the presence of adult supervision, it may be best to keep the one known as CastIronTrout away from tools and anatomically correct dolls

Don't sweat it CIT ..  I used to call them " those good rivets that really work well, you know, the three prong kind.." but from this point on they will always be referred to as  "Chastity Belt Rivets".... "The rivets that keep your junk secure!"