I’ve been working in styrene for a while now and have not yet found a satisfying way to provide the “rivet look” in the 1920s/1930s HO models I’m doing.
The easiest to use, so far, are rivet trees (?) from Tichy. You drill holes in the piece you’re working on, cut the rivet off the stem and cement stem and rivet in the hole.
This is incredible sloppy and tedious, but the closest I’ve been able to get.
Isn’t there a better way?
[sigh]
Ignatius
I use micromarks rivet tool,I can’t think of the model number for it at the moment but you run it on the inside of the sheet your working on and it leaves the indentations on you’re finished side,a bit of dry brushing after the models done and it looks good,best for HO scale though. I aggree with you on the glue on type very messy and I find them a tad big ( likely just my bad eyesite )
Good luck
Rob
You can shave rivets off a plastic model and glue the rivets to the car (OK for small jobs.)
You can use a ponce wheel to make marks in the back of thin styrene. I haven’t been satisfied with that method.
You can use a die and some sort of press (the Riveter or a drill press) and impress rivets. Probably gives the best results but hou have to have the press, punches and dies.
You can drill rivet pattern holes in a piece of brass, put a piece of thin white styrene over it and put a light under it, then use a scribe to impress rivets where the light shines through the holes.
You can draw the rivet pattern and rubber cement it to a piece of styrene, then use a tool on a soft surface to impress rivets freehand using the drawn pattern.
And you can drill holes and use the cast rivets. they are larger, and I have found an X-Y table on a miniature drill press makes it a whole lot easier.
Dave H.
Dave,
That’s some quality answering!
Ed
Ditto:
Many thanks. I guess I’ll have to try all of them. Perhaps one method is best or acceptable in certain situations.
Archer resin rivets in Microscale film, applied as decals before painting.