Banana Peel Rivet
© Frank Ford, 7/27/99; Photos by FF, 7/26/99
If you've ever used a pop rivet tool, you'll know just how handy it is. Made for sheet metal work, the usual pop rivet swells a bit as it draws the metal pieces together. If the work is soft, you need to back it with a washer.
Here's the coolest pop rivet, the peel rivet:
Notice how it splits into four sections as the head is drawn up.
Even in soft wood, the rivet holds quite well:
As you can see, the sections curl up against the inner surface to grip tightly.
These things work great, even with my ancient tool:
Best of all, in most situations I can rivet a latch or other part without even pulling the lining back on the inside. The rivet does its work behind the padded interior lining of the case.
And, it has a trim look on the outside:
On a deluxe, vintage, or really clean case, I'll generally opt for an original style split rivet, plated to match the case hardware.
Best not to use these rivets for handles on heavy cases, though, because they're made of aluminum and they're not really all that strong.
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