How to Install Rivets Correctly: Tools, Technique, and Common Mistakes

Picking the right rivet doesn’t matter much if it’s set wrong. SC Fastening Systems walks through hole prep, tool choice, and the setting technique that actually gets a full-strength joint.

A rivet’s strength on paper assumes it’s installed correctly — the right hole size, the right tool, and enough force to fully seat the joint. Get any one of those wrong and a rivet that should hold for years can end up loose, spinning in the hole, or barely gripping at all. Here’s what actually determines whether a rivet installation holds.

Drill the Correct Hole Size — Not Close, Exact

Every rivet diameter has a corresponding recommended hole size, and it matters more than it seems:

• Too tight a hole makes the rivet difficult to insert and can deform the body before it’s even set, weakening the joint from the start.
• Too loose a hole is the more common mistake and the more damaging one — it lets the rivet body sit off-center, which reduces shear strength and can let the joint work loose over time even though it “looks” set.
• Deburr the hole edges after drilling. Sharp burrs prevent the material layers from sitting flush against each other, which throws off the grip range calculation and can leave a gap once the rivet is set.

As a general reference, a 1/8″ diameter rivet needs a 1/8″ hole — not an eyeballed “close enough” bit swap. Check the rivet packaging or data sheet for the exact recommended drill size for each diameter rather than assuming based on the nominal size alone.

Choosing the Right Rivet Tool

• Hand riveters — Manual, lever-action tools suited to occasional use or small jobs. Inexpensive and reliable, but physically tiring on a job with dozens or hundreds of rivets to set.
• Pneumatic riveters — Air-powered tools that dramatically reduce the physical effort per rivet, standard equipment on production or high-volume assembly work.
• Battery/cordless riveters — Offer pneumatic-level pulling force without needing a compressor and air line, useful on job sites without a stationary air source.
• Match the tool’s pulling capacity to the rivet. Larger-diameter and structural rivets require more pulling force to fully set than a lightweight hand tool may be able to deliver consistently — check the tool’s rated capacity against the largest rivet diameter you’ll be setting.

Setting the Rivet: What “Fully Set” Actually Means

• Hold the tool square to the material. Pulling the mandrel at an angle sets the rivet unevenly, which can leave one side of the head loose against the material even after the mandrel snaps.
• Apply steady, continuous pressure until the mandrel snaps off cleanly. Stopping partway through the pull and restarting can cause an inconsistent set, especially in structural rivets designed to retain more of the mandrel stem inside the body.
• Check for a snug head against the material once set — the rivet head should sit flat and tight against the surface with no visible gap or wobble. A rivet that spins freely in the hole after setting means the hole was oversized or the rivet didn’t fully expand on the blind side.

If a rivet doesn’t seat correctly, don’t leave it in place hoping it holds — drill it out and replace it with a new rivet in the same or a slightly larger hole. A partially set rivet is one of the most common causes of an assembly that fails at that single point months later.

Common Installation Mistakes

• Guessing at grip range instead of measuring. Stacking material thicknesses without actually measuring the combined total is one of the most common reasons a rivet doesn’t fully seat.
• Reusing an oversized or damaged hole from a removed rivet without stepping up to a larger-diameter replacement rivet — the original diameter rivet won’t seat properly in an enlarged hole.
• Using a worn-out or low-capacity tool on a rivet it isn’t rated to fully set, which can leave the mandrel snapping prematurely before the rivet is properly expanded.
• Skipping deburring on drilled holes, which leaves material layers slightly separated and throws off both grip range and final joint tightness.