Anyone Use Blind Rivets?

[JD Alan]

Does anyone use blind rivets; the kind you set with a rivet gun like Stanley or Arrow makes?

Just wondering how they would work on leather. I'm thinking they might solve some reach problems for an idea I'm working on for a mag holder for Wild Bunch shooting.

Any experience info with these would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, JD

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy JD

     I used my rivet gun to secure a canvas strap to an old army supply bag years ago, and it worked just fine and held up for as long as I had it, it ended up being a tent stake bag, when I gave the tent away it went with it, and the new owner still uses it, so I don't know why it wouldn't work for you, it sure makes for a quick fix at times.


     tEN wOLVES 

[JD Alan]

I appreciate your experience 10 Wolves. The canvas seems to be a stronger material that leather, so having never used this product, I'm not sure if it would pull through leather.  

I don't want to put the money out for one of these, even though it's not that much, if it's not going to work. I could spend it on a half dozen boxes of shotgun shells and practice instead. 

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

I appreciate your experience 10 Wolves. The canvas seems to be a stronger material that leather, so having never used this product, I'm not sure if it would pull through leather.  

I don't want to put the money out for one of these, even though it's not that much, if it's not going to work. I could spend it on a half dozen boxes of shotgun shells and practice instead. 

   I get your point, and I remember now that you mention it, I used small washers on either side to prevent pull through.

[JD Alan]

The guy I tooked to at Home Depot suggested washers on either side as well. 

[Slowhand Bob]

Jd, I recently redesigned my mag pouch and was real pleased with the results.  My WB rig is a slim little design that is centered around a 1 3/4" belt and I think the little double pouch rigs works qith it perfect.  I should be making a new rig for a friend in the next day or so and will try to photo it.  Ill flip the mag holder over for a shot to show its assembly secrets.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

The guy I tooked to at Home Depot suggested washers on either side as well. 

 It should work just fine JD, as long as it doesn't need to be fancy.

    tEN

[JD Alan]

Thanks Robby, I look forward to it. I'm looking to do riveting instead of sewing. The rapid rivets work pretty well, but I'm looking at one possible design where it would be difficult to get them set by hand.

10 Wolves, if it was fancy, it wouldn't be mine

[Slowhand Bob]

My new one uses tubular rivets and they are attractive to boot, weeell!

[JD Alan]

I have a shooting buddy who lives here in Sherwood, and we've working on mag holders for a while. These are double 1911 mag holders. He built a male-female press out of wood to bend his top piece into shape, and it works pretty  darn good. I made a mold that I've been sticking in the seal a meal to draw it down to shape. I'll take some pictures here soon.

[Slowhand Bob]

JD, remembered that I had a picture of the last one I made, very plain.  This shows the new style mag pouches and how they look on the one and three quarters belt.  If the belt were wider it would take a bit of thought to make the necessary changes.  The pouches are made as individual units, I use them as singles with a simple small strap or rivet them to the belt slide shown here.  If you like the look I will still get a picture of the back for you.  See top picture here.  http://home.comcast.net/~gakracker/site/

[JD Alan]

I like the look Bob, but it looks like they take a fair amount of sewing. Are you able to sew those with a machine? I'm sure you know that look similiar to a rather well known maker's product, only without the additional strap across the front. They look like they would be challenging to mold and to make

I would love to see the other side, and thanks for doing this,it is appreciated. JD

BTW I like the look of the holster too. It looks fast. Remember, if you can't shoot fast, look fast or look good! 

[Slowhand Bob]

Jd, I am sorry for the poor photograpy but perhaps you can make out how I done this and howe quickly and easily they can be made.  Personally I really like the design and as you can see, my personal rig came from the bench looking as if it had seen several years of hard use in the field.  Notice that in the first photo that there are two double pouches next to a single, on the buckle end.
The actual pouch portion is exactly the same and probably the simplest style I know of, I used this same pouch made from suede many years ago with a metal belt clip for concealment.

[Slowhand Bob]

Here is the back view which shows how I attached the simple pouch to the belt slide portion.  The vertical slot allows the wide 8/9oz slide to easily follow the contour while the four holes allow you to reach right in and set rivets of your choice.  I like the thin head tube rivet and after setting it from the back I reset the back splash again using a concave line 24 snap setter.  Though I would never use this end on the inside of a holster, they have not yet scratched belts or frayed clothing after being set in this manner and no one will ever see them unless you remove the slide from your belt and show them.  Though my single pouch here is sewn, I have made many with a simple strap riveted to the pouch back as a C.  OH, why would that maker, you mention, add that much loop to such a small accessory unless he is hiding something also?

[WaddWatsonEllis]

JD,

I like th washer idea if you have the space.

In fact, if you have the space you could use a concho drilled out to take a rivet and make it look REALLY western ...

[JD Alan]

I've got a pretty narrow trough going between the two holders, so no Concho for sure. Bob, how do you mold those thngs to make them look so smooth? I think the strap on the front of the previously mentioned long haired maker is for show; and it works!

I've not had time for any pictures yet, maybe in the next day or two

[Slowhand Bob]

JD, I used the cheep flat plastic one that Tandy sells on the top and what ever tool handle butt fits best around the sides.  This is one of the jobs for which I was asking about the molding process, try your food vacuum on one of these.

[JD Alan]

I've started a new thread to carry on the theme of building mag holders, which was the purpose of this thread to begin with

Mag Holder 101. Thanks JD