What is the best way to remove rivets?
There are two different ways to remove rivets. Whichever method you choose, always make sure you're wearing the right safety equipment!
Drilling
What do you need?
-Drill
-Punch
-Hammer
How to remove a rivet with a drill:
Step 1:
Tap a dent into the head of the rivet using the punch and hammer. If the head is too round, you can flatten it a bit first by hitting it with the hammer.
Step 2:
Place the drill in the dent and carefully drill the rivet through the hole it's in.
Use a punch to tap the rivet completely out. Watch out for sharp pieces and never push the rivet through the steel with your fingers!
Chisel
What do you need?
-Chisel
-Hammer
Removing a rivet with a chisel:
Place the tip of the chisel under the edge of the rivet head. Move the chisel back and forth a bit to make sure the chisel is under the head.
Use the hammer to hit the back of the chisel until the rivet head breaks off. This will probably take a few attempts. Be careful that the chisel doesn't slip out from under the rivet.
Now that the head is removed, you can see the pin of the rivet going through the steel. Place the chisel vertically on the rivet and tap the back of the chisel with the hammer. This way you can tap the rivet out of the steel. If the rivet is quite small, you might be better off using a punch or screwdriver instead of the chisel.
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