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7. If the rivet head protrudes too far, has a
sharp ridge, or seems too narrow to se-
cure the panel in place, warm it with a
heat gun and use the head of a steel nail
to press it flat:
users are experimenting with riveting tech-
niques. We've seen a number of projects us-
ing pieces of filament as pins to hold togeth-
er large assemblies.
Just recently, 3D artist and instructor Jason
Welsh demonstrated a method for building
his DIY electronics cases that promises to
become a new power technique. His
Folding
Arduino Lab
(
Figure 13-16
) and
Pi Command
Center
each use filament “spikes” to create
rivets and hinges.
Figure 13-16.
Pi Command Center
Essentially, Welsh uses heat to reform pieces
of filament into straight rivets, flattening one
head before inserting the rivet and the other
head after the rivet is firmly in place. As with
any solid rivet, you need access to both sides
of the assembly, but the advantage of this
method is the creation of strong fastenings
that can be completely removed later using
a flush cutter.
While you can make spikes with any filament,
I recommend 3 mm PLA based on my expe-
riences building Welsh's project. PLA is easier
to soften and work with a heat gun, and 3
mm spikes remain straighter and more rigid
than 1.75 mm spikes after cooling. If you
don't have 3 mm filament, you can accom-
It's possible to fuse ABS rivets to
PLA, and vice versa, but you'll need
to find the “feel” for the initial fric-
tion stage before pressing down
the body of the rivet. Before mount-
ing delicate parts, test-rivet the ma-
terials you'll be using.
Using Filament to Make
Solid Rivets and Hinges
People have used rivets since the Bronze Age
to fasten together tools, art, bridges, and
buildings, so it's no surprise that 3D printer
