By Helen I. Driggs

Solid rivets are one of the most useful connections for joining materials that are delicate, heat sensitive, or not metal. I like to use them both as decorative and structural elements, and although there are manufactured rivets available on the market, I typically make them from scratch using brass rod or nickel wire as a starting point. Once you understand and master the fabrication of solid rivets, a wide range of other versatile cold connections can be added to your skill set.