Annealing rivets for bending

[Robert]

Hello,

please excuse a basic question.
I read about annealing removed rivets (from the spike base) to prevent them from breaking when they are bent again. It seems though that this would A) make the soldering come loose and B) ruin the coloring/patina. Do you have any experiences or recommendations about putting rivets back in place?


Robert

 

[b.loree]

Hi Robert:
Please, and this goes for everyone there are no questions "too basic" to be answered here. I have annealed the prongs on slpit brads many times. In fact I always do this before I put them back on. This goes for the 2 smaller brads that hold the visor trim on as well. The domed part of the brad is not solderd on so there is nothing to melt when heat is applied. The prongs stay on. I use one of those blow torches that can be bought in any hard ware store. This annealing works very well and the brass turns very soft and pliable.
The process however, will not fix a prong which is already cracked. If you break a prong when removing a domed brad you can use a deremmel tool to clean out the "dome", get some sheet brass of similar thickness (available at hobby shops). cut out a prong and then solder it into the original dome
As you say, the brass will discolour with the annealing but you can use Brasso or Never Dull to clean this off. I use a buffing wheel and jewelers rouge which is faster but either of these 2 products will work. The brass will clean up to look like new. Brian

 

[Robert]

Brian,

thank you for your help! Evidently the prongs are brazed then and not soldered. I had the problem that brads that I had taken from an old ruined firewere helmet could be removed without breaking, but then brake when trying to put them in place as a replacement on a spiked helmet. Problem solved..


Thanks,
Robert