When shopping for rivets, you may come across oscar rivets. They are commonly used in the aerospace industry. Like other rivets, oscar rivets are permanently fasteners. Once installed, they will continue to hold together the parts with which they are used — even when exposed to vibrations from the aircraft. Oscar rivets, however, feature a unique design that distinguishes them from other types of rivets.
Overview of Oscar Rivets
Oscar rivets are permanent fasteners that only require access to a single side of the parts to install. Even if you can only access the backside of the parts, you can still use an oscar rivet. Oscar rivets are classified as blind rivets. Blind rivets only require access to a single side, whereas other types of rivets or fasteners may require access to both sides.
When comparing oscar rivets to other types of blind rivets, you may notice that the former has splits along the shaft. Most oscar rivets have three splits. These splits are designed to fold out during installation while subsequently holding the parts together.
How Oscar Rivets Work
You’ll need a special tool to install oscar rivets, such as a rivet gun. The rivet gun will allow you to collapse and expand the oscar rivet in the parts, at which point the rivet will become permanent.
Oscar rivets are placed in a precut hole. After creating a hole in the parts, you can insert the oscar rivet. You can then use the rivet gun to secure the oscar rivet. The rivet gun will essentially hold the rivet while tugging on the mandrel. The rivet’s shank will expand, thereby pressing against the inner walls of the precut hole. The mandrel should break off from the rest of the rivet.
Common Features of Oscar Rivets
Oscar rivets are available in different materials. Some of them are made of steel or aluminum, whereas others are made of brass. The material from which they are made will affect their physical properties. High-carbon steel oscar rivets, for example, are particularly strong but lack the corrosion-resistant properties of stainless steel or aluminum oscar rivets.
Oscar rivets are also available in different head types. Some of them have a traditional dome-shaped head. Others have a countersunk or flange head.
The mandrel type may vary as well. All oscar rivets have a mandrel. The mandrel is the top part of an oscar rivet that breaks off during installation. The mandrel may be hollow, or it may be solid.
