3D Rivet Decals – Help Required Please.

[Gorby]

I'm currently attempting to scratch-build this in 1/48:

 

 

As you can see it's got thousands of not so subtle rivets. @Heather Kay suggested using rivet decals but after a look online I'm even more confused than I was to start.

 

I've found rivet decals for aircraft, but not for tanks/vehicles, but I assume 1/48 aircraft rivets and HO scale train rivets would too small. Would 1/32 be suitable or is it a completely different type of rivet?

 

I've heard people say that rivet decals can disappear under paint. Is it better to apply before or after painting?

 

The only ones I've seen for a reasonable price (about a tenner) on Ebay are Microscale 1/48 aircraft, so where do you buy them? Hannants have a few, but I can only find aircraft decals on their site.

 

If you have any other suggestions of how I could do rivets relatively quickly and easily, I'm all ears (I must have misread that enlargement email ).

 

Please note: I may not be able to reply for a day or two.

[Heather Kay]

I bought a sheet of generic rivet transfers made by Archer. I got them from a supplier called Historex Agents.

 

They've updated their site, so it’s now all but impossible to point to a specific product. However, I believe if you search for "AR88001" you’ll find a suitable sheet. They ain’t cheap, though - fifteen quid for a sheet, and I think you might need several sheets for your project.

 

https://historexagents.com/

 

 

 

 

 

[hendie]

have you considered Masterclub resin rivets?

 

 

 

 

 

[Gorby]

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply @Heather Kay and @hendie.

I've done a quick count/estimate and there are well over a thousand rivets on this thing, even if I simplify the riveting, I think it's going to to work out more than I'm willing to pay using decals or resin.

The suggestion of resin rivets has given me an idea, so I'm off to do a bit of playing….. 

[Gorby]

Thanks to someone from a different site, have a solution to my riveting problem.

This is just a test piece:

 

Ignore the non-rivet like blobs at the bottom, I was experimenting with poky things and that was a failure (it was a 1mm drill bit). The bradawl also failed as it was too sharp and pierced the plastic. The round rat-tail file was the best. It did deform the 0.25mm plastic, but gluing it to a thicker sheet straightened it all out.

 

Thanks to everyone who has taken an interest and particularly @Heather Kay & @hendie.

[Heather Kay]

I reckon that’s a good solution, especially as it costs nothing but time. 

[krow113]

Get an MDC beading/riveting set.

And skip the decals and resin and...

You can emboss the rivets right onto the part your working on.

[gamevender]

I have had good results with these. https://www.micromark.com/search?keywords=rivet decals As you see, they come in two scales. You  get two sheets at a time. There are many rivet patterns on each sheet. They are tiny resin "blobs" affixed to a carrier film. Cut out as many and in whatever pattern you need and apply them like normal decals. Here's an example of how they can look before paint. This model is in 1/72 scale.