METHOD 2- EMBOSSING
Embossing is even faster and easier than punch and pin, and produces
a more rounded head on your rivets.
Embossing also makes use of a 1/16" hole punch, but slightly modified.
To make an embosser, use a metal file to gently round off the edges of
the punch pin.
When you're done, the pin should look like this. Find some thin,
soft plastic- you're ready to emboss!
Just place the plastic in the punch and position the hole of the punch
where you want your rivet. Now squeeze slowly but firmly until a
bump appears. You've made a rivet! Note that usually want to
sand softer plastics before riveting, so that you don't sand the rivets
off afterwards.
Lots of types of plastic can be embossed, especially PVC and styrene.
The softer the plastic, the easier it is to emboss. You can even
emboss through plastics as thick as 1/8" if its soft enough, such as the
electrical box pictured. Plastics that are brittle, such as
acrylicCD cases, cannot be embossed- they'll just crack.
In addition to adding rivets to your base shapes, you can quickly emboss
plastic plates and strips before adding them to a model. Even
textured plastic can be embossed.! Shown here are a plastic coffee
stir stick, some plasticard roughed up with a hobby knife before punching,
some double diamond plate, and some ribbed plastic that came from discarded
vertical blinds. You can even emboss playing cards or other coated
paper products!
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