Shave Head Tri-Fold Rivets

How do shave head rivets match solid buck rivets?

This is the only blind rivet that can pass for a solid one, and that is the entire point of the style. Original trailer and truck skins were assembled with solid rivets bucked from the inside, which is impossible to replicate once the interior is finished out. A standard blind rivet fixes the panel but leaves an obvious mandrel hole in the center of the head, so a repaired section reads as repaired from across the parking lot. The shave head solves it in three steps: set the rivet with any standard tool, snip the high-breaking mandrel flush, then shave the head with a rivet shaver in a drill. What is left is a solid dome with no visible mandrel hole, matching the brazier heads around it.

Why choose shave head tri-fold rivets

• Finished head matches the appearance of original solid buck rivets
• No visible mandrel hole after shaving, unlike every other blind rivet
• Three folding legs give a wide blind side clamp with high holding power
• Works in elongated or oversized holes where a solid rivet no longer fits
• Sets with standard blind rivet tools, no special nosepiece required
• Supplied with sealing or EPDM washers for a watertight head

The three step finish

• Set the rivet with any standard rivet gun, the mandrel breaks high by design
• Snip the protruding mandrel stub flush using side cutters or a mandrel trimming tool
• Shave the head with a rivet head shaver chucked in a drill, using its depth stop
• The result is a solid looking dome, ready for polish or paint

Common applications

• Aluminum trailer skin repair, including vintage and Airstream restoration
• Heavy truck and trailer body panels originally assembled with solid rivets
• Replacing solid rivets where the blind side is no longer accessible
• Repairs over holes that have elongated or enlarged around the original fastener
• RV and horse trailer exterior panel work
• Restoration work where the finished appearance has to match factory

Where the finished head does not need to match solid rivets, dome head tri-fold rivets give the same blind side clamp without the shaving step. For a lower profile without shaving, see low profile flat head tri-fold rivets.

Related Categories

• Tri-Fold Rivets
• Dome Head Tri-Fold Rivets
• Recessed Crown Dome Head Tri-Fold Rivets
• Rivet Tools
• Blind Rivets

Shave Head Rivet FAQs

Do I need a special tool to install these?

Not to set them. Any standard blind rivet tool works, and no special nosepiece is needed. You do need two finishing tools: side cutters or a mandrel trimmer to snip the stub, and a rivet head shaver sized to the rivet diameter to cut the head down.

What is a rivet head shaver?

A cutting tool that chucks into a standard electric or cordless drill. It has a concave cutting bit and an adjustable depth stop, so when you press down the bit plunges and shaves only the top of the head, leaving a formed dome. Release pressure and the cutter retracts.

Why does the mandrel break high?

By design, so there is material to shave. A normal rivet breaks its mandrel flush with the head, leaving a visible hole. A shave head leaves a stub above the head, and shaving cuts stub and head together into a solid looking dome with no hole.

Can I skip the shaving step?

You can, and the rivet still holds fine, but you will have a protruding mandrel stub sticking out of every head. Since the reason to buy this style is the finished appearance, skipping the shave defeats the purpose. If you do not need the match, a dome head tri-fold is cheaper and simpler.

Are these waterproof?

The sealing or EPDM washer under the head gives a watertight seal at the surface. The washer can be removed if you prefer, in which case a urethane sealant in the hole and on the rivet body helps achieve a seal.

What sizes do you stock?

5/32, 3/16, and 1/4 inch, in grip ranges from 0.020 through 0.750 inch. The 3/16 and 1/4 sizes cover most trailer skin work, since those match the solid rivet diameters commonly used in original assembly.