Rivet - 2.4mm (3/32") (qty x10)

These are 3/32 rivets, the 2.4 mm size, packed ten to a bag. They’re small blind rivets for light work in thin material, set from the front with a hand riveter. Blue Alpine lists them as F00112-00, and a pack costs $2.50.

How small is 3/32?

The body is 3/32 in across, about 0.094 in or 2.4 mm. That’s half the diameter of the 3/16 size we also carry. A 3/32 rivet has roughly a quarter of the cross-section of a 3/16 one, and shear strength follows that area. It’s the right size where a big rivet would be overkill or simply wouldn’t fit: thin sheet, narrow flanges, light brackets, small trim.

Holding up anything heavy, or anything that flexes in use, calls for more 3/32 rivets spaced closer together, or a bigger size.

Drilling holes for 3/32 rivets

The usual drill is a #41, which is 0.096 in. A 3/32 in bit, 0.094 in, works too. The rivet needs a snug hole. Too loose, and it sets off-center and can work free later.

Bits this thin snap easily, and the usual reason is pushing too hard or letting the drill tilt. A few things help:

• Center punch lightly. A small bit wanders on bare sheet.
• Choke up on the bit in the chuck so less of it sticks out.
• Let the bit cut at moderate speed. Don’t lean on it.
• Back out every so often to clear chips, especially in aluminum.

Keep a couple of spare bits. You’ll break one eventually, and it’ll be at the worst moment.

The grip range isn’t on the label

Our 3/16 rivets have a published grip range. These 3/32 rivets don’t. The listing gives the diameter only, so check length against your job before you set the whole bag.

Here’s how. Squeeze the parts you’re joining together and measure the combined thickness. Then set one rivet in a scrap stack of the same thickness and look at the back. A good joint has a neat, even collar that grips the material. If the tail has folded over or stuck out a long way, the stack is too thin for this rivet. If the collar barely formed, it’s too thick.

Prefer to ask first? Send the stack thickness through our contact page and we’ll tell you what we know about these.

Setting 3/32 rivets

Most hand riveters come with several nosepieces, and 3/32 is usually the smallest. Fit that one. A larger nosepiece leaves the head unsupported around the mandrel, and it can pull into the tool or set lopsided.

3/32 rivets need very little force. Hold the tool square, squeeze with short strokes and stop when the mandrel snaps. In soft materials like thin plastic, a small washer on the blind side spreads the load so the rivet doesn’t pull through.

Removing old 3/32 rivets

Use the same #41 or 3/32 in bit you’d drill the hole with. Set the tip in the mandrel hole in the middle of the head and drill slowly until the head breaks away. On small rivets, a short piece of mandrel is often left inside the body. A thin punch pushes the body and that leftover piece out the back.

Check behind the panel first. Whatever falls out lands on the other side, and on a closed box that’s somewhere you can’t easily reach. A strip of tape or a magnet on the back side catches most of it, though a magnet only helps with steel parts.

Quick questions

Can I put a bigger rivet in the same hole later?

Yes. Drill the old one out, then open the hole to a #11 or 3/16 in bit for the 3/16 size. Mind the edge distance; the larger hole sits closer to the edge.

Can a screw replace 3/32 rivets?

Only once the hole is opened up. Our #8 self tapping screws need a larger pilot hole than a #41 leaves, so drill to suit the screw, and check there’s enough material around the hole first.

Where’s the rest of the small hardware?

In fasteners and tools. For sheet gauges and thickness, the sheet metal article is handy.