What is Rivet?
[[File:Rivet01.jpg|250px|thumb|Solid rivets]] [[File:Riveting the SS JOHN W BROWN.webm|thumb|250px|Riveters work on the [[Liberty ship]] SS ''John W. Brown'' (December 2014)]] [[File:Berlin nietverbindung 20050209 p1000411.jpg|thumb|230px|Old rivets in place]] A '''rivet''' is a type of [[bolt]] which fastens plates of metal together. Riveting was a main method of building metal [[ships]], [[bridge]]s and many other complex metal objects. It was developed in the early [[industrial revolution]] from earlier ideas. It is no longer the main method of metal fastening, but examples can be seen all over the world. The key idea is that the slug of metal is red-hot when hammered into place. This results in the slug of metal having a dumbell shape which holds the two metal sheets together. An automatic [[jackhammer]] is used to force the metal into position, so giving a bulb on the inside face away from the pounding. The process (for example, of ship building) was very noisy. As the metal cooled, the two end of the rivet were pulled together, making a tight joint.<ref>Segui, William T. 2007. ''Steel design''. 4th ed, Toronto: Thomson. ISBN 978-0-495-24471-4</ref> To be a riveter was skilled work. The men worked in teams of four: two to heat the rivet and pass it to the two fasteners. It was therefore an expensive process even when it was shortened by mechanising the heating process as in the example shown. Rivets could be tested simply by tapping. A rivet tightly set in its hole gives a clear ring, while a loose rivet produces a different sound. Riveting developed in many ways, and there are many different kinds of rivets.<ref>Improvements in and relating to rivets and riveting – United Kingdom Patent GB286471</ref><ref>Emhart News June 2011&nbsp;GB</ref> Today riveting has been largely replaced by [[welding]], or by high-strength bolts. However, riveting is still used where light weight and high strength are critical, such as in [[aircraft]]. == Examples == *[[Eiffel Tower]] *[[Sydney Harbour Bridge]] == Refere