Blind Rivets

Blind rivets — commonly called pop rivets — fasten materials together from one side, requiring no access to the back of the joint. A rivet gun pulls the mandrel, expanding the rivet body to clamp the materials, then snaps the mandrel off. Fast and tool-simple, they are ubiquitous in sheet metal, signage, ducting, and light assembly. We stock blind rivets across body materials, head styles, and grip ranges.

How Blind Rivets Work

The rivet is inserted into a drilled hole, and a rivet tool grips and pulls the mandrel. The mandrel head deforms the rivet body on the blind (back) side, forming a clamp, then the mandrel breaks at a preset point. This one-sided installation is the defining advantage — ideal where the joint's back is enclosed or inaccessible.

Grip Range Matters

Each rivet has a grip range — the total material thickness it can clamp. Too thin and the rivet won't set properly; too thick and the mandrel won't form a proper back-side head. Matching grip range to your material stack is the key to a sound joint.

Materials

All-aluminum: lightweight, corrosion-resistant, easy to set — the most common. Steel: higher strength. Aluminum body / steel mandrel: a common economical mix. 18-8 stainless: maximum corrosion resistance and strength for outdoor and marine use. Match rivet material to the parts to avoid galvanic corrosion.

Head Styles

Dome head: the standard, broad bearing. Countersunk: sits flush in a countersunk hole. Large flange: extra bearing for soft or oversized-hole materials.

Selecting the Right Blind Rivet

Match the grip range to your total material thickness, the body diameter to your drilled hole, and the material to the parts and environment. Choose dome for general use, countersunk for flush, large flange for soft materials. Drill the correct hole size and select a rivet long enough to form a full back-side head.

Use the filters to narrow by diameter, grip range, material, and head style.