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Hi all i recently decided to have a go a scratching and looked online for the best way to make rivets which to me was to use small microbeads.. The problem is the tutorials are all from people in the US and the beads they're using aren't available in the UK. So basically does anyone know where you can get them and what size would match the rivets found on a leman russ specifically the kits from forge world?

Cheers,

Jay.

In one of the Forgeworld books they suggest to use the charcoal out of water filters. They have the right size already and inside of one filter you´ve got more "rivets" then you´ll ever need.

Here is a source for some great rivets and bolts in scale

http://www.grandtline.com/products/mrr/mrr%20details/augmentables.html

2000 rivets for less than 1 British pound.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2000pcs-Wholesale-Crystal-Flatback-Acrylic-Rhinestones-Beads-Nail-Art-Craft-/330827293209?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item4d06d7e219

Those rhinestones are faceted and 2mm wide, Rickfactor - don't really seem like what the OP is after, in terms of size or shape.

Originalj4y - are you willing/able to shop online? A quick search on Ebay (UK) netted me a number of domestic sellers listing 15g bags of .6mm microbeads for 2-3 pounds, bought and shipped. Not as cheap per rivet as what I bought in a US craft store, but that's still quite a few rivets and a relatively small expense - since most people aren't likely to ever use a full 90g jar (again, using my own supply as my reference point), I'd consider the cost reasonable, at least.

If you absolutely have to stay local, I imagine cracking open a water filter may be your best option.

@oadie
Yes i can shop online as long as its within uk due to extreme postage charges from other countries. I did have a quick look on ebay myself and came across these although i don't know if they're suitable?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151138500639?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121229820555?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

As another poster said get a britas water filter (available at all supermarkets) and you will have more carbon balls that you can shake a stick at.

Someone had helpfully broken one open on Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brita_Filter.png

There are other ways to make rivets;

you can get a rod of plasticard (or roll a fine rod of green stuff [let it cure]) and then cut slices off to make rivets

or you can get a sheet of plasticard and a metal rod with a handle - use it like a holepunch to punch out little rivets the shape of the metal rod

or you can buy grief moulds (I saw them on ebay years ago) and melt some sprue into them, gives you a very detailed rivet

best of luck with your rivet making!


Automatically Appended Next Post:


there's a pic of the moulds, don't inhale that stuff, don't tell your mother I was involved! I haven't used it, but the results this guy gets are awesome!

*edit* - after a bit of searching it appears that the greif moulds are like hens teeth and are no longer made or supplied by anyone I can find...so that's a bit of a fruitless search, but if anyone has one, I'll buy it!!

 notprop wrote:
As another poster said get a britas water filter (available at all supermarkets) and you will have more carbon balls that you can shake a stick at.

Someone had helpfully broken one open on Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brita_Filter.png

Braun makes one like it.

https://www.eileensemporium.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=eny_fly_default.tpl&product_id=4961&category_id=66&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=9

These are great for embossing rivets in thin metal or plastic, or you can buy rivet strips from many toy train suppliers that are exactly that, strips of rivets on brass strip.

http://www.mainlytrains.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss000003.pl?PR=-1&TB=A&SHOP=&SS=rivet&ACTION.x=24&ACTION.y=12

Mainly trains sell rivet strip and they are pretty clean etchings, they certainly look OK on my SM vehicles.

Try ebay shop Dawn's Gems in the UK

I got a 15g baggie of micro beads from her a few months back for £1.10, postage was another £1!

15g is more than enough to keep you going for years, you can choose from various sizes and colours, I got 0.7mm black micro beads for my scratch building

These are slightly more expensive, but hey are quite cool if you need this type of application. They are rivets on Decal paper, so you just soak them a bit and put them where you want them. No real decal hassles with gloss coats and then special soaks to make them fit, since you will generally apply these to an unpainted model, then seal them on with the primer.

http://www.micromark.com/ho-scale-decals-with-raised-3d-rivets-and-other-surface-details,9968.html

I've used them before and they are quite easy to work with. They are actually raised, not flat decals.

v/r
Bill

Cheers guys loads of ideas.

@VikingChild do you have a link as when i did a search nothing came up?

Don't forget the antenocitis/grantline hex bolts.

I think there are cheaper options for rivets, but these are great for orky style chunky bolts.

http://www.antenocitisworkshop.com/code-128-sci-fi-hex-nut.html

.

No problem, here you go

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Dawns-Wholesale-Gems/Micro-Beads-/_i.html?_fsub=3686083016&_sid=1101270276&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

hope that helps!

@VikingChild Cheers dude i actually came across it just after i posted asking for the link haha.

Anyway i ordered the black ones they do for like £1.90 or something and will see how i go with them when they arrive.