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How to fit a pop rivet: drill, pull, check the tail

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have the sheet, a drill and a hand rivet gun, and the hole is still to drill. Drill a clearance hole, match the nosepiece, pull until the mandrel snaps, and check the tail on the blind side. If you have not measured the stack, including paint and any washer, do that first on the [pop rivet grip range](/hub/screws-and-accessories/blind-rivets/sub/blind-rivets-grip-range) page. Which pack to buy sits on the [blind rivets comparison](/hub/screws-and-accessories/blind-rivets). These rivets were not set in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have the sheet, a drill and a hand rivet gun, and the hole is still to drill. Drill a clearance hole, match the nosepiece, pull until the mandrel snaps, and check the tail on the blind side.

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On this page
  1. 1.Drill the clearance, not the number on the rivet
  2. 2.Match the nosepiece and keep it flush
  3. 3.Pull until the mandrel snaps
  4. 4.Check the tail, then know when to stop

Drill the clearance, not the number on the rivet

Several UK pages tell you to drill the diameter printed on the rivet. DIY Doctor uses a 4 mm hole for a 4 mm rivet, and a BBC classroom clip says the same. That is the mistake to avoid. Danetre Workshop’s bands: 2.4 mm wants 2.5–2.6 mm, 3.2 mm wants 3.3–3.4 mm, 4.0 mm wants 4.1–4.2 mm, and 4.8 mm wants 4.9–5.0 mm. Too tight shaves the body. Too loose lets the set rivet spin. Clamp the finish face towards you and clear the swarf. About two body diameters from the edge is a workshop habit, not an ISO minimum. If a dome may pull through, choose the head on the how to choose pop rivets page before you drill a row.

Match the nosepiece and keep it flush

The nosepiece matches the rivet diameter. Fixfast’s note is plain: a wrong one sets poorly or wears the tool. If the gun is not a multi-size nose, change the nozzle. A 4.8 mm rivet in a 3.2 mm nose will not pull squarely. A typical hand gun stops at 4.8 mm. Open the handles, push the mandrel in until the rivet head sits against the nosepiece, then keep that nose flat on the head for the whole pull. The BlueSpot UK manual says to keep the nozzle flush and to wear eye protection. Rapid’s how-to is the same idea: seat the head and squeeze until the pin clips. A tipped nose bends the body and forms the tail to one side. There is no powder and no pin to fire. You are only pulling a mandrel with levers. A tri-grip splits into legs rather than one bulb. Do not judge that rivet by a missing round tail.
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Pull until the mandrel snaps

Squeeze until the mandrel snaps. A long rivet or a stiff stack needs more than one pull. bolts.co.uk says the stem breaks when the body can expand no further. If you stop because the handles feel heavy, the secondary head may not exist yet. Wear eye protection first. The Health and Safety Executive says eye protection should match the impact, including spectacles, goggles or a face screen for projectiles. That page does not name rivet guns. The stem can leave the gun as a sharp piece of wire. Bin it. If the rivet spins, clamp the sheets. Do not keep squeezing in the hope that a spinning body will grip.

Check the tail, then know when to stop

Look at the blind side before you call the joint finished. You want a formed bulb pulled up against the back sheet. A rivet that spun, or a body that never bulbed, is not set, even if the mandrel has snapped. That tail means the blind face will not lie flat against another part. If the back must sit flush, an open pop rivet is the wrong fastener. A missing tail usually means the rivet was too short, or the pull stopped early. A tail that forms between the sheets often means the hole was large enough for the body to swell in the gap. That is a drilling fault. Stop and use a professional for vehicle structure, a trailer coupling, a gas appliance, brakes, steering, a lifting point, or designed structural steel. Stop on a coastal job if you cannot name the alloy. If the first rivet in scrap of the same stack does not show a clean tail, do not continue along the real panel.

Common questions

Which way does the rivet go in?
The head stays on the side you can see. Clamp that finish face towards you, push the body through both layers, and let the tail form on the blind side. The blind side will not sit flat afterwards, because the bulb stands proud of the sheet.
How many times do I squeeze the gun?
As many times as it takes for the mandrel to snap. One squeeze is sometimes enough on a short rivet. A longer body often needs several pulls. Stopping because the handles are stiff leaves the tail unformed.
What should the back of the joint look like?
A formed bulb tight against the back sheet. A snapped mandrel with no bulb, or a rivet that spins, is not a finished joint. The tail also means you cannot lay that face flat against another part.
Do I need eye protection?
Yes. The stem snaps and can fly. HSE advice is to match eye protection to the impact, including spectacles, goggles or a face screen for projectile hazards. That page does not mention rivet guns by name. Bin the stem. It is sharp.
When should I stop and call a professional?
Stop for vehicle structure, a trailer coupling, gas appliances, brakes, steering, lifting points and designed structural steel. Also stop on a coastal repair if you cannot name the metal. An ordinary open rivet from this set is for light sheet you can check from the blind side.

Related pages

Best pop rivets

Blind rivets

Aluminium or stainless pop rivets for a wet outdoor joint

How to choose pop rivets: hole, head and metal first

Pop rivet grip range: 16 mm length is not the grip

Sources

Public standards and UK sources from the research digest, used for this page in October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are from the stored amazon.co.uk cards, not a live re-check. No pack is treated as ISO 15977 certified unless the card says so. There is no laboratory test.

  1. ISO 15977:2002 Open end blind rivets with break pull mandrel and protruding head (aluminium body, steel mandrel) (retrieved October 2026)
  2. ISO 15977:2002 sample, length and grip (retrieved October 2026)
  3. Danetre Workshop, blind rivet size chart (retrieved October 2026)
  4. Leitz UK, Rapid, choosing the right blind rivet (retrieved October 2026)
  5. bolts.co.uk, pop rivets (retrieved October 2026)
  6. HSE, using the right type of PPE (retrieved October 2026)
  7. BlueSpot rivet gun manual (retrieved October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 11, goods to match the description (retrieved October 2026)