Rivets vs. Welding: Which Should You Use?

Rivets vs. Welding: Which Should You Use?

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If you are building anything out of metal, then choosing the right connection method to keep the pieces together is an important decision to make. You need to have something that’s strong and durable. For this, you have two main options – using rivets or welding.

Each of these methods has certain uses, but their distinct features make them both suitable for different jobs. This makes it difficult to know which one you need.

In this article, I will help you make that decision by taking you through the basics as well as diving deeper into the differences between the two.

Rivets and Welding: The Basics

Before I start talking about the differences between these two methods, I want to begin by looking at the two options at a basic level. Let’s discuss what they are, and what they are used for.

What Are Rivets?

Rivets A rivet is a small metal fastener that is used to permanently connect two pieces of metal.

When installed with a rivet gun, the piece is pushed through the pieces of metal and the end is taken off. This leaves the rivet inside the metal pieces, with a top that is hammered down if needed.

The result is a small, screw-like metal piece.

What is Welding?

Welding Machine The process of welding consists of connecting two pieces of metal with high heat, then allowing the metal to cool and fuse together.

A welding torch is needed for this type of permanent connection solution, and added material is used as a filler between the two pieces to help give a stronger connection. The exact way the process works depends on the welding type used.

The process is similar to and often confused with soldering and brazing.

Rivets vs. Welding: What Are the Differences?

Using rivets or welding to connect two pieces of metal are the best options out there. However, these are very different processes. So, let’s talk about what makes each of these processes unique.

Necessary Tools

With rivets, you will need a rivet gun to make pushing the rivets through the metal fast and easy. However, if you choose to use the welding process to get the job done, you will need to use a welding torch and mask. There is much more that goes into the welding process, so more tools are needed.

Welding in Progress

Time Spent

The time it takes to do a job will be a factor that determines which process you want to use. So, it is important to mention that using rivets will likely take longer.

You have to put each rivet in the gun yourself, which means that you will take quite a long time to do all the rivets you need. With welding, though it takes more preparation, you will be done fairly quickly since the heat melts the metal fast.

Power Source

Each of these two options is powered differently, which makes each of them unique.

The rivet gun is all mechanical and has no gas components.

The welding torch, however, uses gas to ignite the flames that melt the metal and filler material together. They are both portable, but if you are not comfortable using gas power, then a welding torch will not work for you. These torches ignite to create a high, concentrated heat which can be intimidating for some people to use.

However, the riveting gun can sometimes be difficult for petite or disabled users, since you have to push down very hard for it to work. That said, there are power rivet guns, both corded and cordless, too.

In either case, deciding which power source you would rather deal with will help you make your final decision.

Uses

One of the main differences is what these options are used for.

A welding torch is used mainly for corner pieces, but can also be used on flat metal pieces that need to be connected. Riveting works well when two pieces need to be connected side-by-side, but is not made for doing corner pieces. Depending on your needs, one might work better over the other.

Preparation Time

When you are preparing to use either one of these methods, the preparation time is a major difference. With welding, you will need to put on clothing that you wouldn’t mind getting ruined, and you will have to make sure that your safety equipment is on and you have enough gas.

However, riveting only requires you to get the rivets and the gun.

Riveting a Pipe

Which of the Two Should You Use?

Well, with the differences laid out above, you can use these to determine which is the best option for what you need to do.

If you have corner pieces that need to be connected, then using a welding torch will get the job done and make sure that the connection is strong. Rivets are not meant for corner areas, so the obvious choice would be welding.

On the other hand, if you are hoping to put two pieces of metal side by side, with a little bit of overlap, then rivets will work fine. Also, if you have only smaller pieces of metal that need any connecting, then riveting is a good option since you will only need a few rivets to hold them together. In this case, welding would take too much time in relation to the scale of the job.

However, if you are doing a large project that requires corners along with connecting flat pieces together horizontally, then you could end up using both methods. Riveting could be used in smaller areas where welding is not needed, and a welding torch could work for the larger areas and corners.

Gas Welding

Summary

When you are doing projects that deal with metal, you need the right tools and processes to finish the job.  Rivets and welding can both be used to help you with your project, but they both are used for different things.

Do you need to connect two pieces of metal to create a corner piece, or do you just need to connect them side by side? Each option will require a different method.

So, think about what you need to do to finish your project, then you will see which option is better for you and which you will want to purchase. Or, if you do a lot of projects and want to be prepared for all scenarios, then getting both will allow you to do any job that comes your way.