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Pop Rivet string sleeves tips and how-to

The best string sleeves I have found are simply pop rivets. I originally bought a small box of 25 from Ace Hardware and paid way to much. Next I found them at Lowes for about half the price Ace got but still cost me 4 or 5 bucks for a small box of a hundred. Then I found a box of five hundred at "Harbor Freight" for four bucks.

Here is the URL for these. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42529

That will get you = 500 Piece 1/8" x 1/4" Standard Rivets = ITEM 42529-1VGA $3.99

Now the next problem which I learned a long time ago is how to get the shank out of the rivet. I have done a little photo essay to show how I do it.

The story is that you stick the rivet in a pair of pliers with the collar of the head up against the pliers to support it. and turn the thing over and tap on your hard work surface. Do NOT squeeze to hard with the pliers and gentle taps are all it will take. I get em out in three taps and my sixteen yr old daughter happily does them for me now and is extremely fast at it. The rivet shanks are aluminum so save them for recycle. I use six rivets three on the bottom and three on the of the tailpiece. I intentionally leave my tailpiece long so I have a wrist rest. A one eighth inch drill bit makes a press fit for these rivets and beautifully trims and protects the wood from the string. The cost for six is less than a nickel a per three string guitar...... I put descriptive captions on each pic in my pictures section to help clarify. Hope this helps out. Bill

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Comment by Wes on December 6, 2011 at 9:19am: Thanks Bill, this will take care of my next to the last problem.

Comment by Robert Southwell on March 31, 2010 at 2:35pm: Hey Bill, Thanks for the instructions, i was just about to ask the question when i found your pictures, problem solved, this site really works.

Thanks again .... Cheers..
..Rob.

Comment by Bill Ludeman on March 21, 2010 at 7:43am: Glad to be able to help - they used to call these "blind" rivets since you could rivet from one side with out being able to "see" the other !! For what its worth.... Bill

Comment by Dianne Woods on March 21, 2010 at 6:16am: Bill, I tried holding the pop rivets with the pliers and tapping them with the hammer. It is so easy, works great. Thank you again.

Comment by Dianne Woods on March 19, 2010 at 12:57pm: Thanks Bill for taking the time on the pics and the explanation. I got it. Thank you, again.

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