This article provides you with a rivet sizing chart and an easy guide to how to use the information to choose the proper rivet size for your application.
Rivets are typically used to fashion sheet materials together like sheets of metals, plastics, woods (including wood beams), and even textiles or leather. Rivets are typically used in aircraft construction, boat building, aluminum, and steel construction (such as heavy iron work).
In fastening applications, rivets have many advantages over more standard nut and bolts:
These are called blind rivets because they can be installed even when we can’t see the other side of the sheets being fastened. They’re also often called Pop Rivets because that’s the sound they make as the wire is broken off the back of the rivet.
One of the most important tasks when planning to use rivets is hole preparation. The rivet hole must be prepared based on the rivet’s requirements. The area that deforms is the rivet shank. We provide a rivet size chart (below) to give you the data you need to prepare a hole for all popular rivet sizes.
Rivet Sizes
Rivet sizes are:
Imperial: Rivet diameters are measured in 1/32″ increments and the lengths are measured in 1/16″ increments. These values are expressed as “dash numbers”. For example, a “dash 3 dash 4″ means a rivet size of 3/32″ diameter and 4/16” length. Rivet lengths can be measured out to half sizes (i.e. half dash numbers).
Metric: Rivet size diameters and lengths are measured in millimeters.
How to Choose Rivet Size – Rivet Diameter and Length Calculation
The rivet shank length should be equal to the thickness of both layers you are joining plus 1.5 times the diameter of the rivet’s stem. The rivet shank diameter should be equal 3 times the thickest sheet being joined. That’s the minimum diameter. Choose the closest standard rivet size that is equal to or larger than those dimensions. Use the data in our rivet size chart below to help make your choice and prepare the rivet hole.
Rivet Sizing Chart: Hole Sizes & Drill Sizes
Rivet Size
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
-9
-10
-11
-12
-13
Rivet Diameter (Inch)
1/16"
3/32" (0.094)
1/8" (0.125)
5/32" (0.256)
3/16" (0.188)
7/32"
1/4" (0.250)
9/32"
5/16" (0.312)
11/32"
3/8" (0.375)
13/32"
Drill Size
#51 (0.067)
#40 (0.098)
#30 (0.128)
#21 (0.159)
#11 (0.191)
#1 (0.228)
F (0.257)
L (0.290)
O (0.316)
S (0.348)
V (0.377)
Z (0.413)
Min. Hole Dia.
0.062
0.093
0.125
0.156
0.187
0.218
0.25
0.281
0.312
0.343
0.375
0.406
Max. Hole Dia.
0.072
0.103
0.135
0.171
0.202
0.233
0.265
0.2965
0.327
0.358
0.39
0.421
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Bob is responsible for the development and implementation of the popular G-Wizard CNC Software. Bob is also the founder of CNCCookbook, the largest CNC-related blog on the Internet.
