Positive rivets give an airframe back what kit manufacturers usually leave out, namely raised rivet heads. A scribing needle can only produce a sunken line, whereas these sheets of loose rows and 3D-printed segments add proud riveting that catches the light after painting and washing exactly as it does on the real aircraft. Below we explain how the rivets are applied and how to pick the right head size for your scale.
1:48 Single riveting rows
8.32 €
1:72 Single riveting rows
8.32 €
1:32 Single riveting rows
8.32 €
1:48 Double riveting rows
8.32 €
1:48 Sukhoi Su-25 raised rivets & surface details
21.60 €
Single riveting rows (rivet size 0.20 mm, gap 0.8 mm, suits 1/32 scale), White color, total length 5,8 m/19 ft
8.29 €
They are tiny raised heads supplied on a carrier film and transferred to the model much like a decal. No scribing, no risk of cutting through a thin skin: you simply lay a row of rivets along the panel line. The range covers loose rows to be cut to length and 3D-printed segments in rectangular, rounded rectangular and oval blocks, with head diameter and pitch stated, for example 0.2 mm heads at 0.8 mm spacing. Sets for particular aircraft types fill the gaps.
The rule is simple proportion: the smaller the scale, the smaller the diameter and the tighter the pitch. A thirty-second-scale airframe takes pronounced heads, quarter scale sits around 0.15 mm, and in 1:72 use the very finest rows or the aircraft ends up looking like a riveted boiler.
Loose rows are cut to length and will follow any panel you like, which suits subjects that never received a dedicated sheet. Shaped segments and type-specific sheets save time instead, because the layout already matches the real aircraft.
Rivets normally go onto a smoothed surface before the final coats, so that the varnish ties them to the skin. The exact order of layers differs between makers, so follow the instructions supplied. A final wash then outlines every head beautifully.
Still choosing the airframe that deserves the treatment? Work through aircraft model kits and add a rivet sheet to the same order.
