Has anybody used a sheet metal hole punch to install rivets in a cymbal?

  • Thread starter Rick
  • Start date
    • This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links like Ebay, Amazon, and others.
Rick

Rick

DFO Veteran
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Messages
1,688
Reaction score
2,123
Location
Atlanta
I saw someone post a comment in another thread about rivets that they have used this to create the hole instead of drilling and that it works well and is safer for the cymbal. I'm wondering if anybody else here has experience with this. It seems to me that it might be a good way to go. What am I missing? Pros and cons?

Here's one I found that I think looks good...

https://capritools.com/shop/metal-hole-punch-set/
 
Rick said:
I saw someone post a comment in another thread about rivets that they have used this to create the hole instead of drilling and that it works well and is safer for the cymbal. I'm wondering if anybody else here has experience with this. It seems to me that it might be a good way to go. What am I missing? Pros and cons?

Here's one I found that I think looks good...

https://capritools.com/shop/metal-hole-punch-set/
Click to expand...
I highly doubt it would be safer for the cymbal, but what do I know. It seems it would stress the metal more than a good sharp drill bit that was well used and cleaned up.
 
No, not a good idea, (refer to 2nd line in signature)
B8, maybe, B20 too brittle, high risk of cracking.
Electricians die punches for ozone holes, sheet metal snips for cutting, all bad ideas.
 
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links like Ebay, Amazon, and others.
Six and half a dozen - but a drill bit only costs 1£/$/€ and are you likely to use the hole punch again? A nice bit of consumer advice there.
 
foxy_shazamtastic said:
I highly doubt it would be safer for the cymbal, but what do I know. It seems it would stress the metal more than a good sharp drill bit that was well used and cleaned up.
Click to expand...
Thanks. That's kinda what I was thinking too... after I thought about it some more. I'd be worried about potentially starting a crack doing it that way versus carefully using a good sharp drill bit. I'll probably just stick to my original plan and take it to Atlanta Drum Shop. He's done several rivets for me and he does a good job.
 
premierplayer said:
No, not a good idea, (refer to 2nd line in signature)
B8, maybe, B20 too brittle, high risk of cracking.
Electricians die punches for ozone holes, sheet metal snips for cutting, all bad ideas.
Click to expand...
Thanks!
 
That sounds like a very bad idea. Drill presses aren't that expensive, are they?
 
That seems super risky for how easy it is to drill a cymbal. The only reasonably difficult part of drilling a cymbal for rivets is deciding where you want the hole
 
1988fxlr said:
That seems super risky for how easy it is to drill a cymbal. The only reasonably difficult part of drilling a cymbal for rivets is deciding where you want the hole
Click to expand...
Yeah, I've ruled the hole punch idea out now. I don't have a drill and am not that motivated to do it myself anyway. I already know exactly where I want the rivets and have that marked. (I also have the rivets.) I'm going to take it to Atlanta Drum Shop next week and get him to do it. Gives me an excuse to go... cause it's a really cool drum shop!
 
All rivet holes from cymbals from the Zildjian factory are punched. The rivet punch and the rivet installer were foot operated cast iron thingys from a bygone era. Drills are easier, but a rivet punch is fine… but I can understand the hesitance to punch…
 
mattr said:
All rivet holes from cymbals from the Zildjian factory are punched. The rivet punch and the rivet installer were foot operated cast iron thingys from a bygone era. Drills are easier, but a rivet punch is fine… but I can understand the hesitance to punch…
Click to expand...
You may be referencing the press/machine/tool that flares the rivets

Anybody send their cymbal to Zildjian for rivet installation?

This is really a continuation from my left side ride thread, but it's a tiny bit OT for that, I guess. I was gathering info on how to add rivets to my cymbal (lots of helpful threads on this site), when I found this on the Zildjian FAQ We recommend that you send your cymbals directly to us...
www.drumforum.org www.drumforum.org

"At the Zildjian factory, cymbals are drilled for rivets, not punched. "
 
Last edited:
This should be interesting. A Zildjian employee who was there, versus an AI summary of what people say on the internet.

mattr said:
All rivet holes from cymbals from the Zildjian factory are punched. The rivet punch and the rivet installer were foot operated cast iron thingys from a bygone era. Drills are easier, but a rivet punch is fine… but I can understand the hesitance to punch…
Click to expand...

premierplayer said:
You may be referencing the press/machine/tool that flares the rivets

Anybody send their cymbal to Zildjian for rivet installation?

This is really a continuation from my left side ride thread, but it's a tiny bit OT for that, I guess. I was gathering info on how to add rivets to my cymbal (lots of helpful threads on this site), when I found this on the Zildjian FAQ We recommend that you send your cymbals directly to us...
www.drumforum.org www.drumforum.org

"At the Zildjian factory, cymbals are drilled for rivets, not punched. "
Click to expand...
 
mattr said:
All rivet holes from cymbals from the Zildjian factory are punched. The rivet punch and the rivet installer were foot operated cast iron thingys from a bygone era. Drills are easier, but a rivet punch is fine… but I can understand the hesitance to punch…
Click to expand...
That makes sense. I'm sure they have it calibrated for the exact right amount of pressure for B20 and at the perfect right angle so there's no chance of damage. But as others have said, I'd be worried about doing it with some random hole punch and the possibility of messing it up.
 
zenstat said:
This should be interesting. A Zildjian employee who was there, versus an AI summary of what people say on the internet.
Click to expand...
1753668898869.gif

Trying to drop some knowledge!
 
Rick said:
I saw someone post a comment in another thread about rivets that they have used this to create the hole instead of drilling and that it works well and is safer for the cymbal. I'm wondering if anybody else here has experience with this. It seems to me that it might be a good way to go. What am I missing? Pros and cons?

Here's one I found that I think looks good...

https://capritools.com/shop/metal-hole-punch-set/
Click to expand...
Everything else aside, do you really have the hand strength to punch a hole in a medium or (even thin) weight cymbal manually?
 
lamartee said:
Everything else aside, do you really have the hand strength to punch a hole in a medium or (even thin) weight cymbal manually?
Click to expand...
Well, I've decided not to do this for other reasons. But, yeah, the tool I posted originally has enough leverage built into the design that I don't think it would take that much hand strength.
 
Don't forget about heat build-up while drilling in B20. Gotta keep that metal locked in its appropriate phase.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top