How is metal joined without heat using rivets and threaded fasteners, and how is bar and rod bent and formed to shape?
Mechanical joining and forming: joining metal with rivets (including pop rivets) and threaded fasteners (nuts, bolts and machine screws), choosing temporary or permanent joints, and bending and forming bar and rod to shape.
How SQA National 5 Practical Metalworking covers joining metal without heat: riveting (including pop rivets) and threaded fasteners (nuts, bolts, machine screws), the difference between temporary and permanent joints, and bending and forming bar and rod to shape.
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What this dot point is asking
Not all joints use heat. The SQA expects you to know mechanical joining - rivets (including pop rivets) and threaded fasteners (nuts, bolts, machine screws) - the difference between temporary and permanent joints, and how to bend and form bar and rod to shape. The skill is applied in the practical activity and sampled by the case study.
Rivets: a permanent join
Riveted joints are common in sheet metalwork because they join thin sheet strongly without the heat distortion that welding can cause. The hole should be drilled the right size so the rivet is a snug fit: too large a hole leaves the rivet loose and the joint weak. For a solid rivet, only a short length should stick out beyond the sheet, because the protruding end is what is hammered over to form the second head; too much sticking out buckles instead of closing neatly.
Threaded fasteners: a temporary join
- Nut and bolt: a bolt passes through a clearance hole and a nut is screwed on; it can be undone and remade.
- Machine screw: screws into a tapped thread cut in the part (see drilling and threading), again removable.
- A washer spreads the load and stops the fastener marking or loosening, and a spring washer or lock nut helps stop it vibrating loose.
- Threaded fasteners suit parts that must be taken apart for maintenance, repair or replacement, which a rivet or weld would not allow.
Bending and forming bar and rod
Try this
Q1. Name the tool used to set a pop (blind) rivet. [1 mark]
- Cue. A rivet gun (pop rivet gun).
Q2. State whether a nut and bolt makes a temporary or a permanent joint. [1 mark]
- Cue. A temporary joint (it can be unscrewed and remade).
Q3. Explain why a riveted joint is described as permanent. [2 marks]
- Cue. The rivet is closed over after fitting, so the joint cannot be undone without drilling out or breaking the rivet.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA-style Describe4 marksTwo pieces of sheet metal are to be joined permanently using rivets. Describe how you would make a riveted joint.Show worked answer →
Award up to 4 marks, 1 per correct stage. Mark out and drill matching holes through both pieces, the right size for the rivet, so the rivet is a snug fit (1). Pass the rivet through both holes so the head sits on one side and the plain shank sticks out the other (1). Support the rivet head on a dolly or the bench, then close (spread) the protruding end over with a ball pein hammer so it forms a second head and clamps the two pieces tight (1). For a pop (blind) rivet, instead place it in a rivet gun and squeeze so the mandrel pulls the rivet tight and snaps off, which can be done from one side only (1). A strong answer names drilling matching holes, the rivet, and either closing with a ball pein hammer or using a pop rivet gun.
SQA-style Explain3 marksExplain the difference between a temporary and a permanent joint, giving one example of each used in metalwork.Show worked answer →
Award up to 3 marks: 1 for temporary with example, 1 for permanent with example, 1 for a clear further point. A temporary joint can be taken apart again without damaging the parts, for example a nut and bolt or a machine screw, which can be unscrewed for maintenance or replacement (1). A permanent joint cannot be undone without breaking or destroying the joint, for example a riveted joint or a welded joint, which is fixed once made (1). A further mark is given for a clear extra point, such as choosing a temporary joint where parts must be removed for repair and a permanent joint where strength and security matter most (1).
Related dot points
- Sheet metalwork: cutting sheet with tin snips and a guillotine, bending and folding on folding bars or a bending machine, and forming joints such as a folded seam, with allowance made for the bend.
How SQA National 5 Practical Metalworking covers routine sheet metalwork: cutting sheet with tin snips and a guillotine, bending and folding on folding bars or a bending machine, forming folded seams, and allowing for the bend so the finished size is correct.
- Thermal joining: joining metal with heat by welding (e.g. MIG/arc), brazing and soft soldering, the difference between them (melting the parent metal versus a filler), and the safety needed for hot work.
How SQA National 5 Practical Metalworking covers joining metal with heat: welding (MIG or arc), brazing and soft soldering, the difference between melting the parent metal and using a filler, the relative strength of each, and the safety needed for hot work.
- Drilling holes with a twist drill and countersinking, and cutting screw threads by hand: an internal thread with a tap and tap wrench, and an external thread with a die and die stock.
How SQA National 5 Practical Metalworking covers making holes and threads: drilling with a twist drill, countersinking, cutting an internal thread with a tap and tap wrench, and cutting an external thread with a die and die stock, all done accurately and safely.
- Finishing processes: removing sharp edges and burrs (deburring), cleaning and preparing the surface (emery cloth/abrasives), and applying a finish such as paint, lacquer or plating to protect the metal and improve its appearance.
How SQA National 5 Practical Metalworking covers finishing a metal product: removing sharp edges and burrs (deburring), cleaning and preparing the surface with abrasives, and applying a finish such as paint, lacquer or plating to protect the metal and improve its appearance.
- Health and safety in the workshop: identifying hazards, using personal protective equipment (safety glasses, apron, gloves where appropriate), guarding machines, keeping a tidy area, and following safe working practices for hot, sharp and rotating processes.
How SQA National 5 Practical Metalworking expects you to work safely: spotting hazards, using personal protective equipment such as safety glasses and aprons, guarding machines, keeping a tidy workspace, and following safe practices for hot, sharp and rotating processes.