How to Remove Pop Rivets Without a Drill

Pop rivets are tubular in shape and have mandrels through the center. The rivet itself is inserted into a hole that was previously drilled through the metals that would be joined and locked into place by means of a rivet gun. The mandrel is drawn until it snaps off, leaving behind a hollow rivet that fastens two pieces of metal securely. Although pop rivets are commonly used, the process of removing them can be difficult because of the absences of threads or a head that can be used to pull it out. The usual practice is to do the removal with the same drill that was used in drilling a hole for the rivet. But this usually enlarges the previous hole necessitating the use of the next rivet size for the re-riveting. There are also instances where a blind rivet needs to be removed but an electric drill cannot be found. In such a situation, you will have to make do with the removal without the power tool.

Step 1 - Assessing the Rivet

The first thing you should do is to assess the materials that have been fastened by a blind rivet. Its thickness will determine the method to use and the amount of force that you will have to use to remove rivets without drilling. Flimsy materials such as thin metal sheets may crumple or even be torn off leaving the whole point of removing the pop rivets useless.

Step 2 - Removing the Pop Rivet Head

A blind rivet is removed by means of a power drill by drilling on the hollow part of the rivet head until it comes off the shank. The same can be done by using a Flathead screwdriver or chisel and a hammer. Place the tip of the tool between the material and the rivet head and hammer it until the head breaks off. Be careful on the amount of force that you will use as it can destroy the material as well. Sturdy metal can take a good whacking but thin sheets may require you to do gentle but repetitive taps.

Step 3 - Pushing out the Pop Rivet Shank

Once you have cut the blind rivet head, use a thin screw driver or a small rod to push the rivet shank out of the hole. It may come out with a single tap if the material is thin. You may have to use the hammer with more force and repetition for thicker materials.

Step 4 - Using a Dremel

Alternatively, you can use a Dremel rotary tool. A small circular cutter comes as one of its attachments and this could be used to cut off the head of the blind rivet. However, make sure that you can use the power tool with enough dexterity so as to avoid cutting the material as well. A circular cutter has a wider contact with the surface you are working on no matter how small, compared to a power drill. Hence the chances of damaging the surrounding areas are also higher. Once you have successfully removed the head of the pop rivet, push the rivet shank off as in step 3.