EDC Duct Tape Keychain

This pocket duct tape dispenser used to be the roller to a toner cartridge and a couple quarters. It holds 3 feet of Gorilla brand duct tape.

The goal of this instructable is to provide you PRO TIPS for setting and finishing rivets.

This toner cartridge was headed for the dump. I took it apart and removed a long rubber coated rod.

First I cut off the bulk of the rubber with a razor blade. Anything that was left was removed with steel wool.

Cut the length of you rod to correspond with the width of the tape you're using. I used a hacksaw.

There is a balance to consider when deciding on the height of your rivet. If it's too short, you won't have enough material to peen over and you'll end up with a weak joint. If it's too long, you'll end end up with cracks along skirt of your rivet. Since these are not load bearing rivets, I cut them on the shorter side; half as long as the diameter. A general rule the material you peen over is 1/1/2 times the diameter.

These will serve at the end caps to the keychain. I made them convex on a doming block and drilled them out on my lathe.

Start by hammering the outer perimeter. Keep hammering as you make your way toward the center in a spiral pattern. Once the rivet takes a dome shape, lighten your blows. These lighter taps will smooth out the surface.

A small ball punch is the secret to getting the bottom edge of the skirt to meet the surface. It provides the cleanest finish. Lightly tap the punch around the entire perimeter. Aim the pressure of the punch just above the line where the surface meets the skirt. This will help prevent blemishing the bottom surface with the ball.

An oval race punch works great for this. You have to keep good pressure on the punch so it sits in the crease of the shoulder as you hammer. Work your way around the perimeter of the shoulder and go slow. If you try to peen over too much at one time, you'll sheer off the metal instead of rolling it over.

Use a ball punch to give your work a finished edge.

Mark the shank with a center punch before you drill it out.

Use 400 grit sand paper folded over a round file to remove any hammer marks left form the ball punch.

Smooth and shine the rivets with polishing compound and a buffing wheel.

I placed the shank into my lathe and slowly wound it on. Finally, I added keyrings and swivels.

Thanks for reading.