rivetsare

Rivetsare is a term used in some designer-maker communities to denote a modular rivet-based joining approach as well as the practitioners who employ it. It describes techniques for fabricating and assembling metal components with rivets in a way that emphasizes disassembly, reconfiguration, and repair.

Technique and materials are central to rivetsare. Assemblies commonly use solid, blind, or semi-tubular rivets, set with standard riveting tools and techniques. Materials such as aluminum, steel, and brass are typical, and joints are designed to be accessible for inspection, maintenance, or rework. The approach often favors clean, exposed joints and may integrate aesthetic considerations with structural ones, supporting reversible connections and easier part replacement.

Applications and culture around rivetsare appear in small-scale sculpture, furniture, and prototyped structures, as well as in educational workshops that teach metalworking and hands-on design. The rivetsare mindset aligns with sustainable design goals by enabling modularity and repairability, reducing waste from wholly replacing assemblies. The term itself is regionally used and does not correspond to a formal engineering standard or widely recognized specification.

History and terminology notes indicate that rivetsare has emerged within maker and design communities as a colloquial neologism. Because it lacks a single canonical definition, meanings and practices can vary between groups. In general, rivetsare tends to emphasize transparency of joints, modularity, and the capacity to adapt or repurpose built components over time.