253Engine clincher size

You need a star crimper for that stud. Center one front row.

thanks,but i think the star clincher is for the flag holders,i am setting rivets for the coupler,which crimp on the top of the frame.

rich

Is the rivet solid, or does it have a hollow tip?

If it is solid, you would use a splaying clincher, which looks like an "X" on the end.

If it is hollow, you could use a star clincher, (as Gandy Dancer wrote), which would split the rivet in a star pattern.

Otherwise, I would suggest getting a set of rolling clinchers, and choosing one where the hollow is slightly smaller than the ball on the tip of the clincher.

Update: I just checked a Lionel 252 and a Lionel 253 that has its original coupler rivets. They are solid rivets headed over, probably with the industrial equivalent of a good, old fashioned rivet set. So the splaying clincher would work, but the appearance would not be correct.

Below I've attached a picture of the type of rivet set with which I am familar. A quick web search shows that there are also rivet sets that look very much like a thick pin punch. The key feature is the cup shaped depression on the tip. It acts to form the rivet.

Then you want the star one as shown. It was used on both the flag stations and the coupler stud.

thanks,for all the info.

rich