Learn
The opaque parts of aerospace specialty fastener selection, made plain: blind rivets and bolts, pin-and-collar, lockbolts and solid rivets. Each piece is cited and ties back to what the selector does. Start with how they work; the rest are grouped by the step they help with.
1Understand
How specialty fasteners work: blind, pin-and-collar, lockbolt and solid rivet
Blind or two-sided first, then one visual key and each family from inserted to installed: interactive, traced from the manufacturer's figures, every step quoted and cited.
Read →Why composites need special fasteners, and when they don't
The blind-bulb mechanism, the bearing failure modes, and why the rule is more than 'is the blind side composite?'
Read →Galvanic corrosion: the material-pair trap
Carbon fiber + aluminum is a battery. Why fastener alloy is driven by the pair, not by which side is blind.
Read →2Compare
3Choose
How to determine blind fastener grip length, and order the right mix
Grip bands, dash-number units, bonded-stack variance, the straddle problem, and ordering with margin.
Read →Decoding AN, MS, NAS, NASM & OEM part numbers
What the prefixes mean, how a dash number encodes size, and when an OEM spec (BAC/ASNA) supersedes the rest.
Read →4Order
The sourcing reality: lead times & distributors
Why a spec-compliant fastener can still be the wrong choice: lead times, per-grip pricing and certs.
Read →eBay and surplus fasteners: when they are OK
A cited decision table: unacceptable for type-certificated work and CoC purchase orders, possible with the producer's CoC and sealed lot packaging, fine for tooling, fixtures, prototypes and experimental builds.
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