Using fasteners, strips and bases

Students may have difficulty using the fasteners. Here are some tips:

To get the rivets into the holes in the pegboard, it sometimes helps to push them through with the back of a pencil or marker, or to get them started then push them the rest of the way through by placing the base or link on the desk top with the rivet head on the desk. To get rivets out, push the base down on the desk then pull the mechanism off the base. Do the same with the rivets connecting the links: push the link down on the desk to pop the head of the rivet up.
The easier fastener to use is the brass paper fastener. This is secured by folding the legs outward. However, paper fasteners are not as tight as the rivets, and the opened legs can interfere with other moving parts.
If students become frustrated with the rivets or the paper fasteners, suggest that they try the other.

Force and motion