Pop Rivets are fixings similar in application to nuts and bolts.  They are made up of a tubular body and a separate mandrel stem.

To use a rivet, simply place the rivet in a drilled hole (the same size as a rivet), and a using a special tool or gun pull the mandrel stem back through the tubular body back through the mandrel stem leaving one side smooth, whilst the other has a bulge holding two or more panels together.

Pop Rivets were originally invented by Carl Cherry & Lou Huck and can be easily installed by an individual.  They are called blind rivets as they can be installed from one side of the application. 

Rivets of this type are not as strong as other types, however structural rivets are available which offer higher tensile and shear strengths.

Simple Instructions for installing pop rivets

1.  Drill hole through both objects needing application.

2.  Insert Pop Rivet into the rivet tool

3.  Push the Pop Rivet into the hole of the application

4.  Squeeze the trigger of the rivet tool a number of times until you hear and feel a pop.  The tool has snapped the mandrel from the end of the rivet and the rivet is now set.