Easily tightening rivets on pots & pans

[jnw]

I had a couple pots and couple pans with loose rivets, to where the handles wobbled.

I fixed all four of these in less than 5 minutes.  They are as good as new now.

Tools needed:
1) Hammer
2) Lodge cast iron pan

Directions:  Lay cast iron pan flat on counter face down.  Take a pan, turn it on end and rest the exterior part of rivet on the surface of the bottom of the cast iron pan.  Hammer the rivet on the inside, very carefully taking care not to dent the pan.   The rivet on inside will flatten a bit as you hammer it, and tighten it right up.   It might take several hits.  I was very slow on upswings to take care not to hit other side of pot/pan.

I saw this tip on youtube from a couple people, but they suggested using a vice for the hard surface to hammer against.  I didn't have a vice so I got clever and used a lodge cast iron fry pan turned face down on my kitchen counter top.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpavumjIyJc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfZVNCKrVb8  (antoher way)

EDIT: The cookware I fixed were 4 very nice pieces of clad pots/pans.  One was solid copper  on the exterior, stainless on the interior. The other three were Cuisinart Multiclad Pro. 

[draco44]

Well done! Any repair done means resources saved and skilled gained.

[bill1827]

I wouldn't use cast iron as an anvil, it's brittle and quite easy to break with sharp impacts.

[jnw]

I wouldn't use cast iron as an anvil, it's brittle and quite easy to break with sharp impacts.

I thought about that before I chose to use it (I realize cast iron is brittle), that's why used thick Lodge cheap cast iron pan.  Hasn't broke in like 35 whacks now :)  I don't have an anvil and will continue to use it.  When I break it, I'll come back to this thread and reply, "I know you told me so."  :)

[Zamboni]

Well done! Isn't the internet amazing?

My other half got a glass lid stuck on a pan by letting it cool down with the lid tightly on top. Got super frustrated and irrational about it. Someone with fresh patience needed to step in.

A couple of swift baps on the side of the pan with a rubber hammer and the lid came ratting off into the sink. It didn't even break (although I was prepared to accept lid breakage to get my food, lol.)

[jnw]

I really dislike glass pot lids.  I had one implode on me when making some stock, shattered into a million little pieces ruining the stock. 

From now on I only buy stainless steel lids.   The glass ones also seem like they'd be more fo a bacteria trap all along the metal band around the glass.

Glad you worked it loose though :)

I have one pot left with glass lid, an 5 quart stock pot.. we'll see how long it lasts :)