What are these pins for that I keep finding in the steel cabinets

cabinets

I keep finding these pegs in the steel cabinets I just bought for my garage. During the process of assembly and every time I move them, new ones keep appearing inside the cabinets.

Do they serve a purpose or are they a byproduct of the manufacturing process?

Best Answer

They are the remnants from the rivets used to hold the pieces of steel together. Each rivet contains a piece that holds the metal together and a piece that looks similar to a finish nail. When the "nail like" piece is pulled by the riveting tool it distorts the head then breaks off.

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Pop Rivet set tool grips shank, draws ball head up through tube rivet to expand it till it bottoms out and breaks at neck inside tube rivet.