On 02 May 2011, John Francis in Oxfordshire, UK, wrote:
"I think I have discovered the correct tool for forming the splash plate rivets. The rivets were most likely made in Aylesbury UK by the bifurcated rivet company www.bifandtub.co.uk/about-us. The company used to make 100 million rivets per day! I spoke to someone at the company and although they stopped making rivets years ago there was still someone who knows how to form them. The tool is shown in the photo and uses a foot operated press. That allows the hands to be kept free for holding the work".

"The person who is now self employed and nearly retired, formed my rivets in about 30 minutes. The shape is not perfect because the rivets are not the same as the originals and maybe the tool form was not exactly as deep as the original. However the principle is the same".

Photo left: New rivets with square tips set flat (incorrect). Original panel and rivets with original curved form tips. Center above: Correct original form for the split rivet (notice rounded tips). Right above: Original tin box for the "B&TR" Aylesbury No. 9 rivets (about 1/8 inch diameter). B&TR had their own size designation system that does not relate to any other products (a non-standard standard).

Inside the tin are the instructions for DIY rivet setting, i.e.:
"Drive the Rivets through the material into a board or the end of a block of wood, which will receive the tips of the prongs. Turn the material over, rest the head of Rivet on a smooth iron or solid surface, spread the prongs and then hammer smooth. Care should be taken to select Rivets to suit thickness of goods to be mended. A Rivet 1/16th inch longer than the thickness of material for hard leather, and 1/8th inch longer for spongy leather will give good results".

Those instructions would be for punching the rivet through a piece of leather and setting it without using any washer. End result would be flattened ends, not curled. The MGA splash seal application is entirely different.

To make your own tool for curling the split rivets, see TS-216 in the Tools section.

At 02:27 PM 8/17/2016 -0400, Jim Cheatham - in Amelia, VA wrote:
"I bought one of the split rivet setting tools shown on your website to attach the splash guard seals. After a short learning curve, it works very well. I bought some brass washers as backers. Turned out pretty well".