Blind rivets are tubular with a mandrel in the middle. The rivet assembly is inserted into a hole drilled through the parts to be connected and a specially designed tool is used to pull the mandrel into the rivet. This expands the blind end of the rivet and the mandrel then snaps off. Unlike solid rivets, blind rivets can be inserted from only one side of a part or structure, "blind" to the opposite side, and fully installed into a joint.