How about a rivet measurer then!!
Seriously though as with so many things compromise is the name of the game. I am aware of the fact that the rivets are a bit on the big side however as I started with a kit (Say nothing Bryan) and the hull was partly riveted I had only two alternatives, namely strip off all the original ones and start again or continue in a manner that matches the original kit.
Obviously I chose the latter. Not perfect but lets also put this into context, this is the first time I have ever made a working model boat such as this so everything I do is a learning experience. Yes the rivets are a bit on the big side but there are very few who will notice. Also when I compare my finishes with a number of examples of the same kit completed without the added detail do I think it looks better for having them or not? Of course I do.
There is no doubt in my mind it was worth doing and the overall effect is far better for it.
As for understatement vs overstatement, I have to disagree I'm afraid. Most of the effects applied to plastic models are to enhance the situation to make things stand out. We apply washes to enhance shadow, we apply dry brush techniques to enhance highlights, we use slightly differrent shades of paint to enhance surface textures, all of which are designed to emphasise the differrences of shade and texture. It depends on what you are doing and the way you want it to appear when finished. Talk to anyone who paints figures about enhancement, that is the very essence of how they achieve thier realism.
At the end of the day it is horses for courses. My model is going to be quite significantly weathered and I want all the detail I can get on the surface to allow the paint techniques to bring them out.
As for a 1" rivet head, at 1/35th scale that is nearly 30 thou or 0.75 mm. That just wasn't enough of a differrence to strip all the existing rivets off the kit and start again.