-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
bolsters!!!
- Thread starter royboy
- Start date
well gonna try my first set of bolsters today.they can be a pain huh.any good suggestion would be helpful.thanks royboyHere's how I do it. First I cut out two identical wedges of bolster material. Usually 1/4"stock 1/2"-3/4" wide at the top and tapering on one side down to about 1/4" at the bottom and just long enough to reach all the way across the tang. Next I flat grind the sides that will be touching the knife either on a platten or on the disc sander. Then stick the flat sides together using 1 drop of super glue. Now you can grind the outside down on the platten or disc untill both pieces are exactly the same. Take an old very thin pocket knife blade and tap it between the bolsters to seperate them. Clamp one side where you want it on the blade and drill through the holes in the blade. Stick pins in the holes to hold the bolster from wiggling and clamp on the other side lining it up from every direction. Now pull the pins and drill through the other way. Taper the holes very slightly by hand turning an old wood spade bit tip in the holes. Place the pins through the holes and peen in the usual manner. Hope I havent got you all messed up now. It's really quite simple.
Good Luck
Leonard
Good Luck
Leonard
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2000
- Messages
- 266
Howdy There Royboy...!
I have a couple of things that might help. Do as must shaping of your bolsters before you attach them to the blade. The reason for this is that you will need to countersink the holes for your bolster pins just a few thousands, this will give you a good "seat" area when you pien them. So when you do your finish shaping you will only remove a very small amount of material and your bolster pins should disappear. If this doesn't make sense send me an email ad will explain in more detail. Good Luck..!
Later "Possum"
I have a couple of things that might help. Do as must shaping of your bolsters before you attach them to the blade. The reason for this is that you will need to countersink the holes for your bolster pins just a few thousands, this will give you a good "seat" area when you pien them. So when you do your finish shaping you will only remove a very small amount of material and your bolster pins should disappear. If this doesn't make sense send me an email ad will explain in more detail. Good Luck..!
Later "Possum"
- Joined
- Oct 9, 1998
- Messages
- 1,767
If you want to make the pins invisible, make sure you use pin material that is the same as the bolster material. Not all brasses are the same, and not all stainlesses are the same. If you use 360 brass for the bolster, use 360 brass for the pin. Also, do not pein lightly, otherwise it won't expand to fill the entire gap. Let your pins stick out about 1/8" on each side. Then beat the living heck out of the pins with the hammer, until they sort of flatten. I've done that to my bolsters, and I can't find the pins after sanding them down... even in bright light.