Domed pins - Any tips or techniques

Rhidian

Rhidian

Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
181
I'm wondering how to achieve nice domed pins for fixed blades and folders. Can anyone offer some advise or tips on how they achieve good smooth results?

Thanks very much!
Rhidian
 
After you have neatly peined the pin .....get yourself some clear acetate or something similar and in different thicknesses. Punch a hole the same size as the pin. Cut a piece about an inch square with the hole roughly centered. Tape to your knife with hole over pin. Sand. It will be a perfectly domed, sanded pin, no damage to surrounding material and you can see what you are doing.


John
 
there's been some treads on this a while ago with some good info.
Something I found out: don't dome pinns with a larger diameter. It doesn't look good.
I made a kitchenknife with two domed pinns app. 1/8" (before doming)
I am now filing the heads off and plan to leave them as plain pinns.

5/64 makes a large domed pinn
 
Domed pins were traditionally peened, then buffed in different directions to smooth and dome them. This is the method I usually use.
Sometimes this is impractical, so I have made a series of cup punches that can be used to dome peened pins.
"Spinning" pins is another option, but it leaves a finish that is generally undesireable unless you are doing restoration work that requires this look.
 
There is no better way than the old ball peen hammer going round the head flaring it over and rounding it off to a nice look. I have some knives done by others that are spun and they can be okay if they are done centered well but many skip off one side and as Bill said they get unsightly if they dig into the handle material or bolster just to get the head wider than the hole. Part of peening is to fit the pin better and tighter all the way down that part of the stem that stands out tho and what you get is a nice tight fit and a pinned slip joint or other folder with a great resistance to side to side movement. All my favorite slip joints including the one I did with Great Eastern Cutlery last year in the GEC Electricians knife are domed pins at my request. They simply work and hold up. You can see my videos of my own carry folder tearing into walls sawing away and I've used it a ton since those videos. It has no side to side play and says give me more so doming the head on the pivot anyway is a good idea on a real user. I don't know about the rest of you but I've never ever owned a regular flush finished pinned folder that didn't develop side to side play shortly after really using it. This has been the case for Spyderco pinned FRN folders like the Delica and Calypso Jr. and also for custom and manufactured pinned folders in the traditional styling like the old electricians I carried of yesteryear, and the old Schrade Walden 80T all of which to this day have blades with side to side play from normal use.

For what it is worth the small old timer ball peen hammers and a good jewelers vice are all you need to do great domed pins.
 
I use ball peen punches, I find I miss less that way. I have started using a flat punch for theater little bit to bring the head right to the handle material. I think I learned these tips from Nick. I use my blade vise and a small piece of RR track sitting on my bench for the "anvil" I can spin everything around so only the head of the pin is resting on the anvil. Oh, I head on side in a little rivet header I made.
 
Use one of these and it will make peen pins much easier

41-dJbsvBtL._SX425_.jpg



http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846
 
These are good tips. Thanks. Sounds like the peening hammer is the most common, for good reason. Putting a hole in acetate to keep scales clean and from getting scratched is a good one I'll be trying. I'm using camel bone on a folder so keeping it clean is a challenge.
 
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