Flared Tube Rivet Tutorial

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I have the spring stock and lots of carbide drills, I will let you know how it goes if I don't have to work this weekend keeping America in cheap gasoline:rolleyes:
 
Well here is my tube flaring tool. A carbide drill wouldn't scratch them untill I used a propane torch to heat them up till they were purple. Then I drilled thru and flared one end of each a bit then peened the spring stock to hold my balls on,:eek:

Now all I have to do is finish one of the knives I started this weekend. Trying to profect an new idea on knives to film at 11 or in a week of two maybe.
 

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I saw mine and grind the ends flat to match the scales. If you uses a rolling type tubing cutter you will swell the ends a bit and push some metal to the center. Roller cutters ( I have used them from tiny to ones that would work on 8" pipe) actually work more by displacement than "cutting" the edge of the sharp roller or rollers pushes the metal in and to the sides. If you use one tighten it slowly as you make your turns and it will keep it to a minimum. You will still need to ream out the center and if you mic the od you will find that it is larger near the cut than say 3/8" away
 
Has anyone tried this on brass tubing? I have some I've been using and flaring with a punch, but this technique is not that great. I would also like to compliment you on the knife itself. I love the look of an all black knife with just a small shiny edge.
 
me2 said:
Has anyone tried this on brass tubing? I have some I've been using and flaring with a punch, but this technique is not that great. I would also like to compliment you on the knife itself. I love the look of an all black knife with just a small shiny edge.
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I use brass tubing. I flare them using ball bearings and tape.
 
I tried this technique today for the first time. I used brass tubing that has an O.D. of 3/16" and some wood screws that I had left over. I did skip the countersinking the tube step, and one of the tubes cracked a little bit, but just enough for me to notice. I also did it in one step. I didnt have a larger screw head. I think I should have countersunk the handle a little more/deeper, but oh well, there will definately be a next time. I would probably have needed the second step if the countersink had been deeper. I had the handle cut from an old piece of walnut cabinet, split the piece in 2 for scales, attached and rough shaped in less than an hour, without having to work any leftover epoxy, which takes forever for me. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for an excellent technique that gives a very secure handle without worrying about the epoxy letting go of the pins and the handle falling off. The knife is a practice paring knife of M2 HSS and Walnut handles, in case anyone was wondering.
 
The balls don't work for me. :o I prefer screws. I tried balls for the first time and they split the tubing, the tubing also didn't flare evenly.

#8 wood screw heads from OSH work well (in 1 step). Bring your 1/4" tubing to the store to check the fit. The screw should slip into the tube and stop right at the taper.

Use oil, it prevents splitting. No oil, use olive oil or cooking oil. Anything is better than doing it dry.

Countersink the scales approx. 4-5 mm from the surface if using 1/4" scales (which are recommended). Make sure the tubing is either exactly flush with the scales or 1 mm less on either side. Check to ensure that the tubing is centered before putting on the squeeze.

P.S. Tried brass before, but I like stainless steel now. It's stronger. 1/4" 303 stainless steel brake lines on ebay work well, wall thickness 0.035".

Hope this helps! :)
 
Thanks a million for posting this thread. I wanted to try this style of rivet, I like your Scagle-ish ommission of epoxy and a tight drive fit:D
 
I've had success with 3/16" scales too. I just eyeball the countersink to what I think I need. As long as it is deep enough and consistent, I think that's all that matters.
-John
 
I would always flare the brass tubing I used on my Vorpal series knives. I annealed the tubing and left it 0.200" longer than the thickness of the handle at that point. Annealing is important or the tubing will often split. Both the scales and the tang were finished BEFORE the handles were attached... and the sharp edge of the tang was broken on a buffer. With glue in place I used a pair of custom made rivetting dies in a kick-press to flare the tubing, then tapped it flat onto the handle surface using a very light touch with a two ounce engraver's hammer. A quick buff with black compound on a sisal wheel took off the hammer marks and left the flared "rivet" as a raised circle on top of the finished handle. It made a wonderful pivot for flipping the knife around and forms a positive mechanical connection to the handle. The glue just fills any tiny gap. (Dudley Dawkins photo)
 

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I know this is a old thread but I am in the process of changing scales on my Busse and need some guidance. If you could repost this so the pictures work
 
Resurrecting an old thread won't make pictures that have been deleted by the poster come back.
Thread closed.
 
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