How do you seal peened bolsters?

Sando

Sando

Knife Maker
Joined
Jul 4, 2002
Messages
1,148
Well?

I figure there are the following:

  1. Do nothing
  2. Add something after peening like Loctite or thin super glue
  3. Solder
  4. Apply epoxy or something before assembly

I'd like to use #4, but I don't know if the whatever, will seep into the pin holes and ruin the finishing work.

Steve
 
It is stainless, but really nobody seals them?

Hmmm.... I use loctite after assembly. Sure doesn't hurt!

But I thought somebody soldered.

Steve
 
Steve,
Not sure I understand what you mean. Where do you put the locktite? Are you using a tapered pin reamer for the holes in the bolsters, or just bashing and mushrooming the heads?
If the flats where the bolsters and blade meet are really flat, and the holes are lined up properly, and you hammer the pins down into a tapered hole, with matching pin material, they should disappear and no need for further bonding.
 
Not sure what you mean. Are you using rod stock for pins? After you peen sand the the bolster until it's smooth. The mushroomed pin expands to hold the bolster on.
Scott
 
I mash the $*(& out of them pins, and it's all perfectly smooth and flat, etc.

I'm not talking about sealing the pins to the bolster. I'm talking about sealing the bolsert and the tang seam.

Loctite isn't there to hold anything on! The Loctite I'm using is ultrathin. Probably thinner than water. After the bolster work is all done I put some loctite on the leading edge of the bolster right at the tang and it gets sucked right up! Capillary action they call it.

I'll agree that a well peened pin will form a water tight seal. But I can't believe that the joint between the bolster and the tang is water tight - no matter how hard you pound.

Steve
 
BTW there are two purposes for loctite. One is to increase the torque . The other is to seal the threads so no water and air get in there so corrode stuff. That's what I'm talking about when I say 'Sealing'.

Steve
 
Sando said:
It is stainless, but really nobody seals them?

Hmmm.... I use loctite after assembly. Sure doesn't hurt!

But I thought somebody soldered.

Steve
Click to expand...

I don't use anything under them.
Soldering bolsters is a bad idea as flux will leach to the out side of the bolster/blade sometime in the future, guaranteed. You can't neutralize it under there, and it starts to corrode. It really looks bad when that happens. :eek:
 
Sando said:
I'm not talking about sealing the pins to the bolster. I'm talking about sealing the bolsert and the tang seam.
Steve
Click to expand...
JB Weld. I only put it on the edges and keep it away from the pins so the pins don't pick any up when I insert them to get ready for peining. If the pins get any JB Weld on them, you get that dang black ring showing where the pin is.
 
What Trace said...if I use anything at all.

On my guards I do the Terry Primos tried and trued JB Weld seal. Works like a dream. I HATE solder! (Unless it is the hard stuff for a tang nut, thanks Dan!)

Craig
 
The information posted by Kit, above, is the proper way to install bolsters.

The end result is to have no visible lines showing between blade, and bolsters, and the pins likewise invisible.
It should look like an integral knife.
You can't achieve that look if you are smearing slop in between the blade, and bolster.
 
Damn Mike. I need practice getting mine to look integral :D :D
I have found that I will need to use my wire drill bits to get the holes just big enough then ream them a little bigger. I had too much slop in the initial holes so I used a little spray glue to hold them in place. I have read where this will form a seal as well. Looks pretty good but I will try to acheave the integral look in my future efforts.
 
When I pin bolsters I use 1/8" pin stock, drill 1/8" holes in the tang and bolster. I take the 1/8" rod and sand it so it goes in snug. Tap it in with a plastic mallet. I peen it to a good mushroom and then sand it on the platen until the pins disappear. The 90 degree area where the handle material and bolster meet is where the epoxy helps because I epoxy and pin my handles on.
Scott
 
blgoode said:
Damn Mike. I need practice getting mine to look integral :D :D
I have found that I will need to use my wire drill bits to get the holes just big enough then ream them a little bigger. I had too much slop in the initial holes so I used a little spray glue to hold them in place. I have read where this will form a seal as well. Looks pretty good but I will try to acheave the integral look in my future efforts.
Click to expand...

Look at what Kit wrote, again!:)
Use straight flute "taper pin reamers" after you drill your pin holes. You can get them at MSC, or other industrial/machine shop supply places.
Here's what I use;
1/8" = 2/0 taper pin reamer
3/32" = 4/0 ditto
1/16" = 6/0 ditto

Put some dykem down the holes so that when you ream them, you can see the depth of cut, and don't go all the way to the bottom. If you do go all the way, you will have trouble keeping the bolsters straight on both sides when you set the pins, as you wont be able to keep the bottom of all the holes the same size. They must be the pin size that you drilled for at the very bottom.

Just clean your pins, and bolsters, and set them like you normally would, making sure to give them enough muscle to fill the reamed holes, and you should be in business.
The bolsters will not come off after that, and hopefully you should get great results.

When you are setting the pins, and if you have done the rough cut bolsters correctly and left a bit of overhang at top, and bottom of the tang, smack the areas that overhangs(top, and bottom) a few times. That will make sure that it's right up against both sides of the tang when you finish grind.

There's no need to put substances in any of that to seal. All you will end up doing is contributing to a poor fit.

BTW, taper pin reamers mentioned above are the size of small drill bits, and not very expensive at all. I've had the same set for years.
Good luck!:D
 
I tried a couple with sealing the bolsters with JB Weld. I got lucky, and they looks great. I did the next one and it was a true disaster. Now all I do is make sure the mating surfaces are perfectly flat and reame the pin holes really well. So far, I have found brass, bronze, nickle, and mild stainless to be the best at acheiving a seamless and pinless look. I always apply wax afterwards, anyway, so any little seam will get filled no matter what.

Brian: You may want to experiment a little, but I think as long as you are etching your bolsters, you may not get the integral effect. Certain finishes will pop the pins and seams right out into plain view.
 
Thanks so much guys! Great information. Especially about hammering the edges for a seamless look. We always talk about making the pins disappear, that I don't think I ever considered making it look 'integral'. I always try for that as it is, but never thought you could get it to completely blend. I'll definately work towards that.

So, for me it'll be perfectly flat surfaces and getting the integral look. But, I'll still be putting in the loctite after its all done. Again not to hold anything together or to make up for a bad fit. It's simple, cheap, no harm and adds just that little extra water tightness.

Great info, again thanks.

Steve
 
This thread came in handy. Hope to get better with time! But I am pretty happy with this :D Looking forward to tommorow when the glue sets up ;)
gluedup.jpg
 
Nice picture, and good job on the pin job, too. I get the best fit I can, and use my old reliable Brownells Acra Glas gel on the parts. Pein the pins well, and the 'glas is just an insurance habit. It doesn't take much 'glas. I coat the pins and contact surfaces with the sticky stuff, and then pein. I used to solder the bolsters, but have found that a good pein and 'glas job really does the truck.
 
John,

Doesn't the 'glass get around the pins and make them show after finishing? Obviously not, but I thought it would.

Steve
 
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