Loose pins?

[Jandlcustoms]

so I want to get into the world of making knives. I felt like a good starting position would be a knife kit from knifekits.com
I got it in today and it was a decent blank. I had to round some edges symmetrically and flatten some parts to match side to side. I expected as much buying a $30 kit. I also did my first go at filing the spine which I feel was decent!

However here is my question....the pins that came with it are super wobbly in the fit. There is no snugness at all between the pins and the metal. Is this how it’s supposed to be? Or are my pins to small? I’m not sure how to drill the holes through the scales if there’s that much play in the pins. I attached pictures to show how much they can move

 

[A.McPherson]

That’s how they should be.
When you stick your handle scales on, that wobble will give you a little wiggle room to get things lined up!

Just make sure your scales are drilled to the correct size for your pins.

 

[Jandlcustoms]

That’s how they should be.
When you stick your handle scales on, that wobble will give you a little wiggle room to get things lined up!

Just make sure your scales are drilled to the correct size for your pins.

My scales don’t have any holes yet that’s part of why I was stuck. I’m not 100% on how to drill them with so much movement. Do I drill to exact pin size?

 

[A.McPherson]

More or less. If you are going to pein your pins then you might want it slightly bigger, maybe 1letter size bigger. I use a letter F size for 1/4” holes.
Letter F is .2570.

 

[lanternnate]

For lining up your holes, I use the drill bit that fits the larger tang holes just to mark center. Lay your tang on the scale where you want then just by hand put the bit in the holes and twist a bit just to mark center. Now you can punch that mark to get a good start with the drill and using a bit that is exact to the pins (or just over if you want to peen) drill your holes. When you assemble the pins will be tight in the scales but you have some wiggle room in the tang to line up and not bind if you were slightly off. The epoxy will fill in around the pin in the tang.

 

[Natlek]

so I want to get into the world of making knives. I felt like a good starting position would be a knife kit from knifekits.com
I got it in today and it was a decent blank. I had to round some edges symmetrically and flatten some parts to match side to side. I expected as much buying a $30 kit. I also did my first go at filing the spine which I feel was decent!

However here is my question....the pins that came with it are super wobbly in the fit. There is no snugness at all between the pins and the metal. Is this how it’s supposed to be? Or are my pins to small? I’m not sure how to drill the holes through the scales if there’s that much play in the pins. I attached pictures to show how much they can move

View attachment 950325 View attachment 950326

I think that they do that with reason...............That way you can PUSH scale in bolsters to get tight fit on that side ........... Do as @lanternnate suggest

 

[Del Raso Knives]

You are right to question the fit, if you were drilling the tang yourself you would match the pin size more closely. Personally I would find new pin stock closer in diameter to the tang holes. That amount of slop may leave you with an unsightly glue line should the scales move during glue up. I also don’t recommend you peen a pin of that size, you are bound to crack your scales. That my story and I’m sticking to it.

 

[olymon]

I would make a clamp that has a two 2 x 4's . one with threaded rod fixed to it with some nuts and the other with through holes in it so that the rod can slide in it. clamp your scales on with some C clamps and then clamp the whole knife in the 2 x 4 clamp so that positive pressure is made on the ends of the scales to force them tight up against the finger guard. Slowly tighten the 2 x 4 clamp with the C clamp holding the scales tight to the sides. To not over tighten either clamp. I like to put a couple of layers of wax paper on the clamp surfaces to make sure it all comes apart easily.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

You guys sure make things hard!
Glue one scale in place. Once cured, drill through it.
Glue other scale in place. Once cured, drill through first scale into second scale.
Chamfer holes slightly. Put pins in place and peen lightly with a very small hammer. You want to peen the ends only-not try to swell the pin shaft.

 

[Jandlcustoms]

You guys sure make things hard!
Glue one scale in place. Once cured, drill through it.
Glue other scale in place. Once cured, drill through first scale into second scale.
Chamfer holes slightly. Put pins in place and peen lightly with a very small hammer. You want to peen the ends only-not try to swell the pin shaft.

That does seem way easier! I was trying to figure out how to attach the scales but not permanently so I could switch back but that makes sense to me!

 

[JTknives]

I make the holes in my tang a nice snug fit for the pins. I want to pins to accurately index the scales in place so I can finish the blade and scales separate and then glue up. Much cleaner this way. But if thy are sloppy like that then A find larger pin stock or B just do like what said above. Drill one side at a time.

 

[AVigil]

That does seem way easier! I was trying to figure out how to attach the scales but not permanently so I could switch back but that makes sense to me!

I use a drop of super glue to attach one scale then drill holes, another drop of super glue on the other side for the second scale and drill through the holes in the first scale.
Then a quick tap on the scales to remove them.

I then finish up the face of the scale and they are good to glue with epoxy when ready

 

[Horsewright]

For knives with out bolsters I'm pretty much the same as Adam, only I use a clamp instead of superglue. Clamp one side of your handle material to the tang, use the holes in the tang to drill handle material. Then clamp the two handle sides together (inside to inside) and use the holes in the first side to drill the second side. Finish fronts and glue up. Some drying:

Use your pins to index the two sides together before finishing your fronts. Do both at the same time and your arc of the front will be the same.

For knives with bolsters I pretty much do it as Bill suggested. Glue on one side of the handle material first. When dry, punch your holes, then glue on the other side and when dry, drill your holes. These three with ironwood have the right side glued on and are ready to be drilled. You would drill from the other side using the holes in the tang as a guide. I profile handle material and bolster material before drilling the holes.

A group with the left side handle materials and spacers ready to be glued on. Holes are drilled, handles and bolsters are profiled, bolster edges are trued with a file for glueing, tangs have been flattened and cleaned up on a 60 grit flat disc and holes drilled. Time to glue:

Drying, this is the right side with the left side handle materials on the bench behind. Each knife has a number on the left side of the blue tape as well, as spacer color and handle material. The left side handle material has the corresponding number on the inside, thats how I keep em straight:

Ready to drill:

Hope that helps.

 

[Drew Riley]

I don't agree that the tang holes "should" be that much larger than your handle pins. It's really not difficult to line up tang holes to a handle scale.

1. put a couple SMALL dots of CA glue on one scale.
2. Lay other scale on top, gluing both together
3. position blade tang on top of scale stack as needed and clamp into place
4.drill through tang holes and into/through both scales.
5. split scales apart, clean glue with acetone or denatured alcohol
6. deburr holes if needed

Scales will now line up perfectly and accurately.

 

[Maelstrom78]

You are right to question the fit, if you were drilling the tang yourself you would match the pin size more closely. Personally I would find new pin stock closer in diameter to the tang holes. That amount of slop may leave you with an unsightly glue line should the scales move during glue up. I also don’t recommend you peen a pin of that size, you are bound to crack your scales. That my story and I’m sticking to it.

Definitely. or bulge the pin and push the scale from the handle. Another scenario for a big glue line.

I definitely did that when I was learning how to peen metal bolsters on.

 

[Maelstrom78]

I don't agree that the tang holes "should" be that much larger than your handle pins. It's really not difficult to line up tang holes to a handle scale.

1. put a couple SMALL dots of CA glue on one scale.
2. Lay other scale on top, gluing both together
3. position blade tang on top of scale stack as needed and clamp into place
4.drill through tang holes and into/through both scales.
5. split scales apart, clean glue with acetone or denatured alcohol
6. deburr holes if needed

Scales will now line up perfectly and accurately.

The only things that I would add to this is that I shape the front of my scales while they are glued together. I then also CA dot the tang on the scales and drill a little into scales with the tang holes as a guide.

I remove the blade from the glued together scales and finish drilling the holes into a sacrificial piece of wood to help reduce tearout.

I use a razor blade to scrape the CA dots off and then a quick hand lap on the granite plate with 120 grit on it to remove the CA traces.

But I'm a noob compared to Horsewright and as you can see he has a good system that works!

 

[Drew Riley]

The only things that I would add to this is that I shape the front of my scales while they are glued together. I then also CA dot the tang on the scales and drill a little into scales with the tang holes as a guide.

I remove the blade from the glued together scales and finish drilling the holes into a sacrificial piece of wood to help reduce tearout.

I use a razor blade to scrape the CA dots off and then a quick hand lap on the granite plate with 120 grit on it to remove the CA traces.

But I'm a noob compared to Horsewright and as you can see he has a good system that works!

I shape the front as well, I just forgot to add that in. Good call.

 

[Natlek]

Guys , this is a knife kit .......So ask yourself who buy knife kits

 

[Jesenius]

Guys , this is a knife kit .......So ask yourself who buy knife kits

Does not matter. Order of steps are same.
Instead of CA glue I use carpet tape (sticky on both sides). Hold scale accurately on place and is easy to remove.