The issue is to seal the joint between the bolsters and the blade. The pin holes will be sealed fully when peened.
Here is a simple procedure:
Drill the bolsters to a snug fit for the pins. Use a tapered reamer, or a countersink ( I like a reamer) and enlarge the holes a bit. Drill the tang for a loose fit on the pins....it must be loose or the peening may raise the bolsters off the tang. Spread a very thin layer of epoxy on the tang area, staying away from the pin holes. Carefully set the bolsters in place and insert the pins, leaving some sticking out on both sides. Clamp the bolsters , wipe off the squeeze out, and set aside to cure. File the pins, leaving about 1/2 the diameter sticking above the surface on both sides ( 1mm for 2mm pins). Slowly and gently peen one side, then the other, until the pins are mushroomed fully. Increase the force as the pins fill the holes tight. File the excess and sand. it should be nearly invisible if the pin and bolster are the same metal. Putting epoxy between the tang and the bolsters, to seal the joint from water invasion, is a good idea. Super thin CA will wick in,too, but the water resistance of CA is not as good as epoxy.
BTW, if you make the tang hole a tight fit, the expanding pin will make a tiny bulge on both sides of the tang ,and lift the bolster up a fraction of an inch. No amount of pounding will get it all the way down.
Stacy
