Need help with 416 stainless

L

lightman

Joined
Dec 8, 1999
Messages
36
Can anyone tell me what 416 stainless steel is used for. I have a few bars and think it to be too soft to hold an edge. I am planning to use it for guards or bolsters. Is this the propper use for this steel?
Thank you for your help,
Cliff
 
Lightman, you're right, it's too soft for blades. Most makers use it for the accessories like you plan on, and also for folder frames, especially where milling is involved. As in interframes or integrals. Take care! Michael

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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"

 
Countersink the top of the pin holes. That allows the pins to expand more keeps you from having a a ring around the head of the pin when you finish it.
 
True, countersinking pin holes works, but don't overbuff, or the rings show back up. 416 is the prefered material for bolsters that are going to be engraved too.

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I love my country! I just don't trust my government!
 
Thank's for your help, I'll remember to countersink. I will have to get some 416 pins.
Cliff
 
416 is also heat treatable tho not needed, if you do it, it will increase the resistance to corrosion somewhat and make it harder to scratch with sheath wear etc
Have a Safe and Happy New Year And God Bless Gary
 
i'm going with 304 stainless, is it easy to work, or should i also go with 416. i'm done with nickle silver. stuff's to easily scratched, costs to much, and stainless is brighter.
 
I've worked with both 304 and 416, and find the 416 a little easier to work with and polish, but not huge amounts of difference there. If you plan (or even suspect) that you or a purchaser may want the bolsters engraved, go with 416. The people who do engraving recomend it, and some won't even touch 304.

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I love my country! I just don't trust my government!
 
I'm a little confused about the countersinking for pins through bolsters. Yes, I know what countersinking is but just so that I'm 100% clear (I'm a bit slow
smile.gif
), are you guys saying that, when drilling a hole in a bolster, the outward facing holes hould be opened up a bit wider than the pin's diameter?

If so are the pins meant to be forceably tapped (peened?) into said hole so that they expand and fill out the hole?

I assume this is *not* the case for softer materials like micarta and stabilized wood?

I'm a beginner, so please forgive such basic questions... I'm just about to try my first bolsters...

Jon
 
Yea, for your bolsters, you can drill them, countersink the outside just a little bit, and then either bed them in JB Weld and put in the pins, clip off to 1/8 extra and pein the pins tight, or you can skip the JB Weld do the pins and then solder the bolsters, or some people just use pins alone. I use JB Weld for kitchen and filet knives and such to cut down on cost, but silver solder higher end knives.

A Hint; if you use epoxy under your bolsters, take a dremel tool or something and grind a slight hollow on the inside of the bolsters and the blade under them, leave it rough and allow the epoxy to fill it so that it doesn't all get squeezed out when you pein the pins. Just be sure to keep your grinding inside the finished edges of the bolster.

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I love my country! I just don't trust my government!
 
I countersink the holes fo my pins in softer materials also. This allows me to expand the pins more without having to worry about it splitting the handle material.Its the same idea as a nail or a screw. The head of the nail or screw is wider than the shaft. That way whatever your trying to hold together doesn't just slide right off the end.I hope that makes sense, maybe someone else can explain it better.

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Fix it right the first time, use Baling Wire !
 
i peen the pins also, especially in bolsters. i use alot of exotic woods, such as desert ironwood, cocobolo, and ebony, these will crack easily if you peen them to tightly, so drill out the holes a little large, and contersink into the wood. just a little bit. i use stainless steel for pins, becuase they don't bend as easily as nickle silver. for bolsters, i epoxy the bolsters with the pins in the holes, but i don't peen them while the epoxy is setting up. i wait until' it dries to peen them. i suggest using metal bond epoxy for bolster attaching, it dries quick and is flexible enough so you can peen the pins afterward without worrying about breaking the seal.
 
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