Peening pins in stabilized wood

Balin

Balin

Joined
Sep 1, 2008
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62
I'm working on my first knife in a very :rolleyes: long time. I have the blank profiled out of ATS 34, and have ordered a couple of stabilized burl scales sets. One in walnut burl and one in curly Koa. Which I use depends on my seeing them. I am planning on using either .250 stainless pins, or .250 dia. mosaic pins. My question, how do I peen the pin to fill the thru hole in the scale without cracking the scale in the process? The idea "be careful" comes to mind.

One idea I have is to use a gently tapered reamer to angle a slighly conical section in the top 1/3rd. to 1/2 of the scale's thru hole, and provide some room for the pin material to fill

Would a softer pin material (something like Nickle Silver) be better suited?

If anyone can assist with some advice to a newbie, I'd appreciate it very much!

Balin
Pithy tag line goes here, when I think of one...
 
Looking forward for that knife...
I didn't work on stabilized scales before. I always tempted to peen the scale pins and most of the time there was a crack... If the handle is meaty you may be successful... I dont peen the wood pins lately, I cut grooves on the pins to better epoxy hold, it works as far as I know. If you want you may use Loveless or Corby without the fear of cracking...

Emre
 
Hello there. I peen the pins on pretty much all of my knives. I think the way you described doing it will work. Find some way to make the holes in the wood material slightly tapered, but don't over-do it. It was only when I made the holes too big that I ended up over-compensating by more peening and thus cracking the scale. Plus over-peening can result in the pin itself deforming so much it cracks the head. I'm kind of a newbie myself, but I hope this will help you out in some way.
 
I suggest you use the nickel silver. I have peined a lot of stainless steel pins and they are brutal to do.
 
You can not peen mosaic pins....just so you know.
NS is good...use the taperd reamer.
Mace
 
I personally don't peen any pins anymore. I used to, but had problems with cracking. If you peen and the fit is extremely tight, but didn't crack the scales, they may crack at a later date if the handle material swells. With stabilized wood, this isn't an issue though. I've made about 300 knives now and probably peened the first 50 or so. I've never had an issue with scales coming loose if I didn't peen the pins, thus the reason that I don't peen pins anymore.

A good epoxy is what is holding the scales on anyhow. The pins merely keep the scales from popping off if the scale experiences a shearing force, such as the knife being drop and hitting on the edge of the scales. Without pins, it might pop off, but with pins, the scale can't move laterally, and won't shear the epoxy joint.
 
scottickes said:
I personally don't peen any pins anymore. I used to, but had problems with cracking. If you peen and the fit is extremely tight, but didn't crack the scales, they may crack at a later date if the handle material swells. With stabilized wood, this isn't an issue though. I've made about 300 knives now and probably peened the first 50 or so. I've never had an issue with scales coming loose if I didn't peen the pins, thus the reason that I don't peen pins anymore.
Click to expand...

2nd. attempt at a reply. Forgive me if any duplicates post to this thread.

Scott, so you just drill a slight clearance hole (.001 - .002 oversize) thru all and fill with epoxy? Or, do you drill a light interference hole in the tang material .0005 to .001 press fit and press the pin in place? I assume a .002 - .005 clearance hole should be sufficient thru the scales?

I am understanding the pin does nothing to fasten the scales on the axial direction of the pin. It is simply in place for assembly alignment and shear. Just provide enuf' epoxy to fill any gap, and that's all that is needed. :confused:

Sorry to be remedial, its late.
Balin
Pithy tag line goes here, when I think of one...
 
Balin said:
I am understanding the pin does nothing to fasten the scales on the axial direction of the pin. It is simply in place for assembly alignment and shear. Just provide enuf' epoxy to fill any gap, and that's all that is needed. :confused:
Click to expand...

It is right. The only problem would be the pin, If you dont offer a clearance or you glue a polished pin there your pin would come loose. I drill an exact same diameter drill, then I taper the hole from bottom (I mean the hidden part of the scale) with a slight over sized drill about half way through. This way when I finish the handle there is no epoxy seen around the pin, looking like peened ...
Emre
 
I you want to pein stainless pins use the fully annealed pins from Tracy Mickley(Midwest Knife Supply). They are a snap to pein. I use a 20 degree burr from dremel for my slipjoints, countersink 1/32" or so and pein away. The metal moves easily and practice makes perfect. Materials like pearl are the trickiest because they are most brittle. Wood should be no problem unless the hole is very near the edges...a no no. Stone would probably be tricky too..but I have no experience there.
 
I have never had a pin let go that was epoxied or super glued in come loose.
I've got a kitchen knife I made in the 70's and lord only knows how many times its soaked in the dish water no effect. I always peen if possible but if a handle material is suspect to crack good fits and a clean glue job will usually do it
 
I use stainless rods made from 304 that I got at a welding shop. It comes in various diameters and is annealed. I work mostly with 3/32 and 1/8 inch rods.

Cut the pinstock just slightly wider than the thickness of the knife handle.

Drill out the holes of your handle material and run the drill bit back and forth through the handle on the drill press a few times to really clean out the holes. This will make it easier to insert the rod after and reduce the chances of cracking.

Glue up the scales and insert the rods, and carefully press them on using a vice. Then tap them in gently the rest of the way so that the rod sticks out of the handle on both ends.

Now clamp the handle and sandwich the scales and steel together, and there should be epoxy seeping out from seams.

Let the epoxy set up, then on an anvil carefully lightly peen the ends of the pin. Lay the handle onto the anvil so that the pin rests on the anvil and peen the topside of the pin. Turn the knife over and do the other pin. Repeat until all pins are peened.

Grind off excess pin until the pin is flush with the scales, then finish up the handle.
 
i peen every single pin on every single knife i make, 3/32,1/8,1/16, and mostly use nickle silver and bronze, nick silv. is bad for alot of things, but excellent pin material. keep the stainless for guards.

i use it in stabilized and un stabilized woods,bone, coral,micarta etc.... and all i do is take a counter sink meant for a drill press, and by hand give it a few twists in the handle material. just enough to create a head on pin then peen it over.

i crack maybe 1 of 30 , maybe less if im on a roll. (knock on wood) no pun intended.
my opinion, the key is to use a very small hammer, and just tap tap, tap, slow and with motive. i mean when i peen a pin, i watch the material move and guide it where i want it, you cant just stick the pin in and whale the hell out of it , with no motive, and then wonder why the material cracked. watch the metal , swell it up with the flat face of the hammer ,then guide it around the countersink with the tip of the peen hammer and peen it over.

andrew takach
 
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