Pinning handles

smitty0331

smitty0331

Joined
Dec 5, 2006
Messages
892
I'm putting a new handle on a straight razor, and I need a little help. I have the handle made, and the pin stock on hand, but how much longer than the razor do I cut the brass? Also, when pinning, do I just carefully pien one end a little, then do the other side, and just keep going back and forth untill it's at the right tension?
 
as i understand it, you are supposed to cut the pins so that they stick out the pin diameter on each side.(ex; 1/8" thick pin, have 1/8" hanging out on each side of the knife)

i have read that you should lock the pin up in a vise and pein one side first, then fit it in the knife and carefully pein the otherside, being careful of tension. once you get close, just carefully give it a tap and then test it, lather, rinse and repeat until you get the right tension.

never tried it on moving parts though, so take this with a grain of salt.
 
Great, thanks for the reply Siguy. Now that you mention it, I do seem to remember hearing that before, about the diameter of the pin. I don't remember hearing that you should pien one end first though, but it's a great idea. How do you affix your handles?
 
i've only done fixed blades so far, and i use pins (hollow or solid) plus epoxy to bond wood to steel. i use the pins mostly for reinforcement, i don't use any kind of mechanical fastener.

i am looking at making a folder or two, but i'm mostly feeling intimidated about the backspring...
 
Me too, in fact, I'm planning on starting my first fixed blade this weekend. Di you just pien your pins with a hammer, or do you use a puncf of some kind? I was thinking of using a 3/32 nail set for my 3/32 brass pins that I'm using in a straight razor that I'm re-handeling.
 
whenever i have peined anything, i use a cross pein hammer to spread the metal out first, then use a ball pein to even everything out, then a flat face hammer to flat the edges.

but remember the tension wasn't so important, as long as it was tight. if i were to do a folder, i think i would just start with the ball pein.

oh i forgot to mention;
countersink the holes so that when you pein the pins, they will fill in the funnel shape and hold really tight, and then you can file them flush to the surface and still have a strong hold.
 
What kind of handles are you putting on and are you using liners or just going with a traditional handle? one pin diameter on either end is good if you are using a domed head and spinning them down with a head spinner. If you are going to peen and then grind the pin down flush with the handles the you only need about half the diameter on each side. I use a ball peen hammer to peen down pins.
 
I do a lot of peening! About half my knives. After cutting the pin stock, I stick it through the hole and place one side of the handle flat on my little 15 pound shiny anvil. then I set the pin a bit. then over to the hardy hole to tap it down and flip, do the same thing. *I* generally file excess length away after peening one side and then peen the other, then just tighten up. But it works well on finer finishes to just keep flipping back and forth until you have what you want. then do the doming if you do. (easy way to do that is to cut a domer into the anvil face, and remember your blue tape)
 
Looks like I have a little reading up to do. I don't even know what a head spinner is, or a domer either. I thought the only way to do it is to cut a piece of round stock and pien it with a ball pien hammer. Are there other types of pins that can be bought?
 
I pein all of my straight blade handles. I have made a little jig out of a piece of loader bucket pin. Basically what it is, is a piece of 4" round stock that I cut off about 4-5" long. Then flattened both ends. This essentially made a small very in-expensive anvil. I then drilled some holes into the face of the anvil that are 5/32" diameter by 3/32" deep the diameter is not nearly as important as the depth.
When I go to pein my handle material. I put the underside over the hole and that automatically sets my length for the other side of my pin. That way your knife handle is laying flat and supported while you are peining it and there is no un-needed stress on the pin. After you have gotten the pein set on the top side just flip the knife over and move the pin away from the hole and do the other side.

This also works great for pinning bolsters onto blades. It helps to keep the fit nice and tight!

This is just my way of doing it !!

Steve
 
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