Proudly dommed pins.

[ron_m80]

I have a lot of failed attempts in the garage at the moment. Maybe they deserve their own thread someday.

I still have yet to complete a knife I have made. I have an easier design I would like to try but I want to present the pins proudly on the scales.

Other than using 1/8" pin stock, how do you dome them nice and proudly?

I was thinking of drilling a recess in a cratex tool.

Thank you for your time.
ron

 

[Cody Hofsommer]

Well I usually use 3/32" pins and leave them .025 long. I took a center punch and domed it like a ball pein hammer, and pollished it. Using a light hammer, with the other end of the pin resting on a railroad track anvil, tap the pin all the way round. The hard part for me it to get it domed to the handle without making dimples in it. If I want it pollished, I will punch a hole with my leather punch in several layers of scotch tape, and put it around the domed pin and then polish it on a buffer. If its a light wood, it will darken from the buffing. I usually dome one end before I glue, so I only have to worry about one side. I usually still have to do some work on that side, but not to much. I have tried spinning heads, works great until it doesn't. If it slips off, then you have a mess to fix. Maybe I was doing it wrong, but it wasn't worth it to me.

 

[William Schrade]

I've never tried it but I remember someone telling me an allen set screw is con vexed on the bite end and can be used in a drill press as a rivet spinner.

 

[Shaw Blades]

Just to be clear, you rounded the center punch and polished it? Not hollow the tip out into a little cup? Can you post a picture of how you rig up the knife to be held while you peen it?

 

[Patrice Lemée]

Don't have the link but you can find the technique and tools in one of Nick's (Wheeler) thread. He said that he now uses a flat punch instead of the domed one because it is too ease to punch the edge of the punch in the handle material when using the domed punch.

 

[Cody Hofsommer]

Don't have the link but you can find the technique and tools in one of Nick's (Wheeler) thread. He said that he now uses a flat punch instead of the domed one because it is too ease to punch the edge of the punch in the handle material when using the domed punch.

That's where I learned it from, but didn't know about that flat punch! Good to know. I'll try to get pics of the way I hold it. I use my blade vice and a piece of track. Nick had some gadget to hold it, imagine that! This was just laying there and has worked good for me. I'll try to get some pics later.

 

[Shaw Blades]

Yeah I really like the gadgets but as much shop time as I get (hardly any) I'd rather focus on the immediate task instead of making a gadget. Depends on my mood too.

Thanks Cody.

 

[Cody Hofsommer]

NOTE! This isn't a domed pin! Just something I had in the vice. The punch is the same one that I use to fix my guard fit. You know, when you pein around the hole to take up a little gap.

 

[Cody Hofsommer]

With the slightly round face of the RR track, I can position it so only the pin head is touching it.

 

[Shaw Blades]

Appreciate your efforts in posting this. Straightforward enough.

NOTE! This isn't a domed pin! Just something I had in the vice. The punch is the same one that I use to fix my guard fit. You know, when you pein around the hole to take up a little gap.

 

[ron_m80]

Thank you all. I will look for the Nick wheeler thread.

Allen set screws are typically pretty convexed on the bottom end. good idea.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I use a head-spinner in the drill press sometimes ( after roughly peening the heads). Most of the time, I use cup burrs in the right size. Use them in a flex shaft or Dremel with plenty of lubricant. Don't run very fast. They will leave a perfect dome.

 

[ron_m80]

I use a head-spinner in the drill press sometimes ( after roughly peening the heads). Most of the time, I use cup burrs in the right size. Use them in a flex shaft or Dremel with plenty of lubricant. Don't run very fast. They will leave a perfect dome.

I just ordered a set of those. that will be perfect for what I had in mind.

Thank you.