I use a small cut off wheel made by Keystone that you can buy in local jewelery supplies or on the internet. These work in a dremmel. Mine is a foot controlled variable speed dremmel that works very well to control the speed for me. Usually the cut off I use is a well used one that is a lot smaller than the original new outside cutting diameter. These wheels wear down getting smaller and smaller with use and I usually hang on to them just for taking the heads off the pins in the pivot or lockbar or both. I've found them to work better personally than anything else I've tried. What I do is take the head off. On the pivot there is a black washer underneath that will also get chewed up once the head is gone. If you reuse pins the same diameter as those you take out you can reuse the washer by simply flipping it over and it will look untouched. If the FRN gets chewed up a little its still usually quite acceptable and barely noticed at all. The variable speed does help to control this so I'd really recommend that for better ability to keep the dremmel and cut off wheel from getting away from you going into places you don't want it to cut.
On replacement pins. I recommend 1/8" pivot barrels. You'll need two flute carbide drills like those you can purchase at MSC to be able to make these barrels fit the blade and lockbar. These work at high speed on the drill press, cut quick and easy and are usually less expensive from MSC than any place else you can find them. I get all sizes but for this job you can buy the 1/8" diameter and use 1/8" pivot barrels like those sold at Jantz Supply that come with two 2-56 button head screws so there is one on each end. If these are longer than needed I'd be surprised but if they are its not usually by much and you can easily shorten one by a grinding wheel or bench sander. Screws too can be shortened easily this way by first drilling a hole in some scrap brass or metal of some kind so they can pop through so you can hold them one at a time in place by a gloved thumb long enough to shorten the length a bit. I don't do it this way but it works in a pinch. I usually thread the brass, tighten the screws down and cut them off all at once using that same cut off wheel or a nice new one.
Using the carbide you'll need to drill out the pivot hole to the new size in both the blade and lockbar and the body of the folder and make sure the new barrel fits through the new hole. It may need reamed some to make it pass through easily but this is not that hard usually. Same deal on the lockbar which will also need a 1/8" hole drilled and this is the tricky part. I recommend taping off the blade first so the edge is not exposed. Dip both parts in ice water before drilling and hold them there for about 15 seconds each to get them good and cold. Then drill out slowly pushing the bit through at high speed letting the carbide do the work not pushing it too fast but taking it nice and controlled. You may have to use a press or vice to hold the blade and lockbar down on the table but a gloved hand is needed also to aid in stabalizing it. They are difficult to hold but the bits cut quick and its over pretty fast.
Good luck.
STR
