SS pin peen need a game plan

D

Dr Feelgood

Joined
Jan 3, 2011
Messages
71
Im working on my third knife now and I would like to attempt to pin the 416 SS bolster with 3/16 416 SS pins. I tried to order a straight flute ream some months ago but they were all sold out. Now its crunch time and id rather not order one unless I have too. Mostly because every place wants three times the cost of the tool in shipping costs. Ive spent quite a few hours reading about pins and peening. The basic principles make sense... The translation from American to Canadian doesnt. Ive looked at about a dozen drill conversion charts and none of them match what im seeing so...

Drill bits- When I put 3/16 pins in micarta handles I drill with a 3/16 bit but I keep reading that you cant do that because 3/16 isnt really 3/16. Supposedly I should be using a #10 or #12 ok but those dont match any drill bits in any hardware store except 3/16 which is closest. Idk... (Beating me head on the keyboard)

The general process is drill, taper the hole and countersink the first 3/16 or so. This I cant even...
A standard countersink like you use for screws ? Or are people referring to the taper as a countersink ? And if its a countersink bit I cant find any info on the size I need.

Ive also heard I can make a tapered ream using a drill bit then taper it. It just wont remove any material from the hole. I should be able to taper a bit just fine but again... What size bit should I be tapering ?

So im trying to make the pins virtually invisible. What is the theory behind the tapering and countersinking to make it invisible ? Can it be done without a proper factory ream ?

One last thing. Ive never actually seen the process of peening a pin. Does anybody know a good youtube vid that demonstrates the process. Especially the hammering of the pin and how to mushroom it ?

Thanks again all !
 
Thanks those are great videos. Nick does some brilliant ones and his knives are great too!
I didnt know he had vids on this subject I was looking for. Very helpful!
 
If your hole is countersunk a little, you use the exact same material for bolster and pin, and you sand your pin stock clean, and you don't leave any empty places, and you cut the pin to just under one diameter longer than the bolster, it just about has to disappear.
I do kind of a lot of these- what I do is lay it on the anvil, and using a small ball peen that's ground to a nice dome and polished, go around the outside of the pin to spread it a bit, then flip it over and do the same to the other side, then give it some good hits in the center, then flip it to side 1 and moosh it down in the center.
Forgot to mention that I chamfer both ends of the pin a little.
But then, all that is probably in Nick's video and you're learning from the best.
 
I didn't watch Nick's video, but I'm sure he has the topic well covered there.

I often use a center drill tool to create my chamfer. I've been wanting to purchase an actual reamer, but the center drill tool is an acceptable alternative. It creates a 60 degree included-angle chamfer . . . much less than a standard countersink tool.

centerdrill.jpg
 
You can make a tapered punch that will enlarge your holes. Just drive it into the hole.
 
Perfect ive almost got it now. So just to wind my thoughts up. I taper and chamfer the hole, or can I get away with just a center drill tool ? And is there a speciffic diameter the chamfer (or countersink ) has to be for a 3/16 pin ?
And theres no reason I cant drill a 3/16 hole with a 3/16 bit despite what ive read ?

Thanks again !
 
You can get away with just the center drill tool, but the general consensus it that the better way is to taper the hole very slightly. This slight of a taper is most easily accomplished using a specialized reamer. It could be formed by using a tapered punch as Mr. Bill DeShivs describes . . . I have not tried this, but I could imagine that it requires a substantial blow and results in slight deformation of the guard.

The biggest problem I've seen with the 60 degree taper formed by the countersink tool, is that I make the chamfer very slight . . . maybe 1/64" diameter greater than the original hole. This results in a relatively shallow "taper" depth (about 0.014") due to the 60 degree included-angle. In rare cases, I've run into problems finish shaping my guard/handle after glue-up and end up grinding into the guard deeper than the original taper which was cut by the counter sink tool. In these cases, the pin can become very noticeable, rather than blending cleanly into the guard surface since the peened and displaced pin material ends up being consequently removed.

The slight taper offered by a reamer will allow the pin to be compressed/yielded to fully fill the hole to a deeper depth than simply filling the chamfer formed by a counter sink tool. This results in less space for soldering flux to collect in too.

Amazingly, by writing this, I've just convinced myself to buy a 0.09375" tapered reamer. I use 3/32" (0.09375") diameter pins for attaching my guards. I've researched this already and have the following on my wish list: 0.072" small end, 0.096 large end, 1-3/16" long tapered reamer.

Hope this helps.

Mike L.
 
logem said:
Amazingly, by writing this, I've just convinced myself to buy a 0.09375" tapered reamer. I use 3/32" (0.09375") diameter pins for attaching my guards. I've researched this already and have the following on my wish list: 0.072" small end, 0.096 large end, 1-3/16" long tapered reamer.

Hope this helps.

Mike L.
Click to expand...

The reamer you will need is a 4/0. I would also suggest you get a General Tool adjustable pin vise #93 if you don't have one. Best way to hold the reamers and ream an accurate hole.

General%20Tool-93.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top