To Peen Or Not To Peen, That's The Question.

[T.Saslow]

When using a mosaic pin, I will often notch the inside or the hole in the scales at the 12:00 position with a small round burr in my Dremel and cut a small notch in the pin at the corresponding position with a similar burr or tubular bit (cutting width ways).

This will allow the epoxy to bind to each piece and secure them against one another as opposed to just a cylindrical bite.

This is genius. I may just have to do that! Thanks!

 

[Daniel Rohde]

may I ask the guys that do this when you peen your pins?( during glue up? affter handle shaping then incert the pins and peen them? When?)

 

[Drew Riley]

may I ask the guys that do this when you peen your pins?( during glue up? affter handle shaping then incert the pins and peen them? When?)

I leave my pins a little long, glue and clamp, than trim to the appropriate size and peen after glue has set. After peening, I'll flush them up and shape the handle.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

If anyone needs information on peening pins, I'll be happy to help. Just start a thread.

 

[Hengelo_77]

Since you can't peen the mosaic pins (or at least I don't think you can?), how should I go about affixing the handle to this blade?

You can use a tube, flare it and afterwards fill it with pinns and colored epoxy.
That would come close to a peened mosaic pinn

 

[John Andrews]

When using a mosaic pin, I will often notch the inside or the hole in the scales at the 12:00 position with a small round burr in my Dremel and cut a small notch in the pin at the corresponding position with a similar burr or tubular bit (cutting width ways).

This will allow the epoxy to bind to each piece and secure them against one another as opposed to just a cylindrical bite.

That's what I do and it works. Another thing I have done for stacked handles is run small dimension liniar pins between the different layers.

I use hidden short pins running through the layers lengthwise. I fixed one knife of a client that got lost, was sections of Osage orange, pure silver, and deer antler. It was epoxied with Accra Glas gel. The knife got lost and spent a whole year in the open bed of an old pickup, Iowa weather. Blade was covered with blood and deer gut slime and then put back into the sheath, and misplaced. Blade was carbon steel and of course, rusted. But the knife and leather sheath held together just fine. The client bought the knife for his brother and he ( the buyer) found the knife. He brought it to me and I did my best to fix the blade. A few pits were left because it the final thickness. The buyer was upset because of his brother's actions. Buyer paid $375 for that knife and I did what I could for the fix, for free.

Handle had a couple of hidden pins running through the tang, as well as 3 silver inlays.

For hidden through the tang handle pins, I usually use 1/8" threaded brass pins.

 

[HSC ///]

may I ask the guys that do this when you peen your pins?( during glue up? affter handle shaping then incert the pins and peen them? When?)

here's how I learned and now do it this way.

use nickel silver pins and flare one side so you can use pliers to pull them out later - essentially they are temporary pins at this point

proceed with your normal process of making and gluing the scales

clamp together and as the epoxy settles, you pull the pins out. The time of when to pull depends on your epoxy

epoxy dries, then rough shape the handle

re insert pins - trim to about a milimeter high

CA glue if desired

peen on anvil with a light weight hammer, essentially tapping on the outside edge perimeter of the top surface of the pin

finish handle

 

[Daniel Rohde]

Thanks HSC!