First try at assembling knife

[bioprof]

It's not as nice as some of your homemade knifes, but it's my first assembly. I used wood from the blank that I'm using for my Kentucky pistol build. I had a heck of a time pinning the scales. The first try, I spit one of the scales trying to peen the front pin. I then had to redo the middle pin several times the second try. I think I might have been leaving them a little too long. The knife blank is a Green River Beartooth. I used aqua fortis for the stain. I'm still having trouble controlling the darkness of the AF. The test piece I did beforehand came out a lot lighter.

 

[dkloos]

Awesome knife. haha its a heck of a lot better than I could do. Good work :thumbsup:

 

[AZ-Robert]

I like it! I think the stain turned out nicely.

I'm about to give my first one a try... can you give some hints on that comment about leaving the pins too long? You suggest cutting them flush with the wood to start? A silly mm longer?

 

[shmrck1]

NICE!!
snake-eyes :hatsoff:

 

[LRB]

Use nails for pins, or small diameter welding rod. Brass or copper is a tad easier, but not as common as was iron. Give the pin holes a slight counter sink. Cut the pins just a tad longer and carefully peen them down. It seems to help to anneal the pins before peening. All rod stock, regardless of the metal, is work hardened from the forming process. It also helps, if you want to take the time, to round the ends of the pins before peening them. This produces a much neater head on the pins, and reduces cracks in them. If it were me, I would epoxy the scales on along with the pins for extra stength and to make a moisture barrier.

 

[AZ-Robert]

Thanks, Wick. Just the kind of advice I was hoping to get. :hatsoff:

 

[bioprof]

I wish that I had thought about annealing the pins before I used them. I think it would have gone a lot smoother. I would think that about 1 mm longer than the hole would be about right.

 

[sequoia]

How hot do you have to get to properly anneal metal? Can you do it with just a propane torch? :hmm:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Heat them red hot, or hotter, and drop them in water. You can do it several times to be sure. Usually propane is hot enough if you are using soft metal pins, and even soft iron or steel, such as is used in nails.With Iron or steel, you anneal them by heating them up and letting them cool slowly, the opposite of how you anneal brass, copper, or other soft metals.