Well now that I have the cart before the horse

[Sean Gadhar]

So I started with a blade & a chunk of wood from a pallet

Now I'm almost to the end

But I have never used solid brass pins before. They are tap in, tap out tight,and I was gona just have 1/16" over size and pein the ends. but now that Im kinda happy with my pallet scales

I was hoping someone could tell me how to do it right

 

[skunkskinner]

Maybe just sand the wood down till you meet the pins. If that doesn't work out pry the wood of, cut one side of the pin close to the tang and push out the pin. Star all over, nothing wrong with that. Or get a good punch and try to remove the pins and get longer ones.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Sorry my bad, the photos mislead, scales are off, and getting stock oil coats, I only had 3 long pins in that I punched/pulled out. I just have no idea what I should do to lock the scales down when I put them on for the last time. Do I need to make the pins long & try to mushroom the ends? if so whats the best way to do it & not bang the scales up?

 

[skunkskinner]

Yea, longer pins and peen the pins with a ball peen hammer. Hit them softly many many times and you will be alright.

 

[skunkskinner]

Practice with one of your short pins first on some scrap.

 

[BillinOregon]

Sean, I have also been warned not to peen them too much as they can split the scales. Might try simply peening a pin and measure the center before and after, I think you will find that the diameter even at the center will get a smidge bigger, and this also helps lock the pin to the tang.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Practice with one of your short pins first on some scrap.

That sound like a heck of a good idea. I need to keep busy anyway, I just put the 3rd coat of oil on my scales & I go a little nuts waiting 4+ hours between coats. :youcrazy:

 

[Jaeger]

Looks good so far, Sean. I can't tell by your picture, but you DO have your scales glued to the blade with epoxy, right? That's the info I picked up here on the Forum. When my blade handle has the holes in it, I glue a roughed in scale (sanded & smooth)to one side of the blade & clamp overnight. Then I drill the holes through the wood using the blade holes as a guide. Then I position and glue the other scale on the other side & clamp it...then drill those holes using the other holes as guides. Then come the pins, and you should take care to have them fit somewhat tightly, which sounds like what you did. I put a little epoxy in the pin holes and tap them in..in my case I used nails, since brass pins are not PC for the 18th Century. After the epoxy sets, you should be able to file, shape, and sand that knife handle to your heart's content, pins and all. That is...if the glue job is good and your scales and knife blade were all perfectly flat. My scales haven't fallen off yet, and I did no peening of the pins on my knife.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Yep sounds like I have the cart in the lead. I viced blade & 1(then the other) scale wraped in leather drilled 3 holes , long pinned then drilled the rest. Did all my shaping with long pins. To hold in place. No glue so far.

As to glue, will fish glue stick to steel? Anyone?

 

[skunkskinner]

The pins should hold the wood to the tang with out glue, that's why you peen the pins. If they come loose just peen them a little more. If the handle ever completely fails that's when you get to put some new wood on it :grin:

 

[necchi]

As to glue, will fish glue stick to steel? Anyone?

I use Devcon slow set epoxy, The stuff has proven to me for over 20years to be able to handle temp swings season to season and still hold on.
But I use it on the raw wood and finish after the final fit and sanding.

 

[omarick1948]

Here is another way to put those pins in that I have did and was shown to me by an old guy a long, long time ago..in a land far far away! ...

Just clamp your scales together on the tang and carefully drill the pin holes all the way through scales and tang the size of the pins. Then cut your pins a little longer than you need, so some of the pin(s) will stick out on each side of the slabs. File or grind one end of your pin to a slightly rounded point,and add a little epoxy glue in each hole, then carefully tap the pin through all layers. Let epoxy dry, then cut off excess pin material, file, sand and finish.

I have knives that have been done this way and still are solid as the day they were made.

Rick

 

[Sean Gadhar]

About done, no glue used

 

[hawkeye2]

Lookin' good! Where did you get that little miter box in your first photos? I like it better that the one I have.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Lookin' good! Where did you get that little miter box in your first photos? I like it better that the one I have.

Wife Grabbed it for me years ago I think it's a GreatNeck 12 Inch Plastic came with the saw & my wifes pop :haha: and I think I still got $5-6 bucks back on my $20.

 

[skunkskinner]

Real nice Sean :thumbsup: