what do you guys use for pins?

[fort fireman]

The parts I got only gave me 6 pins . It was enough for the barrel and thimbles but I would like to pin the trigger gaurd. What can I use so I don't have to wait for more from a supplier. perferably something I may be able to get at a local harware or something like that. Thanks Andy

 

[Raynor]

Measure one of the pins and go buy some brazing rod or finish nails that are the same diameter. :grin:

 

[dlpowell]

Get a #4 or 6 nail that has a flat head. Cut off the head.

Basically take the drill bit your gonna drill the hole with and a micrometer and find a nail that is just a fuzz larger in diameter than the drill bit.

 

[gsday]

A tip I picked up on this site was to use the nail portion of a pop-rivet. You can buy a 100 for 2 bucks. They're 5/64" dia..

Hold on to the rivet portion with pliers and tap it down on your anvil. The rivet pops off and you're left with a nail with a round head. They make nice temporary pins with the head intact.

I always use the 3/32" pins for the barrel and the 5/64" for all others.

Greg

 

[Vaino]

Ace Hardware sells piano wire at a very cheap price. I use .062 dia. piano wire for all pinning and because it's of a uniform dia., semi-hard and very stiff, it serves the purpose well. Some like larger dia. wire because of the trouble of drilling w/ a 1/16" drill, but I haven't had this problem. For Pbox hinges I use 1/16" dia. soft baling wire because of hinge curvature.....Fred

 

[Jaeger]

I'm working on a TOTW Dickert right now, and I plan on doing the final pinning of the thimbles with finishing nails, with the head and point cut off in final installation. Like the other guy said, mike or check the diameter of the nail shaft and find a drill bit just a hair smaller. I'm sticking with the regular pins from TOTW for pinning the barrel because they're thicker and I figure it needs the strength.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Most of the parts you intend to pin to the stock will be made of brass. Because brass is so much softer than steel, even a soft iron nail can be used as pin stock, and will last for years.

Any pin that will be used to pin a steel part, or particular an part that is intended to pivot around the pin should be made out of high carbon steel pin stock. Check your local hardware store to see what they have. Or stop by a local machine shop, and see what they have they can sell you out of their scrap bins. Sometimes they will simply give you the stuff, if you promise to bring your finished rifle back so they can have a look at it! :hatsoff:

 

[Bubba45]

I just use 1/16" and 3/32" oxyacetylene welding rod .

 

[flashpanner]

My vote is sticking with the piano/music wire. It is stiff, uniform in dia, and sized right.

 

[mikemeteor]

here's another vote for the 0.062 piano (music) wire.
the veterans here steered me towards it and it works great.
given the sheer vectors, for even the barrel lugs, strength is not a problem at all.
almost any hobby store sells it - several feet for cheap ($2).

 

[ehoff]

Music wire gets my vote too. Any good hooby shop will carry it.

 

[gmww]

I have brass in my under hammers. :grin:

 

[F.G. Ford]

Brass pins were almost never used.
Music wire is great, but common nails are cheap and any size.
Do not use the galvanized ones, its a pain to remove the coating
Best of luck!
Old Ford

 

[Zonie]

Music wire.

The only thing that is a negative is trying to cut it if you don't have a Dremel with an abrasive cut off wheel or a grinder. It is VERY tough stuff.

I've seen the cutting blades of wire cutters or dikes get damaged by trying to cut music wire as it comes from the store.

If you use music wire and the only thing you have to cut it with is a set of wire cutters I suggest that you anneal it first by heating it to a red hot color and then very slowly removing it from the heat source. This must be done very slowly because some of these music wires are air hardening material and if they are allowed to cool too rapidly they will reharden.

 

[Bubba45]

Heck if ya want to go fancy you can get 1/16 and 3/32 drill rod at welding supply .

 

[Vaino]

Have an old pair of pliers that cuts 1/16 piano wire w/o any problems. Recently bought a side cutter and bingo, the first cut of piano wire and the edge is chipped. I've also cut off piano wire on the corner of a bench grinder wheel......Fred

 

[Zonie]

I forgot to mention another thing that I think is nice about music wire.
It is available in 5/64 (.078) diameter and drill bits in this size are readily available.

I use the 1/16 inch pins for things that seldom require removal and are under very low loads.
These things include ramrod thimbles and trigger guards.

For higher stressed pin locations like the barrel pins I think the larger pins are more suited to the job. Not only that but the 5/64 diameter drill bits are longer than the 1/16 diameter bits making drilling thru the rough sized forend much easier to do without running out of drill bit length.

The slightly smaller size of a 5/64 diameter pin also poses less risk of breaking out thru the side or bottom of a underlug than using a 3/32 diameter pin.

 

[bob243]

Interesting.. I am going to have to give some piano wire a try. I have just been using brass or steel rods from the hobbie store.

 

[oldarmy]

1/16" welding rod..
Works great.. the next size up 5/64 also works.
Any thing bigger just looks too big..IMHO.
Plus there isn't any need.. the 1/16 nails will work also. I bet most of the builders taper their pins and round the points anyway
TOTW sells those HUGE pins
Used them in my First build.. because I didn't know any better :redface:

 

[Stophel]

Nails. Cheap to the point of almost being free. I make them a bit larger than 1/16". Generally in the region of .080"-.090". I don't like 1/16" pins. Too small and too hard to drive back out. I also taper them and they only go in and out one way.