Knifemaking: Pins

[sharp88]

Just a quick Q. How do you put pins into knife handles? I mean: can you just tap them together with a hammer or do you have to have a special applicator.

Has anyone ever heard of using solid brass rod for knife handle pins? Like the solid brass you you get in B&Q etc. I saw it in a rather crude book once.

 

[shep]

There are a few different ways of doing this. Corby rivets, loveless bolts, acorn rivets, mosaic pins etc. But, the simplest and, to my eyes, most elegant way is exactly what you suggest. Simple rod of brass, steel or aluminium.

You need to drill your holes in the wood perfectly in line with each other and with the blade. I use the blade (which I drilled before HT) as a drilling template. Drill to the exact width of your rod. After drilling the first hole, tap in a piece of the rod to keep things lined up before drilling any subsequent holes. A drill-press helps greatly, but is not essential, you just need a drill, a hammer and some clamps.

 

[sharp88]

There are a few different ways of doing this. Corby rivets, loveless bolts, acorn rivets, mosaic pins etc. But, the simplest and, to my eyes, most elegant way is exactly what you suggest. Simple rod of brass, steel or aluminium.

You need to drill your holes in the wood perfectly in line with each other and with the blade. I use the blade (which I drilled before HT) as a drilling template. Drill to the exact width of your rod. After drilling the first hole, tap in a piece of the rod to keep things lined up before drilling any subsequent holes. A drill-press helps greatly, but is not essential.

Awesome. Thanks alot. Im gonna order some red plastic vulcanised thingies and a Laplander 75. Iv got some antler I found at Petworth Park years ago that can be revived with some wet n dry and a coat of walnut oil.

Say...do you know a good website to get knifemaking materials?

 

[brancho]

For knife supplies try
Attleborough in the UK (I have not used them)
Brisa in Finland (Good shop good service)
The Good stuff shop Denmark (Good shop good service and something extra with your order)

 

[DoctorSpoon]

Here's a youTube video showing of friend riveting together a folding knife with pins made from bits of rod which might help http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0E7SqOm1sA.
Nicola

 

[Tadpole]

Here's a youTube video showing of friend riveting together a folding knife with pins made from bits of rod which might help http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0E7SqOm1sA.
Nicola

I know next to nothing about knife making, and the last time I riveted anything was during my ‘prenticeship, so if my question is dumb, forgive me. when knife making, in the modern sense, do the rivets actually function as 'rivets', as in peened over and gripping the handle slabs or are they now just there for decoration. From what I have seen, most people glue the handle slabs on, then push the ‘rivets’ in and then file the heads completely flush with the handle.

 

[shep]

Some people peen them. Personally I just push them through and file flush. They're not just for show, they still protect the joint from sheer stresses. A good epoxy glue will do the rest.

 

[Gailainne]

Have a look on British Blades, loads of good advise and tutorials on there, heres my first attempt at handling a blade, (from SC_Barker), still a work in progress the pins are nickel silver, the scales are olive wood cut from a cheese board.

The pins are a fairly tight fit on the scales, the holes in the tang where 1/4", so had to search for a drill to do the job, I got a 6.35x300mm length of nickel silver rod from a modelling site catering to model train builders.

Just out of the clamps

Roughed out on a belt sander and just started hand sanding

Regards

Stephen

 

[Hoodoo]

I pinned these scales with just cheapo brass rod. Very common practice, even among top knife makers.

There is a very good tutorial here that might help.