Thread: Some new scales for my Filarmonica

Originally Posted by AirColorado

Exquisite! One question - how did you peen the pins sans washer without denting the horn? Just really slow and careful? I love the look and may try it myself.

There are many examples of peening without washers especially with original ivory - however, it's my opinion that this is also the main reason why you see so many ivory scales with splits and cracks. Basically a washer helps to spread the load, so peening without one can be risky.

Horn is very fibrous so is not likely to mark even if the hammer slipped off the pin, and is also less likely to fracture. Additionally, copper is quite soft compared to brass or silver nickel so I felt pretty safe in going solo on this occasion.