Sharp edges on pins

Greetings,

I always have to file my pins or else the edges are quite sharp. I find the filing somewhat scary as it gets quite close to scratching the nice handmade scales I spent so much time on. Does anybody have any tricks/tips in this area? BTW, I always peen one side of rod ahead of time to make the process easier.

Thanks much,
Steve

Have you tried using a fine emory board? Or sandpaper glued to an emory board? I think that would be a good solution. It can then be used as a file for a finer finish than you can get with most files and being broader than needle files makes a slip much less likely.

Robert,

I notice in your two latest creations that you seem to be using some sort of screw. These seem to be very small indeed, I also notice occasionally that people are using fancy washers. Where does one find these sorts of washers etc?

Regards

John

On Bills restoration CD he has an attachment for his Dremel that is like a tiny cup shape "drill" that fits over the peened pin and shapes it so it is rounded.

I'll have another look tonight and see if he actually mentions brands or where to get them from.

John, the fancy washers are usually bead separators available at craft stores. Small screws can be found at model building specialty shops. It's possible to use a tap and die to make rod stock suit your purposes, too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by drsch3

On Bills restoration CD he has an attachment for his Dremel that is like a tiny cup shape "drill" that fits over the peened pin and shapes it so it is rounded.

I'll have another look tonight and see if he actually mentions brands or where to get them from.

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You can get a "head spinner" from Texas Knifemaker Supply, or you can buy cup burs from either Ottofrei.com or riogrande.com.

Thanks for the great info everybody! In Bill's CD book, he discussed using a cupped nail set manually as well as putting it in a drill press.

Thanks again,
Steve