Thread: first peen

My duck has a loose floppy pivot pin. My wife got me an 8 oz peen for birthday. After reading a lot of posts I'm thinking less is more, so trying to go lightly gently just for a little tightness but nothing happening.
OK, I'm scared to peen. But taking courage I continue on its starting to tighten up.

The mid pin of the Duck has a really rough side and a smooth side. I should be able to peen down the rough- could these be really hard pins.

Well, do you have the other side of the pin on a very hard immobile surface like an anvil or thick steel plate? If so, it should only take a few light taps.

Yes, under I have another hammer. I finally got the pivot tight, but the rough mid pin side just isn't changing.

Do not try to peen it smooth,punch a hole in a couple layers of masking tape,than use a fine file to flatten a bit, than sand to polish.
You keep wacking on it you will bend the pin.

Thanks Pix, I will take your advice.

Like this.

Looks like it was re-pined, with a nail, both washers do not appear to be the same, one looks bigger than the other and the pin looks a little bent already

Photos of the other side would be better, but it does look like a steel pin.

Let me give ya just a little advice... There are Vids of this also

A "Peen" by definition is a Mushroom effect.. the reason the Ballpeen hammer is rounded is to enhance this effect by tapping "AROUND" the head of the pin with glancing blows,, striking directly downward will simply smash, bend and bulge the pin (not good)

Imagine the sides of the mushroom head being formed downward and drawing the center of the pin upward as you strike thereby tightening the center of the pivot...

Think of it working more like a very slow pop rivet

You are not trying to smash the two sides together you are trying to draw them together by tightening the Peened ends of the pins

Thanks for all the advice. Like many SR users, having gotten the itch to try my hand at pinning, I planned to put new scales on a clunker. I waited till I had the 8oz peen some brass pins etc, during this time I read about peening, watched videos etc quite a lot. However, a first target of opportunity presented in the form of my Duck satinedge. The pivot was so loose as to be a safety hazard, and the mid pin had one side so rough as to be distracting.

My plan was to carefully peen around the pivot just enough for the mushroom to tighten things. This finally worked, I guess I was being so cautious it just took longer and that's ok.

As far as the rough side mid pin, I thought I could mushroom it more to smooth it. After much trying with nothing happening I decided to ask for help. I will try the filing to smooth it- I hadn't considered the possibility it could be a hard nail. Next job brass for sure to see what that feels like. Thanks again to all.