Thread: S#@&

Pinning up a beauty of a 7/8 W&B. I was pinning the blade and the scale broke. (New snakewood) It appears the pin bent. Why?
It wasn't tight yet. I'm guessing the pin was too long. The big wonky Sheffield holes wouldn't do that would they?

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Yep pin too long or too much power hitting it.
LIGHT TAPS... 1000's of them If necessary...

Light taps, small hammer. If the pin is too long, file it shorter in place and re-peen.


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With wood scales I use a thrust bearing and washers. These contain the pin and put the brass deformation into the mushroom. As usual, I learned this lesson the hard way.

Been there and done that too often...The guys above have the answers!
~Richard

Added info:
According to one of the "little Messers'"Stan Shaw; he used a fast stroke of a fine file to combined shorten and partially un-hardened pins in all the knives he made. He was an expert at pocket and show knives for the Sheffield cutleries he worked for.
https://youtu.be/zFcBQ3SH8n0

Stan Shaw, knife maker

There was also a book " Last of the little Messers," dealing with his life as a knifemaker in Sheffield since before WWII.
Stan-Shaw-Knives
Tweedale...Shaw/stanShaw
Get the PDF in the link!!! Lots of photos!

I figured it was too long but thought I'd see how it went. I guess after a few taps and it wasn't getting tight I should have filled it down some. Driving rivets on aircraft, you know it's too long if it bends. Always a learning curve, it seems. I still need to get any eye for the length.

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It does not take a lot of exposed pin to peen. You can also use a heavy weight large soup spoon for pinning. Seems to lessen the chance of striking too hard.

Bob

I don't think I am hitting it too hard. I'm using a pretty good sized ball peen but I've never bent one. I thing I worked it too much or the pin was too long.
Sure was pretty up until it cracked. I'm anxious to put it together.

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I've had it happen in the past, pin was too long. I think I read somewhere to judge how hard to hit the pin, put your thumb on the anvil and hit the base of your thumbnail with the peen without causing pain, that's roughly how hard to tap the pin. But, I think you just develop a feel for length of pin and how hard to tap by making some mistakes and then making the necessary adjustments next time.

Oversizing and Tapering your pin hole, can help. Wood especially thin wood is tricky. A tapered diamond file from an inexpensive diamond burr set from Harbor Freight.

Practice on popsicle sticks. They crack easy.