Thread: Pinning

Originally Posted by outback

Here in the states, we get them both from a place called "Harbor Freight"

The dappling block was close to $50 US

The vice was around $30 US, but I had a 20% off coupon each purchase, so it was a little less.

I just looked online at Central Forge, it directed me to harbor freight. Its $21 US, for the vise

What size punches do you find that you use the most in your dapping set Mike?

I have found one that's

8 Punches in sizes 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 19, 24 & 27mm
1 Doming block / dapping block flat

any good? It's only a small set but I am guessing that I would only ever use 1 0r two for razors and i wouldn't have any other use for it.

I used a drill chuck for a short while until I learned I could do a more even job without it.
A lot of BS in the thread, but beginning here and skipping down will show you how I pin.
https://sharprazorpalace.com/worksho...ml#post1348762

Some interesting tips and tools all around. Mike, I want that vise; seems like a very useful tool for the money!

I am wondering where fellow Canadians get their pinning supplies, rods washers etc.

I would also be grateful for the sizes I need to get because I haven't tried it before and need all the help I can get.

AJKenne is your man. Rod, spacers, collars.

Ajkenne is where is get the vast majority of my supplies from. He ships them for a great price and his product line is great. You can get rolls of brass and nickel silver from jewellers supply places, but I get mine from Ajkenne. Hobby stores and remote control places often have rod. It’s easier to just order it with the collars though, it’s one stop shopping.

Hi Guys, thank you all for the advice and tips.

I have a couple more questions if you don't mind.

I turns out that I can cut scale stock to the right width on my full size table saw, who would've thunk it eh.

I have to order a new fine blade because I only have a ripping blade. The one I'm getting is 180 tooth so its nice and smooth.

I don't know how wide the blade will be but i would hazard a guess that it must be 1/8 inch so 1/4 inch stock would be no good because of the blade width and assuming that I want 1/8 scales.

I could get 3/8 which would work as long as I don't need to sand off too much to get rid of the saw marks.

Am I right so far?

I could also get 13/64 or 5mm but i would need enough to cut two side by side and the sand them thinner by hand.

I like the sound of cherry wood or cocobolo.

What is stabilizing and how can I do it?

Can't I just stain or rub with varnish or polish instead?

Originally Posted by STF

Hi Guys, thank you all for the advice and tips.

I have a couple more questions if you don't mind.

I turns out that I can cut scale stock to the right width on my full size table saw, who would've thunk it eh.

I have to order a new fine blade because I only have a ripping blade. The one I'm getting is 180 tooth so its nice and smooth.

I don't know how wide the blade will be but i would hazard a guess that it must be 1/8 inch so 1/4 inch stock would be no good because of the blade width and assuming that I want 1/8 scales.

I could get 3/8 which would work as long as I don't need to sand off too much to get rid of the saw marks.

Am I right so far?

I could also get 13/64 or 5mm but i would need enough to cut two side by side and the sand them thinner by hand.

I like the sound of cherry wood or cocobolo.

What is stabilizing and how can I do it?

Can't I just stain or rub with varnish or polish instead?

Read this a couple times before realizing you were talking about using a table saw to cut to thickness, not width.

What sort of push block setup do you have that allows you to hold something as narrow as 3/8" and rip it in half? While still having control of the two 1/8" few after passing the through the blade?

I don't mean to be negative, but table saws are one of the most dangerous shop tools. Trying to cut thin stock is tricky business. Trying to work with small bits of wood is quite difficult.
Putting these two things together, with an inexperienced operator....that's not a good mix.

I feel like this is one of those cases where if you need to ask about something basic, like how to calculate kerf width, you probably shouldn't be even considering making this type of a cut yet.
Again, not to be a jerk, but because your fingers are more important than any set of scales.

You'd be better off using a band saw for this, if you have access to one. Or make a flattening jig with a router. Or a hand plane with some sort of a jig to set the thickness. Or similar with just a sanding block.

With pieces this small, even with sandpaper it doesn't take long to change their size considerably

Stabilizing is generally only needed on fragile woods. Cherry and cocobolo won't need it (and really, cocobolo doesn't take it well anyway, because of how oily it is)

Keep on making, but prioritize your health and safety when working with those tools that can change your life in a blink of an eye

Originally Posted by Kavik79

Read this a couple times before realizing you were talking about using a table saw to cut to thickness, not width.

What sort of push block setup do you have that allows you to hold something as narrow as 3/8" and rip it in half? While still having control of the two 1/8" few after passing the through the blade?

I don't mean to be negative, but table saws are one of the most dangerous shop tools. Trying to cut thin stock is tricky business. Trying to work with small bits of wood is quite difficult.
Putting these two things together, with an inexperienced operator....that's not a good mix.

I feel like this is one of those cases where if you need to ask about something basic, like how to calculate kerf width, you probably shouldn't be even considering making this type of a cut yet.
Again, not to be a jerk, but because your fingers are more important than any set of scales.

You'd be better off using a band saw for this, if you have access to one. Or make a flattening jig with a router. Or a hand plane with some sort of a jig to set the thickness. Or similar with just a sanding block.

With pieces this small, even with sandpaper it doesn't take long to change their size considerably

Stabilizing is generally only needed on fragile woods. Cherry and cocobolo won't need it (and really, cocobolo doesn't take it well anyway, because of how oily it is)

Keep on making, but prioritize your health and safety when working with those tools that can change your life in a blink of an eye

You are correct, I did mean thickness.

I understand and agree that a table saw is a dangerous piece of equipment.

I have had mine for about 10 years and just about completely remodelled the inside of my last house so it got some serious use. I am more DIY and car repairs than small stuff like scales so I'm going to have to be more precise now.

I didn't know that blade thickness was called kerf and only ever used the blade that came fitted when i first bought it.

I didn't ask how to calculate the kerf width, I explained that I didn't know how wide the new blade would be and assumed a width of 1/8th and asked for confirmation that my calculations were about right.

My push system is not so much of a system as a piece of thin wood to push with instead of my fingers but as suggested to me, I am going to temporarily glue the scale stock to a piece of wood. That way, although the cut will have to be precise the blade wont have to be so close to the fence and be easier to work with.

I am extremely careful when I use my power tools and the table saw especially.

You mentioned that my fingers are important.

I get that, the reason I am so careful NOW is that about 6 years ago I got complacent.

I had been cutting a strip from either side of a door to make it narrower and because I was holding the door upright after the cuts, I reached across the spinning blade to turn the saw off and hit it with my finger (are you cringing yet LOL).

My wife heard the scream and rushed out to find me holding kitchen roll to my hand because the blood was almost pouring.

She drove me to the hospital and by the time we arrived the shock was wearing off so it hurt like a bitch.

The hospital asked if I had actually chopped my finger off but I didn't know and refused to look.

It turns out I hadn't lost my finger but I had 14 stitches in it and I still can't bend it much. It's sort of numb and has a pretty nice scar.

I would like to say I am all man and was tough but I don't like pain and was pretty frightened, plus the doctor had a big needle. I cried like a little girl, not cute little tears but big ugly crying with snot and everything.

My wife hates when I turn that table saw on but I am completely sure that it is not going to make me cry like a girl again.

The worse I will do is ruin the project and have to start again on another piece of scale stock.

I thought running a surgically sharp blade down my face was the height of madness when I first tried to do it and my wife actually had the phone in her hand sure that I was going to need help, she was astounded at the stupidity and suggested we go to Walmart for an electric razor immediately.

I kept shaving through the objections and regular cuts until now I very rarely bleed and enjoy really good shaves. My wife likes me straight shaving and gets me shaving soaps for my birthday so I will get this scaling thing too, all it takes is determination and the advice and mentoring from the generous and supportive guys on SRP for which I will always be grateful.

I will practice cutting 1/8 strips from a piece of scrap wood before do it on the scale stock.

Yikes, scary story, but glad you didn't lose anything!

Again, i didn't mean to patronize or offend, and I know I generalized a bit...i just always worry when i see posts like that one, especially on non-woodworking forums, when having no idea about the person's level of experience.

Knowing now that you're not as new to the tool as I assumed:
The advice you got about sticking it to a larger piece is a good tip.
In conjunction with that, you might look into building a cross-cut sled to hold the piece in during the cut, this way you aren't using the table's fence and no chance for that thin strip to get wedged betweeb the blade and the fence and become a projectile.

Or, buy or build a better mitre gauge with a fence attached, and use a stop block attached to your saw's fence that is the same thickness as the piece you want to end up with, and make sure the stop block ends before you get to the blade. This way, again, the piece isn't wedged to the fence when it passes over the blade.
Here's a pic from a Woodcraft article that might explain it better:



The other thing you may need to consider (if not building a full crosscut sled) is making a zero clearance insert, so that that skinny piece can't get pulled down into the gap around the blade

Good luck to you, looking forward to seeing the results!