Peening the Scales to the Blade

I have watched the Bill Ellis straight razor restoration video a few times where he peens the scales to the blade and was wondering if you guys have any additional tips on doing this from your experiences. Also is it necessary to have an anvil with small holes drilled in it (or something else with a small round hole) to round the end of the pin, or can you just use a hammer and a hard flat surface and lightly shape the end of the pin by hammering on all sides? I am guessing that the former alternative is much better, but I was wondering what you guys do for this.

Thanks,
David

I just use a regular anvil, but you would have to file the ends of the pin to make them nice and round.

That sounds like a good idea.

I bought a small plate of welders steel at sears then drilled a few small indentations on it. It works like a charm.

That sounds like a great idea too. What size whole do you need to drill? Do you put this on an anvil or another piece of steel or is the steel thick enough on its own?

I assume you're talking about peening the first end before you put things together? I drilled a hole in some hard maple so the pin sticks up about 1/4 inch. I then peen it until it mushrooms a bit so it will hold a washer. I put everything together, cut the other end as close as I can and then peen it down. The hole is 3/32 to easily slide in the 1/16 rod.

My anvil at the moment is the back side of a DMT plate :p My hammer is a spoon...

I love being broke...

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Originally Posted by Kyle76

I assume you're talking about peening the first end before you put things together? I drilled a hole in some hard maple so the pin sticks up about 1/4 inch. I then peen it until it mushrooms a bit so it will hold a washer. I put everything together, cut the other end as close as I can and then peen it down. The hole is 3/32 to easily slide in the 1/16 rod.

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I am sorry Kyle, but I don't really understand how you use the whole in the wood to get the end of the pin to bloom? I think that I remember Bill Ellis using pliers with a whole drilled in them. He holds the pin in the whole and peens the top into the bloom. I don't understand what is holding your pin in place though.

To bloom the pin there is a craters anvil, They are inexpensive, and already have small hollows drilled into them.

Phil

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Originally Posted by floridaboy

To bloom the pin there is a craters anvil, They are inexpensive, and already have small hollows drilled into them.

Phil

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Thanks Phil, would I get one of these at some type of online Jewlery supply store?

Sorry for the confusion. I drop the pin into the piece of wood and peen it enough to mushroom the head. When the head has expanded enough so that it will hold the washer, then I put everything together and begin to peen the other side (against a tiny anvil) -- rotating the razor and slowly peening down both sides until everything is tight. Does that clear things up?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kyle76

Sorry for the confusion. I drop the pin into the piece of wood and peen it enough to mushroom the head. When the head has expanded enough so that it will hold the washer, then I put everything together and begin to peen the other side (against a tiny anvil) -- rotating the razor and slowly peening down both sides until everything is tight. Does that clear things up?

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Thank you, that does make sense. Does the bottom of the hole in the wood need to be dished or rounded at all (and if so does the drill bit do this), or will the end of the pin just bloom outward on the flat surface toward the whole walls?

Only the end that I'm hitting balloons out. When it has spread enough, then I put everything together and start on the other end. I might try milling a small hollow in my anvil, however, to see how that works -- kill two birds with one hit!

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Originally Posted by heavydutysg135

That sounds like a great idea too. What size whole do you need to drill? Do you put this on an anvil or another piece of steel or is the steel thick enough on its own?

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The steel is about a quarter of an inch thick. I just use it. No anvil. I have a variety of holes, more indentations-very shallow drilled in the steel so there is a hole covering any size pin I might use.

for mine, i went to a flee market and bought a very small anvil a guy had. he had a bunch of them, works fantastically.

as for starting. i took a piece of the 1/8 inch inside diameter tubing that sometimes u put thru the razor if the hole is too big. cut it 3/4'' long. stand that up on the anvil put the rod down thru it till it touches the anvil and cut it off just very slightly above the top of the tubing. take my peening hammer and with the rod still thru the tubing on the anvil i peen the one end that is sticking out the top. it is extremely helpful to peen one end first before putting it all into your scales. the peen doesn't have to be perfect at this point just enough so that it will stop the washer.

take out rod,

peend-washer-scale-washer-blade-washer-scale-washer- open end left to peen.

lay that all on top of the anvil peend side down and cut the top to just above the washer and peen the top end. flip it over and peen the 1st peen again to smooth it out and get it nice.

thats it. repinning razors isn't very hard at all and you'll get the hang of it very fast after 2 razors'ish.

~J

ps. i would suggest that you try to save and reuse the inside washers on a razor if you are repinning and old one into the same scales. (took it out to clean etc etc).

pps. cutting tubing - i used an idea i read here. take a heafty knife and roll it on the tubbing so it creates groves at your cut area. lay tubing on anvil and gently tap off the part you want to remove with your hammer. it will break perfectly at the groves you made by the knife.