Thread: Advice on Pins

I guess you could use the Jewelers saw trick and sacrifice the wedge also..

Lawson,

Instead of using a drill bit, switch over to a fine, cone-shaped grinding point.

Make sure that whatever is doing the grinding (Dremel, small drill press, etc.) cannot wander.

Also make sure that the rivet end is always misted with coolant.

Apply the grinding point for only a second or two, pull back and mist the area with coolant again.

If you repeat this procedure you should be able to grind off the end of the pin without harming either the scales or the surrounding cheek plate.

- Ignatz

This may sound stupid but I've seen this done more then once if using a hand drill make sure its going forward and not in reverse.

The first pins I knocked out of the scales were very difficult to shift; I had used the file down technique. I almost gave up. I had to hammer the punch much harder than when peening and was prepared to lose the scales. I guess this is the crucial point. If the scales are to be used again then there is a dilemma. Maybe it was beginner's "ill-luck" as since then the pins I have removed have come out fairly easily. And I have used the flush cutters approach.

Either a fresh cobalt bit and a starter dimple from a very sharp punch or a a very small diamond tip bit like for dentistry also with a starter punch have worked for me.

The split point drill are a good idea, but not the perfect answer.

We used to break the web of regular "jobber" drill by ourselves... And this served two purposes. It thinned the web that just rubs and doesn't truly cut, and it cut the helix angle to zero, which is what brass likes. We always used high speed steel drills and toolbits with zero degree rake on brass.
Many guys would keep a set of drills so modified just for brass, but I always broke the web as needed for the job at hand.
It's always good to have a few small center drills on hand also, because they're short and don't walk.

The auto center punch is a great idea also, it helps to start the drill down the center of the pin.

Disclaimer... While I used to take pride in being able to sharpen the smallest drills by hand, Mother Nature has taken her toll on my eyesight... I now leave it to the younger guys... The few in the trade that still know, and were taught, how...

Today drills are tossed when dull, but not when I started out!

For those with access to a milling machine of a drill press with a table that a vice can be bolted or clamped to... Problem solved. You can clamp on the tang and do your centering before any cutting.

Originally Posted by BlacknTan

it cut the helix angle to zero, which is what brass likes. We always used high speed steel drills and toolbits with zero degree rake on brass.
It's always good to have a few small center drills on hand also, because they're short and don't walk.

The auto center punch is a great idea also, it helps to start the drill down the center of the pin.

Disclaimer... While I used to take pride in being able to sharpen the smallest drills by hand, Mother Nature has taken her toll on my eyesight... I now leave it to the younger guys... The few in the trade that still know, and were taught, how...

+1 to all said here. I was the last class of Machinests from W.E.Grady Tech school before they closed up that program, and worked in an engine machining shop for a while.
One of the greatest tools you can get yourself, is a set of the magnifying visors. Suddenly, I can sharpen my drills again!

But remember kids, the bits you sharpen for brass, MAY NOT be the right choice for drilling the nickle silver! (well, thats arguable)

On rare occasions a pin can be welded to the tang thru corrosion. The scales will snap before these budge. On those it is best to gently flex the scale away from the pin once you have cleared the peen.

I recently made the "drilled-through pliers" device to do the initial peen (to hold the first washer); hopefully some of you know what I'm talking about. To tunnel a hole slightly smaller than the 1/16" pin-rod, I had a pack of 1.15mm Cobalt Drill Bits on hand. I also live in Texas, which means I have my share of handgun cleaning and lubricating supplies.

I found that using a quality gun oil (one with Teflon) combined with the 1.15mm cobalt bit, I could poke through these pins easier than a knife cuts through butter; and since the drill is smaller than the 1/16" pin, there is a slight margin for error. It's surprising how much of a difference this oil makes. I hope this two cents helps.

I think there exists no wholesale purchase option for collars on the internet..