Foolproof pin alignment

Has anyone come up with a Fool-proof method for drilling pin holes in scales, one which results in a blade that is easily centered?
I am restoring a Boker and the blade is giving me fits. It didn't help that I was trying to pin it after having been awake for almost 24 hrs, but even after sleep it was still kickin my asp. I haven't tested the blade yet to see if it is bent, will do that tomorrow.
But it still occurs to me that I haven't developed a great method for drilling the holes to ensure proper alignment. I usually drill the scales while taped together, hoping I am getting a perfectly straight and square hole(because the scales are rounded)
Other times I have tried drilling the scales separately, laying the flat portion on the drill press base, but this can lead to mis aligment also.
Any experts with a fool-proof method for a fool?

Drill the holes before you shape the scales. :)

+1, drill the holes while the scale material is flat and square. Drill both holes at the same time if you can. I like the idea of clamping both scales together to do this. Make sure your drill press is also squared up. Since most common ordinary drill bits make a triangular hole, drill slightly undersized and ream the hole to round at the correct size for the pin stock. Then there is no wobbly hole.

I was doing this last night and I found a way not to do it. I held the scales together with a scrap of material and then fastened them in a vice, after marking with a pencil where the hole should go. Then I proceded to drill through both scales. Because they weren't actually taped together at the top, once the drill bit went through the firs scale it bent the second before the drill bit could start the hole. The result was pin holes that were dramatically off center and at an angle.

Amazingly, after pinning, the blade closed straight. (But this blade is only about three inches long from toe to tail).

Part of my problem with the Boker I am restoring is I am only making one scale. The original scale with the tree on it is in real nice shape.
I think the makor issue is the tang on the blade, but I have yet to check that out completely. I am trying to use the original wedge, but I may have to make another, wider one, to make it work.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mike Blue

+1, drill the holes while the scale material is flat and square. Drill both holes at the same time if you can. I like the idea of clamping both scales together to do this. Make sure your drill press is also squared up. Since most common ordinary drill bits make a triangular hole, drill slightly undersized and ream the hole to round at the correct size for the pin stock. Then there is no wobbly hole.

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I don't have much scale making experience at all to speak of, but this is what I did. I used a spray adhesive to hold both sets together, and drilled it precisely as you said with very good results. I was actually shocked that my first razor was perfectly centered.

All the ones I have done til now have been fine too, so I am guessing it s just this blade.

First I cut out the scales from the blanks. Then the 2 roughly shaped scales are glued together ( I use an removable spray adhesive). After that I drill the holes.
When this is done the spacer is cut out in the desired size. To make a hole in the spacer I put it between the 2 roughly shaped scales mark where the hole is in the scale, remove the spacer from the scales and drill the hole. Removing the spacer before drilling is important when you are using metal as material for the spacer. This can become hot and could melt acrylic.

Foolproof ???? Not that I know of :rofl2:

But here are some tips

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...wers-here.html

Use that sticky it really does have a ton of info :)

This is still the way I do them see post #7

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...r-restore.html

The rubber cement is still the easiest I have found to work with...

Note the scales have not been rounded in when I drilled that back in 08 now I chamfer the edges first, then drill, then round more...

Looking at the imaginary center line in the scale, if you are going to make an off center hole, make the mistake to the top, not to the bottom, but try for center...

Watch the size of the hole, you can go 1/16 then round out to 5/64 (as Mike already mentioned) assuming you are using 1/16 rod for pins...
two reasons for this,
1. the rod isn't perfect
2. it gives just a touch of play in there for adjustment

Quote:

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Originally Posted by souschefdude

All the ones I have done til now have been fine too, so I am guessing it s just this blade.

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Yep that happens quite often ... Set the tang on a known flat surface, then flip and check again they can be quite a bit off...

Certain Era's of razors, and certain makes, I check first now...


;);)

I simply put the 2 halves on top of each other and drill straight through with a drill press. Only then do I start shaping them. Drilling them separately is a bad idea unless you have identical scales and you use some sort of tool rest to line them up identically.

The reason I avoid drilling before shaping is that it there can be some error while shaping which would cause the pins to be off center, or even just that it would look better in a different place after the shaping.

So here is what was up with the Boker:
1: The Original scale was slightly warped, almost discernable.
2. The wedge was too thin to flare out the scales enough to overcome the warping. I made another wedge, slightly thicker, with a bit more of an angle to it.
3. Tightening the pin in the front first was key to getting it to center properly.

Thanks for all the recommendations and ideas.