Thread: Found small stainless washers and new peening mathod

I was gonna say : "pics or it didn't happen"

So there are a couple other threads I'm involved in that I've been neglecting somewhat. It was a really trying weekend for my family, about which the less said the better.

I'd seen this thread and bought up some of the washers a while back, but I hadn't seriously considered the engraving tool for peening.

Then I did a bunch of peening. Let me tell you, without a proper workbench I find it extremely tiresome to get even unsatisfactory results. Yeah, I can pin stuff together functionally, but I want it to be perfect.

Best to turn stress into craft, so yesterdat I got a Dremel engraving tool. I figured I'd cut off the end of the bit and polish it, but it's carbide and my regular Dremel is currently sitting out of the ring waiting for a new set of motor brushes to show up. No power tools to mod my power tools!


Dremel Engraver by Zak Jarvis, on Flickr

So I just took the bit out, turned it backwards and used sandpaper and some Mother's to polish it up real nice. Or at least kinda nice.


Engraver Peen Mod by Zak Jarvis, on Flickr

Ideally it'd be shaped much more like... Well, like a peen. That will have to wait on my Dremel returning to functionality.

I had a set of celluloid scales that were sort of falling apart and, I doubt, repairable. So I decided they would be my unwilling test subject. I snipped off the old pins and threaded in a new brass one along with some of the nice #0 ss washers.

I thought I'd try a worst-case scenario and just see what I could do with the raw-snipped ends of the rod... No, really. It was fully calculated and thought out! Not impatience at all! NO SIR!

Anyway, being an impatient sort, this is what I was able to get.


Engraver Peen 2 by Zak Jarvis, on Flickr


Engraver Peen 1 by Zak Jarvis, on Flickr

I cut the rod really close to the washer because I wanted to try and get a nice steel/brass bullseye going.

I found that I needed to use the hammer to get enough of a mushroom to hold the second washer on, but it just took a few gentle whacks. All the rest was done with the engraver. I started out using the head of a hammer with a drill divot as an anvil, but it became pretty clear pretty fast that I could just hold the whole thing in my hands, put my face right up to it and engrave/peen away. The degree of control available is amazing, and I'm sure I can do much better with some practice and proper polishing.

In short, THANK YOU Stingray!

(Now to just resist the siren allure of the brass tumbler)

Actually, I'm looking at doing the brass tumbler thing this weekend. I've also got some neglected rescaling projects that I need to finish. One thing that is holding me up is my poor peening results. I might have to look at sourcing an engraver while I'm looking for a good tumbler.

Originally Posted by Nphocus

Actually, I'm looking at doing the brass tumbler thing this weekend. I've also got some neglected rescaling projects that I need to finish. One thing that is holding me up is my poor peening results. I might have to look at sourcing an engraver while I'm looking for a good tumbler.

It's worth reiterating. The engraver method gives you incredible control over the process. I was able to get really close, and I think it's even viable to work with everything in your hands rather than on a bench or anvil. (I'll get back on that after I've done more with it, but that will take a bit; I have kind of a lot too much going on in my life right now). (Edited to clarify) You'll need to get the rods peened enough to hold the washers on before working it in-hand, for that I used a hammer-as-anvil.

The Dremel model I'm using cost $25 at Lowes, and it's still usable as an engraver. You could probably make your own peening heads by just cutting the tip off another Dremel tool and shaping/polishing it.

Fortunately I don't have the cash to get a brass tumbler at the moment. That's going to make my trip to Harbor Freight today extra fun. Flush cutters will eat the last of my fun money for the month.

Brass rod is noticeably softer and easier to peen than nickle rod. The nickle rod is giving me fits specifically. The cheap flush cutters at harbor freight are about 2$. I have them and they work okay. I'm sure you can get a nicer set from someplace like Graybar that were made by Klein tools. I'm sure a set by Klein will cost an arm and a leg, but they should also last a couple of lifetimes. They're my gold standard ever since I was a lineman.

I picked my used xfr400 variable speed dremel up from craigslist.org for $50. It still had the case and the wand extension and most of the bits in unused shape.

Good luck!

BTW MicroFasteners.com is now stocking these also, I just ordered some in, and they look to be the same..

Originally Posted by Nphocus

Brass rod is noticeably softer and easier to peen than nickle rod. The nickle rod is giving me fits specifically. The cheap flush cutters at harbor freight are about 2$. I have them and they work okay. I'm sure you can get a nicer set from someplace like Graybar that were made by Klein tools. I'm sure a set by Klein will cost an arm and a leg, but they should also last a couple of lifetimes. They're my gold standard ever since I was a lineman.

I've only worked with brass rod so far, so I can't say how well it works on nickel. On brass it's good. The process is slow, but like Stingray said back further, it's gentle. Also, since the engraver isn't a rotary tool, there's not really any threat to hand or other materials. I can press my finger against the tip with it running at full-depth strokes.

Originally Posted by Nphocus

I picked my used xfr400 variable speed dremel up from craigslist.org for $50. It still had the case and the wand extension and most of the bits in unused shape.

Ah! That's the same model Dremel I've got. The wand attachment is really handy! I got mine at CostCo a bunch of years back and it came with a couple extra buckets of gizmos.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

BTW MicroFasteners.com is now stocking these also, I just ordered some in, and they look to be the same..

Oooh! Handy! Especially since Fastener Express doesn't carry (that I found) the #0 wides.

The flipside is that Fastener Express is close enough to me for local pickup, so I can potentially also be spotted as a pervy razor fancier when I walk through the door based on my order.

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

Oooh! Handy! Especially since Fastener Express doesn't carry (that I found) the #0 wides.

The flipside is that Fastener Express is close enough to me for local pickup, so I can potentially also be spotted as a pervy razor fancier when I walk through the door based on my order.

I think microfasteners.com has a mole among us... watching our every move, nay, our every post...


for insight...



into...


our...


MINDS!!!!

The 0-80 nuts at micro fasteners have changed (at least from my last order). they look more like a nut and less like the head of the screw. So anyone using these in replace of peining is gonna have some work if they want to file the ends down to hide the fact that they are using bolts instead of peins.