Thread: My non-destructive method of unpinning

Great tip for protecting the scale when filing off the pin! Thank you.

Related question: any tips on how to protect the razor/scales when tapping out the pin AFTER the head has been filed off? I've experimented placing the razor over my open vice with a protective cloth underneath the razor to prevent scratches, but it moves around too much. How do you guys secure the razor for this procedure?

Originally Posted by diyguy

Great tip for protecting the scale when filing off the pin! Thank you.

Related question: any tips on how to protect the razor/scales when tapping out the pin AFTER the head has been filed off? I've experimented placing the razor over my open vice with a protective cloth underneath the razor to prevent scratches, but it moves around too much. How do you guys secure the razor for this procedure?

You could embed it in a block of child's modeling clay, known in the UK and probably some other places as plasticene, the kind which isn't gritty and never hardens. If the pin is properly liberated at its top end, it will drive out easily into the clay.

Originally Posted by Havachat45

Has anyone tried putting the ball shape burr from a Dremel into a drill press?
It might give you more control over the tool therefore less chance of damaging the washer and scales.
FWIW
Cheers,
Geoff

Anything ball-shaped is going to be pretty bad at holding to the centre of the pin. It would be just the same with a ball-nose end-mill, which is otherwise very similar to a twist drill. I think you would be better to use the Dremel, and a lens if you need one, to make sure that the edge of the tiny ball makes its first depression in the centre of the pin.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Another option is to make a guard out of some thin brass sheet by drilling various sized holes in it as needed. No mess, and reusable.

True, but then you'd have the issue of making sure it stays in the same place, and it would probably be thicker than tape.

Originally Posted by diyguy

Related question: any tips on how to protect the razor/scales when tapping out the pin AFTER the head has been filed off? I've experimented placing the razor over my open vice with a protective cloth underneath the razor to prevent scratches, but it moves around too much. How do you guys secure the razor for this procedure?

First, there are always going to be scales that no matter how careful you are, they're going to crack. Here's how I do it. After having gotten one of the washers off, I leave the tape on and file a hole in the tape on the other side to allow the pin to come out. I don't know what the best support to use is, but I use a near-used up roll of electrical tape. I've got a 16(?) penny finishing nail that I filed to conical/sharper point as a drift. I like to use something pointy because it can form a divot in the brass pin, which gives a little bit of support for the drift to stay where it should. Then with something relatively light, such as a pair of diagonal cutters, I tap out the pin.

One good way to break scales is to try to drift out a pin that still has a little bit of upsetting on the end (mushroomed slightly). Make sure the rivet head is as gone as possible.

Thanks for the tip, I sure will try this next time.

Definitely a good idea to protect the scales. Better to scuff the tape instead of finding out you accidentally scuffed the scales. I think I would be to nervous to do a proper job without some sort of protection

THat is a good idea...I know i have screwed up a bunch of scales drilling...The bit always slips.

Originally Posted by diyguy

Great tip for protecting the scale when filing off the pin! Thank you.

Related question: any tips on how to protect the razor/scales when tapping out the pin AFTER the head has been filed off? I've experimented placing the razor over my open vice with a protective cloth underneath the razor to prevent scratches, but it moves around too much. How do you guys secure the razor for this procedure?

I have a piece of railroad iron that I drilled a hole in to drift the pin into. Something better would be a piece of soft pine wood as it wouldn't scratch anything. I typically start the pins out to where I can grab them with pliers or something so I can twist and work the pin out slowly...any force at all will break some bakelite scales...I haven't broken a set in a while, but expect it to happen once and a while. That's just the way the cookie crumbles.

Ok, Guys,
Here is another method which can sometimes save a set of scales when unpinning.
As above, remove one pin head riveting bulge.
1.grip and slowly pull a bit of slack with the other end of the pin.
2.When you have a few thousandths of space between the blade and scales.
3 push the blade against the pulled pin side to make slack space next to the blade.
4.use a jewelers piercing saw frame and a 00 or finer blade and saw through the pin next to the blade.
5.Then you can sometimes push the pin ends out from the inside. You may have to file the inside pin ends to get rid of some expansion before they will go all the way through! I did that about forty times in the last day or so. I finally cleaned out my to-do box
Be slow and safe. If I am in a hurry and don't listen to my inner warning soon enough..SNAP.
And, I did lose four scales.

They are really cheap and worth a lot in time saved and tricks learned!
A bench pin surely helps also!

Respectfully
~Richard