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I could use some help with pinning. The pins of my first efforts do not meet my approval. I am using a small ball peen hammer, 1/16 brass rod with brass washers, and 1/16 in nickel silver rod with steel washers. Looking straight down, they don't look too bad, but from the sides they are not well formed. Would this suggest that I should use more but gentler blows with the hammer? Or should I use fewer but heavier blows? Or does this just improve with practice? I could use suggestions.
Definitely more blows with less force!! Heavier and harder is never the way. And of course practice practice practice! Do that and you'll be well on the way to perfect peens.
This might help. http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...tml#post875983
Howard
1/4 inch ?????
Most of us use 1/16 inch
Hoping 1/4 is a typo, as Glen said 1/16 is normally used. In my limited experience, slow and steady with the peening is the way to go. I use two hammers to peen, I have a 2oz riveting hammer and a 4oz ball peen. Lots of light taps are the way to go, making sure you keep you strikes even around the edge of the pin.
If you can take a couple of macro shots of your efforts it might help. One from the top and one from the side to show what your describing.
Stu
All of these guys are dead on. I've gotten to where it may take me a LOT of little taps to literally shape my pins, but I enjoy working the metal to where I want it. When I say a lot, I mean hundreds of little taps...per side. I usually start out with a bit much material sticking out, start working the pin and then shorten as needed with a file until I get everything "just right". Key is taking your time. Another thing I have run into is that some brass stock is a bit hard and you may have to anneal it to soften it & make it work right.
Baby taps & lots of them...
When I am done shaping the pins, I typically polish it a bit with a touch from a dremel and a felt pad or 2k grit sandpaper...or both.
Of course, protect your scales no matter what you are doing during the pinning process.
Agreed to many light taps. Don't really think can strike too light. Always moving and rotating razor so non striking side doesn't flatten out.
After pinned, I sand wedge side, making sure it is a completely smooth union. Due to this, I also end up doing a final pass over much of the razor once again with MicroMesh.
Once at around 2400, I'll swipe the pins a few strokes up to the 12000. Leaves pinned heads with a tight look. I like that better than power polish. Using something like a dremmel tends to oval the heads, and removes sharp edges of pin and washers. For me, I don't like that detail being removed.