Thread: Help on making custom scales

It is a little more then that and there are some differences in brass

Did you practice on just two sticks first ?? Popsicle sticks work great, are you not using a washer ???


Some Hardware Store brass rods can be quite hard and need to be Annealed first to get a good peen but this is something that practicing helps you learn.. what size hole did you drill???

Do you have a bench vice to be able to set the peen on one side first or a Jeweler's Block that has been drilled???

I know tons of questions but I am trying to get you to really think about what you are doing, before you rush to finsh, and crack your scales

I haven't actually done much of anything. I was trying to do one side if the rod I cut so I could hold a washer on it. How would I anneal it? With my oven?

I don't have a bench vise. I was just holding it with my hands. I have some spare wood to practice on and I am in no rush. Thanks for the guidance.

what were you using under the pin to support it while you peened the top side?

I tried some different things like concrete and flat metal surfaces.

Well concrete probably isn't the best idea. but as long as the flat metal surfaces are supported by something solid. For instance, I don't have a jewelers block or anvil so I use the largest allen socket on top of my sturdy desk.

Originally Posted by TwistedOak

Well concrete probably isn't the best idea. but as long as the flat metal surfaces are supported by something solid. For instance, I don't have a jewelers block or anvil so I use the largest allen socket on top of my sturdy desk.

Do you think I need to pop the brass in the oven for 15 min to anneal it?

Originally Posted by ladavis89

Do you think I need to pop the brass in the oven for 15 min to anneal it?

Probably not now that we are getting a better picture..

There are a few illustrated guides on how to pin in the the sticky at the top of this forum in fact thare are a couple of Vids too,, You REALLY need to look at this stuff, before you return to the scales..

You are way way off "Concrete"????? Really ??? you have to think and plan this out, this is where many people mess up, you got this far don't screw it up now

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

There are good ideas inside of those threads too about what to use if you don't have all the fancy tools that many of us that do those Threads and Vids are using, like the side of an old hammer and Vice grips.. Improvise and Overcome That bottom surface is pretty important there, is a post in there about a guy trying the bottom of a cast iron skillet and even that gave to much

Originally Posted by gssixgun

You REALLY need to look at this stuff, before you return to the scales..

Just to be clear, I haven't even attempted to pin my scales yet. Everything I have said that I tried was just on a 1" brass rod so I could practice my peening. I am in no rush and have no intentions of attempting this on my scales until I have successfully pinned a trial set.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

You are way way off "Concrete"????? Really ???

Concrete was just one of the surfaces I tried, I quickly found out that it wasn't a good one. I wasn't suggesting that it was a good idea.

I tried following some of those "how to's" but I couldn't get anything going. Among those surfaces I tried was a steel dumbell but I couldn't get it to work either. I am wondering if I don't have the right ballpeen hammer for the job. I bought a small one from a model train shop. I'm estimating it to be around 4 oz (it wasn't marked on the package). I tried using different hammering forces and it just barely flattened out the head but would not really mushroom. The washer can still slide over it. How long does it typically take to finish one side of the rod?

How are you supporting the rod???

Honestly I use a 4oz ballbeen and use a bench vice to hold a new pin, about 10-20 taps and it will hold a washer, and that is all I need, I don't try and "Mushroom" the rod until the the pin is locked in place on the razor...

I really don't understand what you are actually trying, perhaps a better description so we can actually figure out what component is missing...

Yes, please take a picture of what you've attempted so far so that words don't confuse.