MTBob
Well-Known Member
I'm still on a vertical learning curve with knife making, having done a couple dozen at this point. A reoccurring issue is how to get a tight (but not too tight) a fit when installing pins in a knife scale. For instance: when drilling for a 1/8" G10 pin that measures .125 I'll try a 1/8" drilled hole and the pin is often too tight. Or, conversely, if I drill a #30 hole the pin may be too loose. It seems the pin material can vary a couple thousandths (often +/-.0015). I've used all kinds of pin and handle material and the pin fit seems to vary enough to make it frustrating (G10, brass, SS, Micarta, etc). I'm attempting to be very precise so that there is absolutely no visible gap between the pin and scale. Recently I've adopted a "safe" method of sanding each pin to a snug fit (using drill press, lathe or hand drill). But, I don't see a lot of knife makers doing that, so I must be missing something.
So, here are my questions:
1) do you only drill holes and hope for the best fit? or,
2) do you drill an undersized whole and then sand the pin so there is a snug fit?
Then also,
3) do you oversize the pin holes in the knife tang (say a 1/64 larger) to make sure there is no sizing issue with the pins interferring with the tang holes?
And,
4) do you want a fit that A) you have to "pound" in, B) push in hard by hand, or C) will move smoothly through the whole and actually fall out?
5) if you've screwed up and made holes too big for the selected pin size is there a way to fix the gap...other than starting over?
Thanks in advance
Bob
So, here are my questions:
1) do you only drill holes and hope for the best fit? or,
2) do you drill an undersized whole and then sand the pin so there is a snug fit?
Then also,
3) do you oversize the pin holes in the knife tang (say a 1/64 larger) to make sure there is no sizing issue with the pins interferring with the tang holes?
And,
4) do you want a fit that A) you have to "pound" in, B) push in hard by hand, or C) will move smoothly through the whole and actually fall out?
5) if you've screwed up and made holes too big for the selected pin size is there a way to fix the gap...other than starting over?
Thanks in advance
Bob