What size holes?

D

Dan Youngs

Active Member
I am wondering what size you drill your holes for handle pins. I am using 1/8' and 3/16" pins, I was drill the small size holes but yesterday I cracked a scale. Does the epoxy expand when it dries? I did not see any sign of a crack until after the epoxy dried. Should I drill a slightly larger hole?

The scale was Brazilian hard wood. the pins were brass. I also laminated a brass sheet on each side of the blade. The whole thing was pretty tight going together.

The crack is centered in two of the pins.
 
I always drill holes slightly over-sized. For a 1/8" pin I use a #30 bit to drill the hole, this gives about .0035" clearance... this gives room for the epoxy, makes assembling the handle much easier, and removes any chance of splitting the scales. For 3/16" pins I'd use a #12 drill bit.
 
Good call George. Not much more from me to add. I do use optivisors to see when to stop peening.
 
As George says, slightly oversize holes, and make sure the epoxy you're using is NOT one that expands as it drys. A few epoxies will expand on drying. For pins in a full tang knife I never peen the pins, just rough up the sides of pins, coat really good with epoxy, slide in and let dry. Those pins will NEVER come out.

I use optivisor for just about everything - my old eyes just aren't that good anymore.

Ken H>
 
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