slipjoint pins

Sean Cochran

Well-Known Member
What are some of the ways you set the pivot pin (bushingless) in slipjoints i.e. taper, chamfer etc and why?

I have been using a chamfer (sp?) but have sometimes had a hard time hiding the pin. I know some guys use a taper of about 10 degrees I think, but how deep does the taper go?

Thanks

Sean
 
Sean im no expert , but I use the tapered reamer. The taper goes in pretty good. What I do is bring my bolsters down to within a 1/16 of the final size, and then I pean them. One thing I do is not to peen them to fast, like for example instead of peaning with 10 hard hits It might take me 25 to30 light hits. This alows the pin to fill the taper fully. If you hit hard you run the risk of swelling the pin in the blade hole and you end up seeing the pin. Good luck and hopefully some one smarter than me post on this, that way also and we can both learn something.
 
Getting a good fit is most the most important part. Mr Helton is correct in the fact that hitting the pin hard will swell the pin in the blade making it way too tight to open smooth.

I will ream the hole for about the first 1/16" with a 10* taper(never all the way trough). then I will file the pin down until there is about 3/32 of the pin showing then I start with the flat side of an 8oz hammer and mushroom the pin on both sides before I ever start to peen it. NOT EVERY MAKER DOES IT THIS WAY. But this is what works for me.( I also polish my hammer and peen face on the buffer, I was told it leaves a better mark on the pin but I cant tell) and take your time you spent how many hours getting to this point. dont rush it.
 
Getting a good fit is most the most important part. Mr Helton is correct in the fact that hitting the pin hard will swell the pin in the blade making it way too tight to open smooth.

I will ream the hole for about the first 1/16" with a 10* taper(never all the way trough). then I will file the pin down until there is about 3/32 of the pin showing then I start with the flat side of an 8oz hammer and mushroom the pin on both sides before I ever start to peen it. NOT EVERY MAKER DOES IT THIS WAY. But this is what works for me.( I also polish my hammer and peen face on the buffer, I was told it leaves a better mark on the pin but I cant tell) and take your time you spent how many hours getting to this point. dont rush it.

Execllent advise rusty
 
I use a tapered reamer from TKS, I don't know the angle but it is pretty shallow. I give it about a turn and a half by hand. Just enough to get about a 10 or 15 thousands shiny ring around the pin hole. My bolsters are already shaped and sanded to 400 or 600 by now.

Sand the pins up to 600, just chuck them in a drill and sand. Clean everything well (I use acetone) and blow dry with air compressor.

I use a .001 or .002 piece of shim stock on each side of the blade and start peining a little heavy at first to set the pin and then start taping until the pins are swelled. I use the hammer end of a small ball pein instead of the rounded end. I polish the hammer face often.

I tap a few times on each side and check the blade for pinching and continue. When I think the pins are swelled enough to hide, I remove the shims. The shims should be pretty tight now and pliers needed to remove.

All it takes from here is a light tap from side to side until the blade is tightened up.

I ream the pivot hole in the blade .003 oversized with a carbide reamer just before I pein the knife together.


Craig
 
I have recently tried the method Wheldon Whitley does in his DVD. He cuts a groove around the inside of the bolster with a dremel bit so the pin swells into it. His reasoning is that if an engraver is working on your bolsters all the hammering on the bolster can push the pin free and if you have just chamfered the pin rather than tapering it down a reasonable amount into the bolster the engraver could actually remove all the chamfered section so your pin won't be very secure at all. I must admit when I did it I also did a chamfer around the edge so the pin would be sure to be hidden but I was very happy with the result. I plan on using it on all my bolstered knives from now on.

Alistair
 
Thanks for all the input. I have a 10* reamer ordered, I just wanted to make sure that was the general concensus. Thats why I like this place, ask and ye shall receive.2thumbs

Sean
 
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