Workin on my patch knife

[Bluegrass]

I'm working on putting some walnut handles on my patch knife and I've run into a little problem. This is the first time I've ever done anything like this and I'm stumped about how I should make the inlets for the rivet heads.

Any help is appreciated!
Thanks.

 

[Black Hand]

Cutlers rivets are a later development. A partial tang with iron pins would probably be the best in most cases.

 

[Goldhunter]

I agree. If you use pins (iron, brass, copper, etc) you can make the peened over ends a little smoother if you slightly counter sink them. Just put a shallow bevel on the hole and the pin will sit down into it nicely.

I hope that made sense. :grin:

 

[Black Hand]

I don't even bother to peen the ends. The iron pins I use are a very snug fit for the holes. I like to squirt a little super glue into the pin-holes before driving in the pins. If you do peen the ends, be sure not to get too forceful as you could split your wood handle.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Use a larger drill bit to put a bevel on the hole in your wood slabs. I use a copper/nickel rod that is used for brazing, I believe, that I bought from a local machine shop for a quarter for the pins. Its about 1/16" in diameter. I drilled holes through the two slabs, and then inserted the tang into the slabs and marked the hole with my drill bit, using the wood as a guide. Then I removed the slabs and drilled the hole through the tang independently. I had a commercially made patch knife blade that was laminated, and I could not drill the tang until I heated it up red hot and hotter with a torch. Then my drill went through it like drilling through soft pine.Something to remember if you find you are having trouble drilling these small holes. After cutting the pins just a little longer than needed, I peened one end over, then filed down the other end, and peened it, but only after gluing the slabs in place with epoxy resin.I wait until the epoxy has dried before peening the last side of the pin in place, and then file sand and finish the slabs.

 

[Walks Alone]

I agree with the others... the pins being my first choice too.

But if you do want to use cutlers rivets its easy to countersink for them with a correctly sized forstner bit. Mark you location and countersink for the heads (both sides) before you drill the hole for the rivets shank.

 

[musketman]

I'm working on putting some walnut handles on my patch knife and I've run into a little problem. This is the first time I've ever done anything like this and I'm stumped about how I should make the inlets for the rivet heads.

Any help is appreciated!
Thanks.

If you still want to use the rivets (remember, it's your knife), to step down the inlet hole, use a wood drill bit the diameter of the rivet's head...

They cut a flat edge that will recess a relief for the rivet to be flush with the surface, drill the shank's hole first with a standard bit and then switch to the wood bit, align the alignment point and counter-sink the hole to the depth of the rivet's head thickness...

If no wood drill bit can be found small enough, grind the tip of an old "standard" bit to resemble the wood bit, leaving the alignment point in tact, this will work well enough to drill a few holes...

Remember, try it out on scrap wood first, just in case... :grin:

 

[Norskie]

Here's what I do: I use brass stock from Menards for pins and drill my holes just slightly smaller than the stock for a press fit. After attaching the scales and cutting the pins flush I upset the ends of the pins with a prick punch. No failures in years of knife building.
I just realized there aren't any Menards stores here in NC, so when I run out I'll have to find another source for stock or drive back to the midwest. :hmm:

 

[Bountyhunter]

Usually I prefer pins on wooden and antler scales. The easy way to make the pins tight is to taper the pin holes. I use the point of one of the spade bits for that. I do it by hand real careful, use a point that is just a wee bit larger than the hole so that it just barely makes taper. Do the same from both sides so that the holes are bigger on the outside. I do this after I epoxy and clamp the scales in place and let them dry with the pins in the holes, then push the pins out and taper the holes and then use the ball pein end of your hammer and "set" the pins. The head will dome a little but the shank will swell and fill the taper. You have to work from both sides so that the pins swell evenly. I have never had a scale work loose using this method.

 

[scott k]

I used a nail to make the inlets for the rivet heads.
I think it was a 8p maybe a 16p nail. I cut the head down some so it was a little smaller then the size of the rivet head. Put the the nail through the allready drilled rivet holes chucked it up in a hand drill and pulled the nail head into the wood. Go slowwww on the nail or you will burn the wood. got that?
Lehigh...