Hi Justin

A couple pieces of advise that I can offer you is to not limit yourself to just a Mastersmith. There are plenty of Journeymen and Apprentices who are very skilled in this area that may be close to where you are.

I would also suggest that you give more detail to what areas are causing you the most difficulty. Also some pictures of you work would be helpful. By doing this, you may find that you can get the help you need right here in the forum and if your answers are not found here, I would guess that you will find enough help to make your visit to someone else's shop more productive.

Brian

Hello Mr. Jones, welcome to the ABS and Forum. You have gotten some really good advice already. I would just like to add that MS Joe Kesslar has a Fantastic book "Handles and Guards" I purchased all 3 of his books thru the ABS, they are that well put together. He covers everything you need to know to attach handle, bolsters,guard,liners,rivets etc... If I could figure out how to post pictures I would post them. His text and art work/diagrams are very easy to follow. Good luck and happy forging. Ron.

Thank you Brian for your post sometimes I fail to realize how much more advanced the journeyman smith or 99 percent of the others are from were I currently stand. I guess I should have started the post Intry anyone giving lessons. I'm really not looking to make a living out of making knives,more of just making solid useable knives for myself,family members,and friends. I will try to get some pictures uploaded when I do you will clearly see the problems I'm having with bolster pins and the overall look of the bolsters and knife handle construction. Sorry for the punctuation.. Or lack there of haha

This is my third knife I've made nickel silver bolsters and pins. Just for starters those bolster pins that you can see I can't seem to get them to vanish I think I'm drilling them straight using the drill press but I'm not shure.. 1/8 drill bit 1/8 nickel silver pin.

Nice looking knife Mr. Jones, I would like to offer my opinion. I'm know where as skilled as the other guys but I would like to participate. From the look of the bolsters and rivets maybe you had some dirt/grime in your rivet holes. After I have drilled my hole thru bolsters and knife tang, I use an oversized drill bit ground to a taper to open up the top of rivet hole some (so the rivet head can Form below surface of bolster material. After that I cut my rivet stock so 1/8 inch is sticking out of both sides,then file the top of rivet flat which should make final rivets sticking 1/32 out of both sides. After getting rivet stock cut, (this may help with your situation ) I take really fine sand paper to lightly polish/clean rivets, then I use q tips and rubbing alcohol to clean the holes out of bolsters and knife tang. When I set the rivets I use a small peening hammer and give just a couple blows,flip it over and do the same thing. I continue this until the hole is completely filled. After that it's just a matter of filing and sanding them flush,they should dissappear. I hope this helps you. I have pictures but I can't figure out how to post them. If you have a e mail I could send them to you. Happy forging. Ron

I see what your sayin. Makes sense will definitely try that on the next one. Thanks for the response man.

Your welcome, if you could please let me know how your next one turns out. Happy forging. Ron

For some reason I cannot see the picture, but one thing that I have found when I have pinned something and the pins showed is that the materials were not the same. I ran into this several years ago with stainless steel. Is there a way that you can verify that the bar and pin stock are the same composition?

Brian

I use to have issues with nickel silver pins. At Blade in 2014 Sharon Jantz of Jantz Knife Supplies introduced me to a specific nickel silver they carry that the bar stock and pins are of the same composition. It worked. I mainly use 416 stainless for my fittings after a long conversation with Bruce Bump. Not as easy to work but, I get a far nicer end product.

I drill 1/8" holes also but, use a reamer on the holes on the outside of the guard/bolster. That causes me to make a larger dome to fill the pin hole. Also sanding the outside of my pins before using them makes sure they are clean.

|quoted:

Nice looking knife Mr. Jones, I would like to offer my opinion. I'm know where as skilled as the other guys but I would like to participate. From the look of the bolsters and rivets maybe you had some dirt/grime in your rivet holes. After I have drilled my hole thru bolsters and knife tang, I use an oversized drill bit ground to a taper to open up the top of rivet hole some (so the rivet head can Form below surface of bolster material. After that I cut my rivet stock so 1/8 inch is sticking out of both sides,then file the top of rivet flat which should make final rivets sticking 1/32 out of both sides. After getting rivet stock cut, (this may help with your situation ) I take really fine sand paper to lightly polish/clean rivets, then I use q tips and rubbing alcohol to clean the holes out of bolsters and knife tang. When I set the rivets I use a small peening hammer and give just a couple blows,flip it over and do the same thing. I continue this until the hole is completely filled. After that it's just a matter of filing and sanding them flush,they should dissappear. I hope this helps you. I have pictures but I can't figure out how to post them. If you have a e mail I could send them to you. Happy forging. Ron

This is all very good advice. The only difference I might suggest is using a tapered pin reamer rather than an over-sized drill bit. These are very shallow tapered countersink reamers that produce a conical expansion of the hole at the top.

Ronald, posting pictures is a little tricky, but here are the basics: http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/index.php?/topic/115-editing-photos-for-the-internet/

If you still have problems after reading this tutorial and the additional posts in the forum, send me a private message from my profile page and I will help you out.

Thank you Mr. States, I am definitely going to get a proper tapered reamer( Great advice) and thank you very much for the advice on posting pics. I should have my second knife finished this weekend so I'm going to get it another shot this sunday. If I still can't figure it out I will definitely contact you. I'm ready to participate alot more,being I don't have all the knowledge most of the others have I figures I could use my Joe Keeslar books and do tutorials that way. Thanks again Mr. States have a great evening. Ron C

I use a 1/8 tapered punch or a nail set sanded and buffed to a mirror finish. A little tap into the hole and your hole is tapered and smooth. A polished pin goes in and you are done. No line.