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  #1  
Old 04-22-2008, 08:08 PM
Slim12 Slim12 is offline
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Mosaic Pins on a Maverick Hunter.

I am planning a fixed blade build, a Maverick Hunter, and would like some help on a few things. The page says for handle construction use 3/16" SS or brass rod, also see "Mosaic Pins". However the mosaic pins do not come in this size. From searching this site it seems I need to drill out the holes in the blade from 3/16 to 1/4, and instead of peening a pin or rod, I will rough up and epoxy both the scales to the blade and the mosaic pins to the scales. Is this correct? Do I need a special drill bit to get through the blade?

Thanks.
  #2  
Old 04-22-2008, 09:50 PM
Hukk Hukk is offline
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I would have more catalogs on hand. Jantz has 3/16", I think they have 1/8" to 3/8". Texas Knifemakers, and K&G are also good catalogs and they are online as well. Each of these have areas that I find cheaper or a better inventory. Jantz and Texas Knife both have a good selection. An online family owned store I frequent is http://www.alphaknifesupply.com They are great to deal with. I'm sure others will have ideas also. Good luck!


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  #3  
Old 04-23-2008, 07:08 AM
EdStreet EdStreet is offline
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Well I have faced this several times. Head over to msc direct and get some solid carbide flute bits with 2 flutes (for new holes) and spade point bits (ream larger holes from existing holes). That will drill thru tempered steel somewhat easy but be very careful these bits can chip and are super fragile, easily broken and damaged. Some of them can get pricy to. You also have be concerned about heat build up.

You can also use smaller pins as well. Say you put in 1/8 pins then simply drill one hole on the top of the tang hole and the other at the bottom, this will prevent slipage. Many times you will find when using different size pins the existing holes are not the holes you need to use and must create your own.

When buying mosaic pins I personally like to see good clear blown up photo's (macros) or diagrams of the design and colors used. So far only 2 places I have seen seems to agree with that and Alphaknifesupply is the best one I have seen so far. I find that texas knife, knifekits and k&g I would put on the bottom of the list for clarity; jantz supply in the middle and alpha knife supply in the top.

When inserting the mosaic pins it is a good idea to rough up the outside so that glue will stick better. If you read the glue testing thread (all 20ish pages of it) you will learn that bead blasting is superior to sanding for glue joints. Besides you will have to sand because when you cut the pin the edge will not be flush.

You can also make your own mosaic pins. local hobby shops, smallparts.com, etc.. stocks a good variety of tubes. Use hollow tubes of various shapes, size and material then use thinned dyed epoxy and inject into the rod. Dye being acrylic paint, pigments etc.. Work up some for testing beforehand because with the epoxy it *WILL* change colors when mixed with the epoxy. Work with small sections of say 1-2 inches to reduce mistakes like air bubbles, color contamination and the like.

Hope this helps.


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But steel - cold steel is master of them all.
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  #4  
Old 05-15-2008, 05:03 PM
Slim12 Slim12 is offline
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Got the kit.

Thanks for those replies, always helpful.

I tried to get the spade drill locally, I hit a brick wall and in the end got 3/16 brass rod as recommended on the Maverick page. Its pretty loose in the holes in the blade handle, this surprised me, I thought it would be a fairly snug fit. It is the correct part, the rod is just under 5mm, the hole closer to 6mm. I've read about the need for epoxy to hold the scales on, it seems that peening the pins will squeeze the scales together, but if the epoxy job is bad, or it lets go for any reason there could be a fair bit of movement on the scales.

I'm going to recycle some local wood for the scales, I would like to hear any experiences from anyone who has tried this before, I guess I will go into the bush and find some suitable sized pieces, dry and shape them etc.
  #5  
Old 05-15-2008, 05:43 PM
EdStreet EdStreet is offline
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Unless you live near some place like MSC or the like, OR have a super super good tool shop local (doubtful for most ppl) you will be stuck with ordering. Fortunately MSC has a shipping point about 100 miles from me in atlanta and in the next day zone for ground shipping.


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Gold is for the mistress - silver for the maid
Copper for the craftsman cunning in his trade.
"Good!" said the Baron, sitting in his hall
But steel - cold steel is master of them all.
Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936)
  #6  
Old 05-16-2008, 09:09 PM
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Mungo Park Mungo Park is offline
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I have used local wood, you have to let it dry, the basic rule ids 1 year per inch thickness. I have had some sucess with cutting the wet wood painting the cut surface with water bases house paint leting it sit in the garage for a year. If you live in a hot place put it in the basement for a few months first or it might crack. If you want to speed it up some, microwave it at a low power and the water should boil out, be careful if you heat it to much it will set it on fire. Good luck.
Here is a set of oak scales I just cut last night, it is hard to see but it has sme very tight grain, and also some local box elder burl with some red in it, cut for fishing reel seats.



Cheers Ron.

Last edited by Mungo Park; 05-16-2008 at 09:46 PM.
  #7  
Old 06-11-2008, 09:01 PM
Slim12 Slim12 is offline
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Mosiac pins

So anyway, regarding my mild surprise at the supplied 3/16 pins being so loose in the holes, it occured to me that knife kits 1/4" mosiac pins will indeed fit without having to drill anything. All I can do is eyeball the holes against a ruler until I borrow something better to measure it, but am pretty sure its going to work.
  #8  
Old 06-11-2008, 11:06 PM
Hukk Hukk is offline
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If there is one tool I use in my shop daily it's my calipers (multiple times daily) and I have a set of standards to make sure the calipers and other adjustable measurement tools are accurate, even my scales. I learned the hard way - my 3/16 bit was .003 off and a set of ebony scales and a set of snakewood scales cracked before I measured my drill bit - 0.184 vs. 0.1875 was enough to do it plus slightly large pinstock. The pinstock was 0.189 and I cracked the scales checking the fit before glueing. I check the holes and the pinstock now. A ruler won't help.

On the Maverick, I know the holes are oversize but I still used 3/16 stock. I figured being oversize gave me a little slop if my scales weren't quite right and everything fit just right.
Made another with some nice French Walnut and then made some dowels from the French Walnut to make pins, so when I was done the handles looked pinless.

Calico Hardwoods is just a few miles from me and a contact lets me come in now and then to pick up some cut offs from the exhibition grade gunstock blanks they keep there. Man, I come out of there drooling every time.


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  #9  
Old 06-12-2008, 12:53 PM
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NJStricker NJStricker is offline
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Well, this is a little late since you've already drilled your holes, but you can save my response for another time and another knife, I suppose.

One way you could use the mosaic pins, if the holes in the factory tang are smaller, is to just use the holes as they are, and the regular pins as they are.

But, before installing them, use a step drill to recess an area on your handle the size of the mosaic pin. The plain pin can be installed and epoxied, but will be "blind" or hidden. Then, cut a thin section of your mosaic pin and epoxy in place in the recess you drilled so that it covers the plain pin.

Do you follow? I may not have explained it well. Basically, you use the plain pins to hold the handle slabs, and only use the mosaic pins for decoration. There's no need to have the mosaic pin go all the way through the handle when they are so expensive and you are looking only at the end of them anyway.
  #10  
Old 06-12-2008, 08:03 PM
Slim12 Slim12 is offline
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I understand

Yes I understand, I haven't drilled any holes though, I thought the holes would be 3/16 because this is what pin stock was recommended on the Maverick page, but when it arrived found the pins very loose in the holes.

Good idea though, although I bet that step drill will be harder for me to find locally as the spade point bits are.

I do need calipers though.
 

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blade, fixed blade, hunting knife, knife


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