[Barry Clodfelter]

Great tutorial Lin! Just one or two questions if you don't mind. How are you securing the pin stock to the cup? Solder? Or hammering it down and polishing it? And you also mentioned that some makers don't punch holes in the cups and use solder to secure them. What I don't understand is how they would have access to solder the second cup on once it has been push thru a handle. Am I thinking right that one side has to be punched so the cup sits flush in the relief?

[Lin Rhea]

I think you're right Barry. They would have to drill one side and pein it. That's what I would do anyway. I would be glad to hear other ways though.

[Steve Culver]

Lin,
That is a really nice tool for making pin domes!

Like Brion, I use a dapping block to make domes. I bought this set from Harbor Freight. HF calls it a doming block and punch set. The current price is $40.


Below is a lnk to a tutorial that I put together on making pin domes. I prefer to use fairly thick material for the domes, because it makes it easier to flatten the bottom of the dome. The dome in this tutorial was made from .032" nickel-silver. I leave the extra material around the dome and set it on a piece of wood for drilling the pin hole. This helps to keep it from spinning.

Holding the dome in a pin vice makes it easy to handle for grinding and buffing.

The dome for the other side of the handle is made in the same way, except the pin hole is counter-sunk to allow for peining over the pin. Once you have the pin peined, you only have to buff the top of the dome, since the rest of the dome has already been polished. If I need to protect the handle material from the buffing wheel, I cut a hole the size of the dome in a piece of painter's tape and place it over the handle material.

Pin Dome Tutorial

[Dale Huckabee]

Thanks Steve, Lin and Brion. I don't think I would have ever figured out that was the way to make the pins. I appreciat yall taking the time to post the tutorials.

Dale