What exactly is involved in peening?

[Benner]

Can someone please explain to me what the process of peening is?  I often read about how modders have peened together SAK's, but although I know what that results in, I am not quite sure what is actually involved.

Thanks

Benner

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Can someone please explain to me what the process of peening is?  I often read about how modders have peened together SAK's, but although I know what that results in, I am not quite sure what is actually involved.

Thanks

Benner

It just where they hammer the brass into a dome shape to hold the layers/tools together

I'm sure there was some pictures over on Sosakonline, showing it

[Benner]

Can someone please explain to me what the process of peening is?  I often read about how modders have peened together SAK's, but although I know what that results in, I am not quite sure what is actually involved.

Thanks

Benner

It just where they hammer the brass into a dome shape to hold the layers/tools together

I'm sure there was some pictures over on Sosakonline, showing it

So does the ring part get "domed" over slightly to hold it all together then?

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Can someone please explain to me what the process of peening is?  I often read about how modders have peened together SAK's, but although I know what that results in, I am not quite sure what is actually involved.

Thanks

Benner

It just where they hammer the brass into a dome shape to hold the layers/tools together

I'm sure there was some pictures over on Sosakonline, showing it

So does the ring part get "domed" over slightly to hold it all together then?

Yep, it's that simple in theory, in practice however...

[Leatherman123]

I understand now, thanks! 

[NutSAK]

Here is a pic of Bill peening a 91mm Vic.

[Leatherman123]

Bill looks very similar to Adam Savage from Mythbusters!

[Benner]

That must take immense skill to perfect.  I imagine it could be quite easy to make it too tight or too loose.

[NutSAK]

Can someone please explain to me what the process of peening is?  I often read about how modders have peened together SAK's, but although I know what that results in, I am not quite sure what is actually involved.

Thanks

Benner

It just where they hammer the brass into a dome shape to hold the layers/tools together

I'm sure there was some pictures over on Sosakonline, showing it

So does the ring part get "domed" over slightly to hold it all together then?

It's actually the pin that acts as the pivots for the tool that gets "domed" on each end.  On a 91mm SAK, the pin is "domed" and widened to fit the brass ring or spacer that the scales mount to.  On the alox models, the pin is domed and widened to fit a depression in the scale itself.

How he does that on the alox models without dinging them up is a wonder to me.  It must also be difficult to get the length of the pin just right so that you don't have too much or too little brass sticking out to peen over.

[Leatherman123]

I have the same G-Shock as Bill! 

[J-sews]

I've only tried peening pivot pins once, on an old Joseph Rodgers knife I was restoring. It is maddingly difficult without the right tools. Surprisingly to me, it wasn't the top head of the pin that caused headaches, it was the bottom head. The bottom of the pin must be held in some sort of solid, cup-shaped depression while you peen on the top.

[scibeer]

It can be a frustrating process for sure.

After a few practice runs, you start to get the hang of it though.    The most important part is having the right amount of material when you start.   For the 91mm knives, you only need about 1mm above and beyond the rivets.    Make sure your knife is pressed together and there aren't any gaps between layers that will compress and leave you with a bunch of extra pinstock.

I start peening on one side with the other side of the pin resting on an anvil (or any heavy metal surface)   You use  repeated short sharp shots (couldn't resist the Floyd reference!) to slowly move the metal where you want it.    Think of the brass as a thick liquid.   You can really shape it and move it where you want once you get the hang of it.   

The cellidor models are more forgiving for looks since the pins are covered, but less forgiving for action of the tools if you go too tight or loose.

The alox knives are tough since you're smacking that hammer a couple hundred times about a mm away from the handle which distorts easily.    God forbid its red or blue.   You have very little forgiveness with the colors.   Most of the alox knives I've done have small beauty marks as its almost impossible to hit that pin over and over without touching the alox a few times.    I use my fingers to frame the area I'm peening to prevent mis hits.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I don't think frustration really covers it mate , I know I wouldn't have the patience to repeatedly hit a tiny object a 200 times with just the right amount of force, I take my hat of to you mate

[J-sews]

Bill, is the punch you are using cup-shaped on the bottom, or flat?

[scibeer]

Actually, I just use the round headed peening hammer without a punch.    I've made about 50 prototype punches with dished out tips, but they don't work well for me.    The more punch surface area in contact with the pin, the harder you have to hit it to make it contort. 

If you tap the pins too hard, they will actually bend in the layers and one side of your knife ends up u shaped.     If you do that, its mandatory to throw the knife against the garage door as hard as you can to correct the problem.    It never works, but feels quite refreshing.

I know several others who use the punch successfully, but I would guess its flat and only a small part of the punch is actually in contact with the pin when it's struck.

For alox, the best change I have made was to start rounding the pins off before peening with a domed carbide cutter in a dremel.    The pins come out much cleaner looking starting with a round end.

[ultimaonliner]

This is very interesting stuff.

So, to take apart a SAK, after you remove the cellidor scales, do you use a Dremel and saw or grind off the hammered end of the pin (?rivet) ?

[Benner]

I think Tom (Rotokid) sells a kit that helps you do that.  Couldn't tell you how it worked though.

[scibeer]

On the cellidor models, there will be 4 pins to deal with.    3 are peened into the rivets that hold the handles on, and the 4th one (pivot for corkscrew) has spun heads.    One side is flatter than the other so I grind the flatter side off for the center pin with a dremel sanding drum.

For the others,  centerpunch the head of the pin in each rivet on one side of the knife.    Then drill it out using a bit around 1/8" in diameter.   Only remove enough so the rivets don't get damaged.   You'll need them when you put the knife back together.

Then you can drive the pins out with a punch (3/32" works well for the outsides and 1/16" for the inside pins.    I like to push the pins out of the rivets a little with a nailset to spare my punches a bit.

[ultimaonliner]

Bill,

I don't think I could afford any of you nodded SAKs!  It sounds like a lot of work!

Otherwise, I would have asked you to mod the Champ and Deluxe Tinker with silver alox for me a while ago.

[scibeer]

Lucky for you I'd have had to say no anyway.    The alox handles won't go on the 91mm knives.   

You can build an alox knife with many of the 91mmm tools, but it is involved and not just switching handles.

Mods on cellidor knives aren't too bad.     Give it a whirl.    Felinevet has cheapies for donor knives.

[ultimaonliner]

Ah, so the Alox Champ you made was really an Alox model you put new tools into!

How much for an Alox version of a Deluxe Tinker (blade, scissors, pliers, Phillips, flat screwdriver, can opener, bottle opener)?