Flared Tube Rivet Tutorial

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flatgrinder

flatgrinder

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Dec 20, 2005
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If anyone's interested, here's how I do it:

Materials required:

1/4" seamless 303 stainless steel tubing (I got mine from onlinemetals.com)
Wood screw heads (Head width = 0.302", shaft width = 0.129")
Hardened "hex key" heads (Head width = 0.376")
Countersink
Lubricant (I use olive oil mixed with WD-40)
Bench Vice
Hacksaw
Tubing Cutter
Digital Calipers
Black Marker pen

(Assuming you've already finished the scales and countersunk the holes in the scales -I go 5mm below the surface).

1. Measure the width of the handle with the calipers (blade, and scales), mark the tubing with the marker pen, scratch the width using the calipers, and cut the tubes to this width (using the tubing cutter).

2. Hold each tube with a pair of vice grips and using a drill press with a countersink bit, countersink the inside diameter of the tube slightly to aid in flaring.

3. Cut off the heads of the bolts, leave a little to fit inside the tube -but not so much as to touch each other.

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4. Apply lube (this is essential, otherwise the tubes may not flare and will split) using a Q-tip to the inside of the tube and around the base of the screw heads.

5. Press the 1/4" tubes into the handle and through the scales using the vice. Make sure they're even, this can be done by feel.

6. Put the smaller screw heads on each side of the tube.

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7. Holding the screw heads in place, slide it into the vice, tighten vice. I tighten as much as I can, without a cheater bar. If you can crack micarta scales by hand -you're a monster!! (I haven't tried this with wood scales yet, but practicing on pine, I haven't cracked it).

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8. This sets the rivets. Repeat Steps 6 & 7 using the wider screw heads for a proper and clean flare.

9. You're done.

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10. Wash off the oil with soap and water.

Hope this helps anyone wanting to do this. If you find a wider screw head with the same shaft dia. you can do this in 1 step, but I haven't had any luck in finding one.

Takes a little practice, but is a strong and affordable way of fixing handle scales with no epoxy. I used to use Loveless bolts, and still do, but this way is quicker and just as strong. I would recommend that you try it on a plank of wood first.

The cool thing is that you can drill out the rivets at any time and replace the scales, so if you're into changing colors of scales or anything else like that, this works well. :D

P.S. If anyone's wondering, I posted a thread asking if this is trademarked by Busse Combat, as this style of rivet is what they use, and Jerry let us know that it isn't trademarked and okay for other makers to use:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=469956
 
Very cool. Thanks for sharing. Looks pretty straight forward. Definitely have to give this a try.

Charles
 
Sweet! I've got a couple knives on the drawing board that I think I'll try this on -- thanks!
 
Excellent tutorial. This works really well.

I was thinking of posting something similar- you beat me to it.

One modification of this technique I can recommend is to use hardened steel balls in place of the screw heads.

You can buy loose steel balls from bearing suppliers, but with all the scavenging going on for forging materials. It seems like everyone must have a few lying around.
(I can’t tell you how many must be under the unreachable corners of my shop floor.)

One advantage is that they provide perfectly smooth polished hardened surfaces to facilitate the movement of the tubing into a flare.

The second advantage is that they are available in so many sizes; experimentation allows you to find the perfect flare for each size.

While using a vise is handy because I had it, I had trouble juggling the bits without dropping everything on the floor.

I came up with a solution, using a piece of scrap round shaft, I drilled out a flat-bottomed hole in one end with an end mill to hold a small very strong magnet.
I drilled a v bottom dimple in the other end to center the ball.
Epoxy the magnet and ball in place.

Using two of these pieces, I was able to stick these to the vise jaws with the magnets and not have to hold them while positioning everything, yet they were perfectly adjustable, and move to find their own centre on the ball.

Steve

pictures to follow if requested.
 
Idea. If you were to take a couple of the correct sizes ball bearings and tack weld them (or anneal the bearings and drill them) to place them on a piece of say 1/8" spring stiock so that you had a small set of dumb bells then heated up the center of the spring stock and formed so that the 2 balls touched then rehardened and tempered. Then you could clip them on the tube and they would hold themselves in place while you closed the vise on them.

Think of an upside down V of spring stock with the 2 bearings on the ends.
 
I do the same thing with the screw heads and use good old masking tape to stop them falling out. Should work just as well on the balls, however I would recomend you don't go round telling people you tape up your balls:D

peter
 
ib2v4u said:
Idea. If you were to take a couple of the correct sizes ball bearings and tack weld them (or anneal the bearings and drill them) to place them on a piece of say 1/8" spring stiock so that you had a small set of dumb bells then heated up the center of the spring stock and formed so that the 2 balls touched then rehardened and tempered. Then you could clip them on the tube and they would hold themselves in place while you closed the vise on them.

Think of an upside down V of spring stock with the 2 bearings on the ends.
Click to expand...

even better would be to use a carbide drill, that way you wouldn't have to anneal the ball bearing and posibly mess up your nice finish
 
Del Raso Knives said:
I do the same thing with the screw heads and use good old masking tape to stop them falling out. Should work just as well on the balls, however I would recomend you don't go round telling people you tape up your balls:D

peter
Click to expand...

I like that masking tape idea! So simple, yet effective. Thanks for the info! :thumbup:
 
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