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Tips on removing bolster pins ?

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 4:19 pm
by Toejammer
Anyone got a sure fire method for getting stainless / nickle - silver pins out of a bolster thats no longer attached to the liner ? I have a cell knife rebuild on the bench, and gassing took out the liner on one side. So I'm having to make a new liner with brass stock. (no problem there) But the bolsters pretty much fell off the liners before I could remove the pins.

So now I have tiny little unsecured bolsters that i need to get the liner pins out of, without boogering them all up in the process.

Any tricks ?

Re: Tips on removing bolster pins ?

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 6:11 pm
by Elvis
File down whatever pin sticks up and as long as you can identify the location of the pin on either side, use a punch smaller than the pin to get it started, then move up to a larger one once it's moving. A small block of very hard wood with a hole drilled through it makes a good anvil for this job. This should help unless I misunderstood the problem.

Re: Tips on removing bolster pins ?

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 6:25 pm
by Joe Dirt
I use a trick that Dale uses.

An automatic center punch. (Harbor Freight has them cheap so buy a few cuz they WILL ware out)
The impact of the "slip sear" of the auto punch is very effective at taping the pin out.
No hammering needed - just use the punch in-hand, by itself!
Use a block under it as Elvis has mentioned.

(thanks Dale ::tu:: )

..... Joe

Re: Tips on removing bolster pins ?

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 6:27 pm
by orvet
Mike, what brand is the knife? (It can make a difference).
Some nickel silver bolsters are cast n/s with a stud on them that sits a hole in the bolsters, not really a true pin.
Can you show us a pic of the pins in the bolsters?

Thanks,
D

Re: Tips on removing bolster pins ?

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 7:10 pm
by Toejammer
orvet wrote:Mike, what brand is the knife? (It can make a difference).
Some nickel silver bolsters are cast n/s with a stud on them that sits a hole in the bolsters, not really a true pin.
Can you show us a pic of the pins in the bolsters?

Thanks,
D
Camillus sword brand, 4 line tang stamp. Bolsters have two pins in them, I can clearly make them out.

Re: Tips on removing bolster pins ?

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 7:12 pm
by Toejammer
Joe Dirt wrote:I use a trick that Dale uses.

An automatic center punch. (Harbor Freight has them cheap so buy a few cuz they WILL ware out)
The impact of the "slip sear" of the auto punch is very effective at taping the pin out.
No hammering needed - just use the punch in-hand, by itself!
Use a block under it as Elvis has mentioned.

(thanks Dale ::tu:: )

..... Joe
I like it !! Actually sounds like something I can use all the time. That, and paired with the wood suggestion, sounds like a winner. Thanks all ::tu::