Homemade Mosaic Pins

**p moore** · 08-13-2010, 09:35 AM

One thing I have found. If you are working with a lot of small wires, it is better to make 6" sections than to try and fight the small wires through a whole 12" tube. Should still be plenty for at least 5 pins.

Paul

**Erratus Animus** · 08-13-2010, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by BENESSE

I meant when you actually place them inside the knife handle as in your post #4.

Epoxy. lightly peen them. I use a fiber glass liner next to the handle, more left over bow stuff, then the handle material. All of this is epoxied and has never ever came apart even with hammering and hard use.

**Erratus Animus** · 08-13-2010, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by p moore

One thing I have found. If you are working with a lot of small wires, it is better to make 6" sections than to try and fight the small wires through a whole 12" tube. Should still be plenty for at least 5 pins.

Paul

I make full length pins by assembling the insides before I place them in the tube. use a drop of super glue to hold all the pieces in place along the length of the piece then slide in. Suck in the epoxy and wait. This ensures all my pins are the exact same.

**p moore** · 08-13-2010, 12:27 PM

That sounds like a good idea. Do you force, or draw the epoxy in the tube? I have tried both, and I think I like to draw it with the vacuum pump best.

Paul

**Erratus Animus** · 08-13-2010, 01:52 PM

I use the vacuum method unless I have too many bubbles then I inject, but only on the larger pieces.

**panch0** · 08-25-2010, 09:41 PM

pound sign.question mark .star .exclamation point!!!!!!! I tried to do this and my glue started to cure befor I even got close to finishing. Arrgghhh....... Bact to hobby lobby tomorrow! I need a stainless mosaic 1/4" pin for the hunting knife set I am working on. I sure would hate to pay 29 bucks for some!

**crashdive123** · 08-25-2010, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by crashdive123

I learned quickly not to use the 5 minute epoxy (just not enough work time). I ended up using an epoxy with a 30 minute cure time.

Originally Posted by panch0

pound sign.question mark .star .exclamation point!!!!!!! I tried to do this and my glue started to cure befor I even got close to finishing. Arrgghhh....... Bact to hobby lobby tomorrow! I need a stainless mosaic 1/4" pin for the hunting knife set I am working on. I sure would hate to pay 29 bucks for some!

Yep. That's what I found.

**panch0** · 08-25-2010, 09:45 PM

I feel like a defeated man....hehehe...

**Winter** · 08-25-2010, 09:52 PM

Those look great.

**crashdive123** · 08-25-2010, 10:43 PM

Panch0 - the 30 epoxy worked well. The sizes of the material I picked up are not great. I think if I super glue them in place before I inject the epoxy it will work better (last batch - the pins shifted a bit).

**panch0** · 08-25-2010, 10:51 PM

I see, I am hunting for some square tubes but no hobby store has them around here. I will look for some online. I think maybe filling the big tube maybe about 1/3 of the way then sinking the rest in slowly might work. I need to test this theory.

**crashdive123** · 08-25-2010, 10:58 PM

I tried that on the set that didn't turn out so good. My problem was that I didn't have a tight fit with the pins I had available. The top looked good ---- the bottom - not so much.

**Erratus Animus** · 08-26-2010, 08:47 AM

Pancho Here is the company that makes the tubbing from mosaic pins. You can use their location finder or search their product list to find what you need at the best price. I used it to go fins the best price on items at Hobby Town. That is a a RC store. much much cheaper than Hobby Lobby.

EX. 3 foot of 1/4" tubbing 7 bucks !!!

http://www.ksmetals.com/

**canid** · 08-26-2010, 09:00 AM

it doesn't sound like a fun way to go about it making any quantity, but you could form square tubing from round with a square mandrel and a light hammer, particularly with copper. likewise for any other polygon.