latest addiction

[sdeering]

Neet. Yes a tutorial is in order. Did you have to scrounge around for the stock or does someone supply all of it?
Stephen

[jdale]

Most of the tubes and solid wire came from K&S Precision Metals, the copper is basic electric wire I stripped. The remainder of it is from alro metals, I'm lucky enough to have one within 10 minutes of my house. Alro also supplies all of my brass, copper and stainless bar stock for my guards and butt caps.
Hopefully I will have enough time this weekend to at least start on the tutorial.

[sdeering]

Great!

[mookster]

If you're worried about buying some epoxy thinking it might not all get used, could I respectfully suggest that you sell some of these incredible pins? Then you'd have a really good reason to use up some decent quality epoxy. You could also use a dedicated pigment for the epoxy which would probably work really well.
I'm sure there are an awful lot of people who would pay good money for the results of your TV watching. I know I would!
cheers
Ollie

[edit]: With regards to the melting, have you tried a brand new ceramic belt? I've found that this considerably reduces heat build up.

[jdale]

I might have to get some Acraglas and make a few more batches, but I have recently been on a denim micarta kick and have been making lots of that. Once i get bored with it, ill prob be back to the pins. The only time i have issues with melting is when i grind the pins by themselves. Once they are set in the handle there isn't a issue with melting.

[metal99]

If you do end up making some more man you should try using powdered pigment to color the epoxy. Anthing like fabric die, printer ink and tempura paint will work great. The reason that its a better idea to stay with something powdered is because then the epoxy becomes the pigments solution instead of adding an air drying paint to a 2 part epoxy. Once the epoxy dries it just locks the solvents in from the paint.

Careful if you use powdered fabric dye, I just bough some that would not disolve into the color it was supposed to. So I will stick to the rit dye (cant remember how it is spelled)