# mosaic pin problems



## NO ChoP! (Aug 12, 2013)

So, up to now I've only used 1/8 pins, with no problem. I did a handle today with larger pins and ran into a little issue. As I was grinding them down on an 80 grit belt, they got hot fast. The epoxy within the mosaics must have loosened, and the smaller silver pins within the larger brass tube actually pushed out. I had to stop and let the knife cool several times to finally get them flush.

Question is, what am I doing wrong, and have I messed up the integrity of the mosaics? The finished product looks fine.


----------



## SpikeC (Aug 12, 2013)

Keep it wet.


----------



## Don Nguyen (Aug 12, 2013)

You can poke the pin with a chopstick/toothpick to see. If it doesn't budge with decent force you are probably ok.

You have to keep them cool when shaping though, and that is tricky since epoxy starts to fail at a low temperature (and those pins heat up fast).


----------



## Keith Sinclair (Aug 19, 2013)

Chris I am no expert either,but I do like large 5/16 center mosiacs.I cut them in a leather padded vice wt. a coping hand saw.I also cut them short so they hardly stick out at all beyond the scales.I do not think it is good grinding away a mosiac wt. 80 grit sticking too far out from the scale.

I have been lucky so far wt. the large size,no tear out & they polish up nice.I had to scrap one handle cus of over shaping wt. the sander.Now any custom shaping I touch up wt. hand files.


----------



## NO ChoP! (Aug 19, 2013)

I also use a coping saw in a vice, but I pad it with just cardboard. And they probably stuck out about 1/8 inch per side.


----------

