Source for Tiny Wire Brads

[MKemper]

I am working on a copy of a J. Dreisbach which is rather heavily inlaid.  Dreisbach used tiny steel nails to secure all of his inlay work.  The nails are extremely tiny, perhaps 23 ga. or smaller.  Can anyone recommend a source for wire brads that come in this size?

[Black Hand]

I have no source but I remember someone discribing the making of small gauge silver nails from silver wire.  They held the wire and heated the end until it formed a blob.  It might work for small gauge steel if you heated the end red hot and lightly tapped it with a hammer

[Don Getz]

Kemp......Here's the way they are made and used.   You could use any small type brad.  Cut the head off and chuck it into an electric drill, or drill press, then using a file, taper it like an old phonograph needle.  You should then drill a hole in the
inlay that is slightly smaller than the original brad size.   You then drive in this pointy brad until it tightens on the inlay,
clip if off with a wire cutter, then file flush with the inlay.  They normally only go into the wood about 3/16" to 1/4".  On
the last rifle that I did some restoration on, I found a small collett for my Dremel tool, that fit the small drill I was going to
use on some inlays I replaced.  I must admit, I did glue the inlays in with some epoxy glue, I then drilled those small holes
for pins later.   The high speed dremel worked great in punching a hole in rather thin silver inlays..........Don

[JTR]

Don is correct on the originals being tapered and short. And yes, it's a royal pain in the rear.
Instead of a brad, you could also use steel piano wire as it comes in small sizes.
Put a long piece in your dremel tool with 3/16" or so sticking out, taper it, snip it off. Then hold the piece in a vice-grip and peen it with a small hammer to make a tiny head, then pound it flush into the hole in the inlay.

John 

[Don Getz]

John......it isn't necessary to peen a head on them, when they tighten up in the hole, as it is being driven in, will hold just fine....that's the way it was done on those early originals.........Don

[MKemper]

Don, thanks for the explanation.  It makes sense and in looking at the original Dreisbach it appears to have the tapered pins as you described.