A problem with the GEC #73 and blade play ... and gaps... *Problem solved*

Andi,

its a hot day again so I figured I would take a moment to do a few pics.

Here is what I mean by squeezing in a vice:

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Next are the tools I used (minus the mini anvil)

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I threw in the mini anvi just for fun :-p

Next I asked my girlfriend to hold the knife and hammer how I peened the pin. Just watching her do this and scratching the bolsters and ebony all up I can see why people would be hesitant to do this. I would NEVER ask her to actually try to hit JUST the pin with that hammer. Good bye bolsters and ebony...

Anyhow, you probably have lots of dexterity and control from all of your years working with your hands so I trust you can do this perfectly.

L1010007.jpg


Finally if you do gain any light scratches just sand them off lightly or buff them out. This wheel is new and I have been using it for the last step on wood carvings..but you get the point..

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You can do it Andi, but I don't see how you could peen it with leather between the hammer and the pin.

Best regards.
 
Hi Kevin!

Thank you and your girlfriend for helping and taking these nice pics :) (Please tell her that)

I gonna try it out right tomorrow when I come back home from work. I hope, I have the skills for that, but I might have them... Though this is really fine work with a lot of feel for the material (I usually work on more coarse - like making firewood or doing carpenters work on my own house). But I have the tools and I would be glad doing it with own hands than sending it back and ask for repair.

Have a nice sunday, my friend and your girlfriend! :)

Kind regards
Andi
 
I told her and she laughed and said you are welcome. She always laughs :-p

Enjoy your sunday with your family :)
 
Well... I did what you told me to do, my friend!

The old (pre WWI) vice from my greatgranddad did the squeezing job very well and easily...

IMG_1707.jpg


After squeezing the pivot pin appeared at one side of the bolsters/pivot

IMG_1708.jpg


And the "anvil" ... I put some black structure tape around the back of its head, because there were some breakouts and deep scratches...

IMG_1709.jpg


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That was the most difficult thing at the whole repair session ... WHICH HAMMER TO CHOOSE?!! :p (I hope the small #73 is to see on that pic)

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The tools for the last workout on the #7

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After using the smalles hammer I had, I used it several times on one side of the pivot (that which stood out of the knife)

IMG_1715.jpg


I didn´t do much polishing work on it, yet. That´s a job for another day.

Here´s the result.... Problem solved :) :D

IMG_1717.jpg


Well... the whole work was done within about 10 minutes. The result - now there´s no gap or blade play. And it was great fun doing it. But I would be happier is there wouldn´t have been any gaps or blade play on that knife. I hope, it was the first and the last time doing it on a pocketknife. Maybe my #73 was a lemon. But that´s not really the problem. I can do it again, if it will appear again.

There´s one question I still have on this process: This was a single bladed knife. does that treatment also work on multi-layer knives (Stockman or Jackknives)? Imo it should, because the construction of the knives are nearly the same, only the pins are longer (as I think).

Thank you Kevin, for your sunday workout! The pics really helped a lot. Now my #73 is fixed up again and the backspring is like a tank. Better than it was when I bought it.

Kind regards
Andi
 
Awesome Andi!! Those scratches will take nothing to get out. I'm glad it worked out for you.

As for the multiblade, I don't know. I would assume it would work but I haven't done it. On my Buck 703 it was the single blade end that was loose and it worked great.

I don't want to guess and have It screw up on you :)

Kevin
 
Also,

When I did it I used the ball hammer first to get the pin hammered into the bolster nice and tight. Then I used that flat hammer in the pic that's mirror polished smooth to gently shape the pin nice and flat and smoot to the bolsters. I think if you pick up a couple metal working hammers it will make the future attempts even more refined and less chance of needing any polishing.

Either way, I'm impressed and congratulate you for such finess with the tools you have available.

Kevin
 
Well done!:thumbup:

I've been following this thread as I've been tempted by a #73; glad it worked out for you.
 
Thank you guys!

@ Kevin: Well, you´re right, two little metal hammers would be a use addition. Maybe I can find one with a round end at one side and a flat side on the other. (Another reason to haunt the hardware store) ;) Thanks for compliments!

@pilgrimuk: You can´t go wrong with a #73. As much as I have read on BFC, they don´t usually show such mistakes... Maybe the guy at the QC fell in love a couple of days before mine was made ;) ... who knows.

Kind regards
Andi
 
Kevin and Andi.....


Thank you...thank you ...thank you very much for this thread...one of the best ones yet and it's much better than listening to whining that we experience in other threads....solving and solutions...with your pictures and step by step instructions this would be a good post to pin.....DIY.....
 
You're a brave man, Andi.

Congratulations on a good outcome, with special thanks to Kevin (and his girlfriend) for the clear instructions.

~ P.
 
Hi Jim!

Thanks for the kind words!

Maybe one of mods can pin the thread. I think, it´s a question that comes up from time to time in the traditional section... (But if we do this, the title of the thread should be changed, I think)

Kind regards
Andi
 
Great pics and instructions!! I've done the vise part before but have yet to actually peen one.

Andi, don't look at the #73 as a lemon but rather as a learning experience. I've done this to a 2 blade knife before (probably squeezed a bit too much) and you have to be careful as you can over tighten one side more than the other (assuming I didn't make a mistake). I think GEC uses blade spacers to keep from over tightening the blades. You can see this in some of their What's Happening Today pics.
 
Terrific, congrats Andi!

While I have no problem working on the insides of mechanical watches I still would hesitate to do what you did. :thumbup:
 
Andi, nice job, it's a good feeling to be able to fix your knife. As for multiblade knife, same method works, but you need to use metal separator not to squeeze the space of other blade (I hope I am understood as my English us not that good :( )

Mike
 
Well... without Kevin´s (and his girlfriends help) great instructions, I would have never done it. I think I would have send it back to GEC, hoping for warranty and waiting a long, long time (oversea shipping two times). It was a good experience doing it and getting a good result.

For using to much power/strength while using the vice was the thing that frightened me most. So I decided to use a pretty thick leather belt. For absorbing too much power on the bolster, in case I would have pulled the vice too strong together.

As I have to say - when we (Dad & I) are out in the forests for making firewood, the chainsaw sometimes needs some out-in-the-field-fixing-and-repair with very low equipment. The most times it works well, but sometimes a professional has to solve the whole problem...

KInd regards
Andi
 
I'm readlly glad I could help you Andi :)

I feel the same way. I don't like getting in over my head but I hate having a problem and getting that helpless feeling. I usually try to figure things out for myself. I see you as the same type. I like to learn too :)

Enjoy your week.
 
Kevin, you hit the nail once more. The feeling of having a problem and not being able to fix it, is something that makes me think for a long time of the day. No matter, what problem ever...

:)

Kind regards
Andi
 
Nice work Andi.
I have a few follow up questions though.
Does anybody have a good cutaway of the entire pin, bolster, blade tang etc assy?
How does peening the pin make the pivot tighter?
Are you actually deforming the metal to make better contact with the hole in the bolster?
Thanks guys.
Lenny
 
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