- Joined
- Sep 23, 1999
- Messages
- 5,855
Gotta thank the Lord for this one!
I have been trying to make a jig for cutting pivots and stand offs to the length I need for my folders. I went thru a couple different ideas, naturally they required precision tooling and such and they didn't work. I was toolin down the road today and boom, there it was. I figured you can take two pieces of precision ground steel, the same stock your blades come from,clamp em together and drill holes for some 4-40 flat head screws. Tap the holes in the bottom plate and drill thru holes in the top plate and counter sink em so the screws fit flush. Now you can bolt the two pieces together, and drill the holes for the pivot screws. Take em apart and drill and ream the holes in the top plate for the pivots. Harden these two bars and don't temper em.
Now, for the fine adjustments you need for different length pivots and standoffs.
On my folders, the pivots go thru the liners and I use .020 washers. So for cutting my pivots to length, I'll simply stack 2 pieces of liner material and 2 pieces of washer material between the two hardened plates,insert the pivots and screw em down tight, cut and sand the pivots flush. If you're worried about the washer material compressing any, you could get some stainless shim stock the same thickness.
Now for the stand offs. The stand offs need to be the same length as the blade thickness plus the washer material so you just stack the two pieces of washer material between the plates, insert the pivots and screw em down tight and sand em off flush.
This is such a simple idea, I can't believe I've never read it in any knife making books or on the forums. Some of you sneaky ole secret keepin knifemakin bastids have to have thought this one up before and just didn't share it with the rest of us. Shame on you!!!!
I have been trying to make a jig for cutting pivots and stand offs to the length I need for my folders. I went thru a couple different ideas, naturally they required precision tooling and such and they didn't work. I was toolin down the road today and boom, there it was. I figured you can take two pieces of precision ground steel, the same stock your blades come from,clamp em together and drill holes for some 4-40 flat head screws. Tap the holes in the bottom plate and drill thru holes in the top plate and counter sink em so the screws fit flush. Now you can bolt the two pieces together, and drill the holes for the pivot screws. Take em apart and drill and ream the holes in the top plate for the pivots. Harden these two bars and don't temper em.
Now, for the fine adjustments you need for different length pivots and standoffs.
On my folders, the pivots go thru the liners and I use .020 washers. So for cutting my pivots to length, I'll simply stack 2 pieces of liner material and 2 pieces of washer material between the two hardened plates,insert the pivots and screw em down tight, cut and sand the pivots flush. If you're worried about the washer material compressing any, you could get some stainless shim stock the same thickness.
Now for the stand offs. The stand offs need to be the same length as the blade thickness plus the washer material so you just stack the two pieces of washer material between the plates, insert the pivots and screw em down tight and sand em off flush.
This is such a simple idea, I can't believe I've never read it in any knife making books or on the forums. Some of you sneaky ole secret keepin knifemakin bastids have to have thought this one up before and just didn't share it with the rest of us. Shame on you!!!!
