Brand new ZT 0561 issues

R

ReD R4BBit

Joined
Feb 6, 2013
Messages
11
I just got the 0561 that i ordered and it came with a gritty feeling action and some pretty bad lock stick. I've tried the sharpie trick and it seemed to help the lock stick for awhile but i keeps coming back and I really don't want to have to send in a brand new knife for warranty service.

any tips or tricks that i could try?
 
Try washing out hot soapy water. If any oil got on the lock bar that can also cause sticking as well.
 
I literally made a thread about this 3 days after getting the knife. I had to use a prybar just to unlock it many times, and I was UPSET.

I eat my own words with all the worries I had because it turned out that the knife just really REALLY needed to be worn in.
It's been.... 4-6 weeks since I got my 0561 and I've been flipping it daily while watching something on the computer, etc w/e you're into.
I did add pencil led to the blade tang a few days and that helped only a little, now I've just oiled it with tuf-glide and cleaned the lock surfaces and it couldn't be smoother (still a little tough to close one-handed but it will get there). I firmly believe to get your knife working nicely the blade tang just needs to get some serious grinding action against the lock over time.

Just relax, know it's okay, open it softly and open it hard. It will wear in if you play with it enough. When I disengage the lock I hold it in my left hand and then obviously close it with my right thumb, which I'm sure is what most do (just to be clear lol). When I first started working the blade to wear it in, even closing it as I just stated would leave my thumb raw and bloody depending on how hard/softly I opened up. I can confidently say I'm well past the prybar disengaging stage on mine, so I hope that makes you feel better.

Mike
 
make sure you apply a few layers of the sharpie too..apply, let sit for a minute then do that like 2-3 times...works like magic...also open and close it like 15-20 times then reapply it again.
 
alrighty well guys i'm back from the basement. she got a good scrubbing with hot and soapy water and got treated with a nice cloth buffing wheel on the bench grinder and oiled up with my fathers little bottle of mystery oil (I think its like 5w30 motor oil. lol) and she is feeling much better. I know the lock stick is just gonna have to wear in but for the time being i'm much happier.

thanks for the tips and i'll have to stick around the forums and keep on browsing.

Joe
 
I didn't oil the lock. I was extremely sparing with the oil so as to not have any get on the lock surface. just a couple drops for the bearings and the excess wiped off.
 
Dry Teflon bike chain lube works great. My 0560 had a gritty feel and kind of a squeak also. Just 2 drops of the dry lube and it has been fine for 6 months. It works better than any oil because it doesn't attract dirt and grime.
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That big sporting goods store that it short "Richard" has it for great price.;)
 
well i unfortunatly don't have one of them close to me. i might try the local ace hardware and see if i can find anything of the sort :P
 
I would recommend sending the knife in to ZT for repair.
It's a better more permanent repair.
 
oh i plan on it juju! i just picked up some dry lube for it as per the recommendation earlier and i'm just gonna keep playing with it until my thumb is raw again.
 
I got a new 560 on Monday and had the same issue. VERY gritty... I spent the whole damn day flipping it and when I would open it, applying just a hint of pressure to the blade, to really make it grind smooth... after what I'm sure was several hundred open and closing... it's not smooth as butter.

Just work it in. You'll love the shit out of it soon enough. :)
 
i know i should but i'm going to give it some time for it to break in and if the issue is still there i will probably send it in. I just really don't want to give my blade up for that long
 
ReD R4BBit said:
i know i should but i'm going to give it some time for it to break in and if the issue is still there i will probably send it in. I just really don't want to give my blade up for that long
Click to expand...

Like you said, you shouldnt need to. Nothing wrong with something that needs to be worn in little to be golden.

You guys have people chew your food for you too?
 
Depending on where the gritty feeling is coming from, it can be a sign that the pivot is overtightened.

The bearings will allow the blade to still move fairly freely even when significantly overtightened, but will have a gritty feel as any imperfections in the contacting surfaces get amplified. You should be able to loosen the pivot to the point where the gritty feeling just goes away, but there is still zero play. It is important to get the pivot tension correct as overtightening will increase the wear.

Anyone who has rebuilt a bicycle hub (and knew what they were doing) will be familiar with what overtightened, under, and perfectly adjusted will feel like.
 
Smart mindset = wait 3 months to send it in if it's not up to snuff.
You'll be happy in 3-4 weeks though.
 
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