Buck 110 Parts/Custom Smokejumper build

[Boxer .45]

my goal with the in-depth tutorial is to teach you to fish... If you've got a drill press and some sanding drums you can build your own!

I appreciate it. I was just ribbin ya.

 

[HeathH]

I appreciate it. I was just ribbin ya.

I know, I was just flippin' it back. There's still a reasonable amount of secret sauce and voodoo that goes into a knife mod, like finishing Micarta well. Took me forever to get decent at it.

Speaking of finishing Micarta...

I did spend some more time in the garage last night and, for the purposes of this thread, I think I have it wrapped up! Yesterday I was in a long meeting I wasn't really involved in and I had all the parts on my desk, so I screwed it together. Here it is with the two dot I got from my grandpa's collection



You can see, it's still pretty blocky. The last step I had to do was round the handles off. I've always left the top flat and just rounded off the sides, I wanted to do this one by rounding the entire handle. Unfortunately, I was too dusty to take pictures but essentially I just smashed the slabs into the slack section of sanding belt on my 1x42 belt sander using progressively finer grits (or more accurately, progressively more worn out 400grit belts). I think it came out pretty well

 

[pjsjr]

I think it came out pretty well

So do I...congrats. Hope we see more of your work!

 

[HeathH]

I've thought of a few other ways I could potentially mess it up - my motto is, if it ain't broke, fix it til it is.

I may countersink the screws. They're not real proud so I've left them as they are, but if they bug me I'll lower them. I'll post pics if I end up doing that.
I may also install a pocket clip. I have a Spyderco wire clip that I think I could drop on there without too much hassle. It'd be ugly, but funcional. it's a real pretty knife right now though, I hate to mess up the lines. I'll post pics if I end up doing that.

Mechanically... it needs some lovin'. There are some remaining F&F issues that were present when it was a smoke jumper also. The blade is badly off center ~ it's not hitting anymore, i was able to correct it to some extent, but I'd like to get it better. On a more serious front, there is significant up/down play. Again, the Smokejumper had this going on too so it's left over from the original build of the knife. I swapped out the pivot bushing from the other knife and it got way worse, so I'm thinking it may be a tolerance issue between the bushing and my pivot post. The pivot is .125" and I recall reading that the bushing's ID is .128". I may peen in a .125" brass rod into the bushing, then re-drill it out to .125" and see if that takes up any of the slop. I may also re-work the lock bar interface, if re-working that pivot doesn't fix the wiggle. The pivot heads are small. If I feel like they're sinking into the micarta, I will inset washers under the screw heads...

Also, the washers create a little gap between the handles and lock bar. I may cut a relief for those washers to drop lower and take down some of that gap... I'll have to see how much it bugs me

 

[jbmonkey]

yes it did come out well. excellent job. very impressive.

 

[pjsjr]

I've thought of a few other ways I could potentially mess it up - my motto is, if it ain't broke, fix it til it is.

Wish I didn't understand that!

You might look up some of tiguy7 posts. He takes apart a lot of Buck knives and makes 'selectors' and explains what tools and hardware he uses.
Here's one to start https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/112-bcci-take-apart-canceled.1715622/ post #12.

 

[Boxer .45]

Most excellent results! Congratulations on an excellent knife!

As to the other mods, if it were mine I'd probably partially recess the screws.
I don't think I'd put a clip on it but definitely a no flap leather sheath or a flapped one from hitch and timber. If you do decide to clip it you could try to find a lynch or MXG Gear clip used and put it on there?

 

[WasCEG]

Wow - looks great! I really enjoyed following this post! I couldn’t help but chuckle on your “if it ain’t broke” philosophy. Also chuckled a bit on how worn down the donor 110 blade was.

 

[HeathH]

View attachment 1335349

yes it did come out well. excellent job. very impressive.

Thank you! It's exactly what I was hoping for. We'll see if it kicks the 112 Slim Select out of my pocket. That's been a sweet little knife too! I'd kill for a 112 LT in CPM154...

Wish I didn't understand that!

You might look up some of tiguy7 posts. He takes apart a lot of Buck knives and makes 'selectors' and explains what tools and hardware he uses.
Here's one to start https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/112-bcci-take-apart-canceled.1715622/ post #12.

Wow! That's a really cool idea, I will look for more of his posts, that's very clever and well-executed. Definitely out of my league

Most excellent results! Congratulations on an excellent knife!

As to the other mods, if it were mine I'd probably partially recess the screws.
I don't think I'd put a clip on it but definitely a no flap leather sheath or a flapped one from hitch and timber. If you do decide to clip it you could try to find a lynch or MXG Gear clip used and put it on there?

Thank you! I like the idea of a slip. I do some leather work too, I may go that way. I really had not even thought about it! . I'm beginning to agree with you on recessing the screws. I have been wanting to hold off to see about whether or not I can live with the small head on the pivot screw. I have the size/thread pitch of the screws ~ If I can source something with a bigger or "flat/countersunk" head, I would rather not recess these. Flat screws, or the ones with a V or trumpet shape head would be my preference so I could get them totally flush but the relief would need to match the screws. Otherwise, it's riding OK in my pocket today

I don't mind the Spyderco wire clip overall - here's kind of what I had in mind:

I'd need to inlet a couple of grooves for the clip to ride in. it'd work, but I just really like how clean and simple the knife is as it stands now.

Wow - looks great! I really enjoyed following this post! I couldn’t help but chuckle on your “if it ain’t broke” philosophy. Also chuckled a bit on how worn down the donor 110 blade was.

Ugh, I just can't leave stuff alone once I start up. i did a Spyderco mod not too long ago. It came out really great. Then I messed with it, and messed with it, and messed with it. Now it's in a cup on my workbench with problems I'm not sure how to resolve.

I should put that worn down 110 blade on these handles, sign up for Instagram and generate a following for my Hard Use lifestyle

On the "can't leave it alone" front, I spent most of my meetings today with 2000 grit sand paper and the washers on my desk, sanding my .005" washers down to .002" ~ the gap in the backspring is essentially gone (I guess it's probably .004", but who's counting? I can't see it.). I also put the pivot bushing on my anvil and really slowly and lightly worked around the inside edge of the bushing with a ball peen hammer. I completely removed the up/down play from the blade. I kinda doubt this will be a permanent solution, but it's good to know that's where the play was coming from for when it comes back. As for now, it's rock solid in all directions. I should look for some .125"ID steel tubing to make a new bushing as a more permanent way of reducing play.

 

[pjsjr]

I don't mind the Spyderco wire clip overall - here's kind of what I had in mind:

Just MNSHO...that is not good looking, maybe it works for you, but not me. I say no to clips on 110/112s

 

[dsutton24]

I also put the pivot bushing on my anvil and really slowly and lightly worked around the inside edge of the bushing with a ball peen hammer... I kinda doubt this will be a permanent solution...

I'm a maintenance man in a factory full of equipment that's decades old, and full of parts that are no longer available. We do something similar far more often that I'd like, and it can be a surprisingly durable fix. It's amazing to me after all these years what old guys can do to keep old machinery running. We've got a really tasteless nickname for this kind of fix. Probably shouldn't have mentioned it, really.

I like the knife.

Silly question, where do you get those screws?

 

[tiguy7]

View attachment 1335349


Thank you! It's exactly what I was hoping for. We'll see if it kicks the 112 Slim Select out of my pocket. That's been a sweet little knife too! I'd kill for a 112 LT in CPM154...



Wow! That's a really cool idea, I will look for more of his posts, that's very clever and well-executed. Definitely out of my league



Thank you! I like the idea of a slip. I do some leather work too, I may go that way. I really had not even thought about it! . I'm beginning to agree with you on recessing the screws. I have been wanting to hold off to see about whether or not I can live with the small head on the pivot screw. I have the size/thread pitch of the screws ~ If I can source something with a bigger or "flat/countersunk" head, I would rather not recess these. Flat screws, or the ones with a V or trumpet shape head would be my preference so I could get them totally flush but the relief would need to match the screws. Otherwise, it's riding OK in my pocket today

I don't mind the Spyderco wire clip overall - here's kind of what I had in mind:
View attachment 1335354
I'd need to inlet a couple of grooves for the clip to ride in. it'd work, but I just really like how clean and simple the knife is as it stands now.





Ugh, I just can't leave stuff alone once I start up. i did a Spyderco mod not too long ago. It came out really great. Then I messed with it, and messed with it, and messed with it. Now it's in a cup on my workbench with problems I'm not sure how to resolve.

I should put that worn down 110 blade on these handles, sign up for Instagram and generate a following for my Hard Use lifestyle

On the "can't leave it alone" front, I spent most of my meetings today with 2000 grit sand paper and the washers on my desk, sanding my .005" washers down to .002" ~ the gap in the backspring is essentially gone (I guess it's probably .004", but who's counting? I can't see it.). I also put the pivot bushing on my anvil and really slowly and lightly worked around the inside edge of the bushing with a ball peen hammer. I completely removed the up/down play from the blade. I kinda doubt this will be a permanent solution, but it's good to know that's where the play was coming from for when it comes back. As for now, it's rock solid in all directions. I should look for some .125"ID steel tubing to make a new bushing as a more permanent way of reducing play.

To get rid of side play, make sure that the pivot bushing is only about .002-.003” thicker than the blade. I’m not sure where you are using washers, but most 110’s do not have washers in the blade pivot area (or the rocker pivot area).
You can get #2X56TPI screws in button, socket, and flat head configurations. Button and socket need a #2 counterbore. Flat or oval heads need a #2 countersink.
Pivot bushings can be sanded to reduce thickness, but skinny bushings are a problem (I hate sanding down a blade to fit a bushing).

 

[Boxer .45]

To get rid of side play, make sure that the pivot bushing is only about .002-.003” thicker than the blade. I’m not sure where you are using washers, but most 110’s do not have washers in the blade pivot area (or the rocker pivot area).
You can get #2X56TPI screws in button, socket, and flat head configurations. Button and socket need a #2 counterbore. Flat or oval heads need a #2 countersink.
Pivot bushings can be sanded to reduce thickness, but skinny bushings are a problem (I hate sanding down a blade to fit a bushing).

I can understand why he would use bushings. And I would as well
However you a re right too. I was thinking you could use a spacer/liner at the bottom as well, but then your lockbar would have play, etc. Its kinda a pickle.

 

[HeathH]

To get rid of side play, make sure that the pivot bushing is only about .002-.003” thicker than the blade. I’m not sure where you are using washers, but most 110’s do not have washers in the blade pivot area (or the rocker pivot area).
You can get #2X56TPI screws in button, socket, and flat head configurations. Button and socket need a #2 counterbore. Flat or oval heads need a #2 countersink.
Pivot bushings can be sanded to reduce thickness, but skinny bushings are a problem (I hate sanding down a blade to fit a bushing).

Yeah, my assumption going in is that the bushing acted as a standoff to prevent over-tightening the pin and that washers were not necessary. The bushing on mine is flush, there's no .002 thickness difference. I didn't put my calipers on the blade or the bushing, but there's not enough there to allow the blade to move freely when the pivot is tight enough so there's no side/side play. I was actually really excited about the bushing construction ~ I loved that about my CRK: bushing with the adjustable pivot. Next time I have it apart I'll measure the bushing and blade and report back what those numbers are. It never occurred to me to sand down the blade tang to give the bushing clearance... That doesn't sound like any fun

Great info about the screws too ~ I appreciate knowing the correct counterbore/countersink. I have an industrial supply shop down the hill from my house, I've had great luck getting gun-sized screws there, I may give them a call and see what I can find

 

[Boxer .45]

I wonder if a super thin brass liner epoxied on each side of the liners would allow same thing as the bushings but keep everything spaced correctly, and add some character?

 

[HeathH]

They would look good, but I don't think anything is going to help this bushing out