Carbon fiber lockbar?

fetzer85

fetzer85

Joined
Oct 17, 2012
Messages
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I was just sitting here staring at my recently acquired carbon fiber Sebenza thinking how awesome it would be if the lockbar side was also in carbon fiber instead of titanium. I've never seen that before so I figured it's just not possible...but then I started wondering why? Can carbon fiber not be made to engage like various metals can? Thanks for any input.
 
Carbon fiber doesn't have the memory that steel has. I don't think you would ever be able to set the lockbar tension. That's not even considering any lockface issues. CF's strength one runs on one plane, go against that and it tends to shatter. That means you would likely need the weave itself to be the mating surface which I'm pretty sure would be impossible.

Best you'll probably do is the ZT 0777, full CF frame with a ti lockbar attached to it.

I don't know why I gave this that much thought because it's so preposterous. I guess I'm bored.
 
CF doesn't have the required material properties. That's the point of liner locks, or as Scurvy mentioned sub-frame locks. Gives you carbon fiber on both sides, with a lock bar that will actually work ;)
 
If you get the heat treat right, carbon fiber will work fine as a lock bar. :p
 
I'm pretty certain Warren Thomas has some folders with carbon fiber lock bars...
 
Carbon fiber doesn't have the abrasion resistance that steel or titanium (or even aluminum) have. If you could somehow get it to work (which you may be able to if it was made into just the right shape) it would wear out in no time.
 
If for aesthetics alone, there's the option of a carbon fiber-clad lockbar, which would give you the appearance of a CF bar without the issues of rapid face wear and the potential to crack and even fragment along its long axis when loaded.

Carbon fiber look is available in vinyl wraps, for a cheap test look. Remember not to increase the thickness of the Ti scale on the inside, or you're going to mess with the tolerances and may bind up the blade.
 
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