CQC-15 No Detent

S

spidyman

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CQC-15 Problem

I've got an 07' CQC-15 and recently its acts as if its lost the ball detent, the balde will open on its own, yet there is sufficient tension on the pivot.

Both balls are still in place, it acts as if the blade is not retracting far enough when closed for the balls to enter the holes in the blade.

When opening the blade its smooth with no additioinal effort required to overcome the detent ball, unlike my snubby or my HD-7 (which only has one detent).

I've taken it apart and cleaned it and checked the detent holes for obstruction and reassembled, same issue?

What say you guys?
 
If you had it apart and pushed the non lock side detent ball in too far by laying it flat on a table or something like that it probably lost tension. Just take the non lock side off and gently pursuade the small detent cut out toward the blade just a bit and retry it. Be gentle though it won't take much to do it, especially if you have a newer steel liner one from 2007 to present and not one of the titanium models. Better to fall short and have to do it twice to find the tension you like for blade retention than to go too far or kink it.

STR
 
Yup, try bending the bit of Ti the second dentent sits in a wee bit, see if that help it at all.
 
For what its worth on those 300 series steel liners I've actually flattened the detent down with ease just laying the liner on a piece of titanium to use the original as a pattern to trace from or mark holes for in my new lock side. Its easier to use the non lock side than the lock side because the lock side has that half flat pivot cut out vs the round one for the pivot in the non lock side. Unlike the titanium that has a very good memory the steel liner models do not and that steel does not keep a good tension like ti so I'd look there. Chances are thats what it is. It can happen and has happened with titanium models also though.

STR
 
Which one is the Ti liner? The thicker locking side?
 
The locks are titanium. Non lock side is 300 series stainless steel after like 2007 as I recall. That particular stainless is non magnetic so you can't tell that way. The easiest way to tell is to try to anodize a small part of it with a 9 volt battery and some wire and diet coke soaked on a paper towel but thats another thread topic. ;)

STR
 
How is Ti on Ti lock up? Reese is doing a framelock conversion for me and for turds n giggles, I asked him to make me a Ti blade to go into the old frame.
 
Ti tends to stick to itself and other metals. My biggest concern with a ti blade would be the gritty detent ball. If its a metal ball like what was in it from the factory in a 1/16" size and 60 Rockwell its likely to really dig in and feel bad from rotating the much softer blade in and out. I would suggest a piece of nylon or polymer for a ball if he can find one. May not even be available. Stellite or talonite would have been a smoother choice for you but way more expensive probably.

STR
 
Yeah, Reese touched on that with me. He's going to put a small insert of steel for the detent and it's track.
 
I've already tried to reset the detent , yet it acts like the balls are not there, but they are. thats the best way I can describe it. i may just take it apart again and compare it to my other 15 and see if there are any differences b/w the two incleding the ball depth in the lock bar and the additional detent.

It doesn't really bother me too much, yet I just onder why it went forn a easily defined detent to no detent at all, just being carried in my pocket and opening a few plastic bags.
 
come on now, no body as any other thoughts? Its easy enough to send it to EKI, but I'd have figured that I'm not the only one to have experienced this condition.
 
Who knows? Its possible the ball got sunk in deeper than it was but normally it takes a good tap with a hard object to that to do it. I drill a #53 size hole for a 1/16" diameter ball. If by chance someone were to drill the hole using a number 51 the ball would be far easier to shove in deeper by just steady force whereras the #53 would still have enough of a tight fit around the ball to hold it rather tightly but not let it sink deeper in unless you forced it. If by chance a hole was drilled the wrong size thats the only thing I can think of that would be why you have no detent action. The detent on the lock is not activated. That ball is just there to give the blade something to ride on around the same hardness as the blade to limit friction and reduce surface drag. Ti would tend to really gall to the blade some so I"m sure the ball would be missed if that was the case and your action would feel quite gritty.

If that little tongue that the ball is set in on the non lock side liner has been shoved in by some force the ball may have been moved in deeper in its hole also. It can be fixed but its tricky and not something easily explained.

STR
 
STR said:
Who knows? Its possible the ball got sunk in deeper than it was but normally it takes a good tap with a hard object to that to do it. I drill a #53 size hole for a 1/16" diameter ball. If by chance someone were to drill the hole using a number 51 the ball would be far easier to shove in deeper by just steady force whereras the #53 would still have enough of a tight fit around the ball to hold it rather tightly but not let it sink deeper in unless you forced it. If by chance a hole was drilled the wrong size thats the only thing I can think of that would be why you have no detent action. The detent on the lock is not activated. That ball is just there to give the blade something to ride on around the same hardness as the blade to limit friction and reduce surface drag. Ti would tend to really gall to the blade some so I"m sure the ball would be missed if that was the case and your action would feel quite gritty.

If that little tongue that the ball is set in on the non lock side liner has been shoved in by some force the ball may have been moved in deeper in its hole also. It can be fixed but its tricky and not something easily explained.

STR
Click to expand...

You may have hit on something, just before I noticed this, I got a couple of coins lodged in b/w the scale & liner, perhaps it was enough that when I opened the blade and the liner bound on the coin it forced the ball in.

one more plus for the frame locks!

Is it possible to rest the ball depth w/o removing it and replacing it? Say by just using a slight tap from a punch on the back side to 'peen' the pocket somewhat.
 
The coins wedged would certainly be enough it if hit just right yes.

On your question. The lock is .050 thick so you'd have to have a long thin point on the punch but yeah you can punch them out that way and then reset it but you need to use something to gap the distance correctly to reset it in there. Also use a flat block of wood to punch it into that or in a shallow hole small enough to get the ball back. The washers in the Emersons are .030 thick so they are too thick. I'd use something .015 personally or some other knife thinner washer. Not sure what other brands you have but a washer surrounding the ball to keep the flat end punch from whacking the ball in too deep would be advised. You can try it with nothing but you may end up having to punch it back out again.

You can push them out partially in more of a controlled way by how I described with the right size drill bit but the drill bit used is smaller than a 1/6" and if you were to use a 1/16" it would make the hole too large. The other problem is those balls are very small and tend to 'run off' and I'm serious. I lose them all the darn time and just have to grab a new one. If you don't have a bag full you may screw yourself but good and lose the darn thing and never find it when it rolls off on you.

STR
 
Thanks, STR I'll have some time later this week to play around with it.

Wouldn't a blind pocket be best with the ball detent design and have it milled to the correct depth then set the detent ball and crimp the pocket, so that way the detent could never move out of position or lose tension. Though it would be harder to manufacture.
 
Its the first time in my experience seeing this so I'd have to say its rare. Perhaps a closed design for the folder spine where things can't get in there to easy once the blade is closed. Of course if you carry it deep without the clip there is no telling what will get in there and wedge. Pocket lint, pocket change, keys and nail clippers have all dinged up pocket knives carried in the pocket and I imagine they have at times gotten stuck but I've never had a report that one changed the detent ball height so I'm not so sure its worth worrying about. Kind of like lightning striking in the same place twice it should be unlikely.

STR
 
My Mini Commander arrived the same way. No detent. I took it apart and adjusted the detent tension on the SS liner. That fixed it right up, and now I'm extremely pleased with it.
 
I think I may have an additional issue of the blade ever so slightly contacting the back spacer preventing the detent ball from fully engaing, I may slot the holes a bit, there a nice little mark in it where the edge has made some contact. I haven't had a chance yet, but I should tonight, to disassemble it and try to adjust the detent ball depth.

I have already tried to adjust the non-locking liner detent- no help. The pivot tension is 'just right' but I can't seem to keep the blade from opening on its own, so for now I'm carrying my SMF or my HD both of which only have one detent and are substantially stiffer to open, yet are extremely smooth.
 
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