I have a ZT 0562ti for which I want to replace the steel detent ball with a ceramic one (the steel ball has a flat spot). I have done this on a number of different frame locks and liner locks with great success. The difference in the knife's action with a ceramic ball instead of a steel ball is very noticeable IMHO. Moreover, I routinely disassemble my knives to clean and lubricate them and I have seen flat spots develop on knives that are only months old and have not been used very much. Granted, the flat spot is very small but, the point is that the flat spot starts developing much sooner than I thought they would and the knife(s) I am referring to are $500+ knives by well known custom and semi-custom brands so, it's not a matter of cheap detent balls wearing out quickly. So, I disassembled the knife and removed the lock bar insert thinking the detent ball would be installed in it and I would tab it out from the back side of the lock bar insert. Well, the detent ball is mounted in the lock bar and and not the insert and there is no hole on the back side of the detent ball to use to tap out the ball! Does anyone know how to replace the detent ball in this situation? The only solution I can see that would work is to drill a small hole behind the detent ball similar to what you would normally see and tap it out from there. But, there may be a more elegant way to remove the ball that I'm not aware of so I thought I would ask. If you know of a different way to remove the detent ball in this situation I would really appreciate the help. Thank you in advance.
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Detent replacement of ZT 0562ti
- Thread starter MSimcoe
- Start date
That's a great idea and I think very doable in my case as the scale is titanium and the lock bar insert which is steel is removable! Will the ferric chloride change the finish of the titanium scale in any way? Thank you very much for your help.
Also, do you know if the ferric chloride has to be a certain percentage. I'm seeing 42% used as a copper etchant for sale on Amazon and I'm wondering if this would do the trick? Again, thank you very much for your help.
Wilfred17
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Not sure on the strength the stuff I have is from radio shack ( it's old) I'm pretty sure it's diluted with water @ 1:1. That has dissolved many 2-56 taps overnight. I'd imagine the detent would dissolve in a few hours. I'm fairly sure the stuff you mentioned is used for the same thing as the ferric I have. The won't affect the titanium at all.
sharp_edge
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I'm also interested in changing the detent ball of a ti flipper. Might be a silly question but is the ball simply pressed into the place? How could it stay there without falling out?
Yes, there are two ways to get the ball into place. You can press it into place with a 'C' clamp or tap it into place with a punch and small hammer. If you hammer it start light and increase the force of the strike as needed to get the correct height of the ball. I take calipers and measure the total width of the the lock bar including the detent ball and then try to get as close to that width as possible. So far I have only used a hammer and punch and I only had to strike the ball once. For example, measure the width of the lock bar at the detent ball. if the lock bar and detent ball width was .67" (all my SHF's have been .67" and .65") after installing the new detent ball the width was .02" deeper than the original so, .65" and .63". So, as long as you don't strike the ball too hard you should probably end up at about the right depth once the ball has become secure in it's hole. The next one I install is going to be on my ZT 0562ti and I think I am going to use the alternative method which is to use a 'C' clamp and slowly screw the clamp tighter until you have secured the ball. Again, you should measure the width of the lock bar before and after. If the detent ball is too low or too high you can adjust the tension of the lock bar to compensate but, I would only do this as a last resort if everything else failed. So far I have never had to adjust the tension of the lock bar on any of the knives. Finally, If you are replacing the ball replace it with a ceramic ball and make sure the new ball is the same diameter as the old ball. So far most of the balls I have replaced have been 2mm which I thought was the standard size but, the ball on my ZT 0562ti is 1.5mm. So, make sure to measure the ball and don't assume it will be 2mm. Lastly, you will have to find a small rod of some sort to tap out the old ball. I have not tried this yet but, I think if you cut a paper clip to just long enough to work it might be strong enough to get the old ball out. So far, I have used a small screw driver that is intended to be used for adjusting reading glasses. It's just the right width and length to fit the holes for the 2mm balls. For the ZT I'm going to have to use the paper clip. Oh one more thing, the balls roll like crazy and if they fall on the floor are almost impossible to find (hardwood or carpet) so take whatever precautions you can to keep from losing the balls (old or new). I have a an aluminum bar with a small hole drilled about a quarter of an inch into it and I place the old ball directly over this hole and tap the old ball into it. So far, I have not lost and old ball. I can't say the same for the new ones. Even with really good tweezers the ceramic balls are really hard to hold onto. When they say the ceramic balls are friction free they really mean it. Those things are slick. I didn't intend for this to be this long but, I wanted to make sure you were prepared as possible. It's very easy to replace the detent balls but, you just have to make sure you are prepared and have the correct tools. Good luck.
So, I have decided not to risk drilling the hole first but, instead will try the ferric chloride. Then I will drill the hole from the blade side of the scale. I want to have a way of getting the new ball out because the new ball will be ceramic and I won't be able to use your method to get it out. Since it is ceramic I probably will never have to replace it again but, better to be safe and have a way to do it. The ferric chloride I ordered from Amazon is 42% and will be here tomorrow (Wednesday). So, by Friday I should have completed installing the new ball and I will let you know how it went. Thank you for the tip and advice.
FYI, I received the ferric chloride and soaked it overnight and miracle of miracles no detent ball in the morning! I then drilled the access hole from the blade side of the scale which turned out to be a good idea as you will see. However, my little micro drill press has a tiny amount of wobble which is hardly noticeable but, when I finished drilling the hole out is was just big enough that the 1.5mm ball was now too small. So, I used a 2mm ball instead which worked just as good. There are two types of ceramic balls SILICON NITRIDE (SI3N4) which are black and ZIRCONIA OXIDE (ZRO2) which are white. Normally, SI3N4 is used but, the ZRO2 is comparable so I wanted to see how the action was with it so I installed the ZRO2. Subsequently, I chatted with a tech from Boca Bearings who recommended I use the SI3N4 over the other one so I removed the ZRO2 and installed the SI3N4. So, the access hole came in very handy. I can't tell a difference between the two types of balls. I asked the tech which lubricant I should use oil, fluorinated grease, or dry and he said dry. So my little project is complete and the action on my ZT 0562ti is now smoother than before so, all in all I consider this a success and I am glad I did it. Again thank you for the tip.
I have the same problem with my ZT0562CF. The remedy suggested here won't work. The lock bar ball detent is contained within a 'blin' cup. Bc the ball is worn so much that it's flattened, I want to replace the damaged steel ball with a ceramic ball. However, I see no way to 'pop' the ball free of the ball's containing cup. Can someone lend a hand? Thank you.
I think responses 2, 9, & 10 have your answer. The ball is pressed into the titanium scale, right?
Are you talking about the whole handle on the lockbar side? Pretty sure that’s titanium. Check with a magnet?
Thanks for getting me thinking and testing. I got my ZT0562CF so long ago that I just 'ass'umed that the whole frame, including the lockbar, was steel. It's non magnetic. But then is stainless steel is magnetic. Some is. Some isn't.
I'm hoping that ZT will get back to me. The lockbar detent is still functional though the ball is flattened. In other words, my 0562 could be better.
Thanks again. If you have any further observations or suggestions, pass them on.
I'm hoping that ZT will get back to me. The lockbar detent is still functional though the ball is flattened. In other words, my 0562 could be better.
Thanks again. If you have any further observations or suggestions, pass them on.
fishface5
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Per the ZT website
"The 0562CF’s handle has a carbon fiber front scale and stonewashed titanium back. For secure lock up during use, ZT uses a frame lock with hardened steel lockbar inserts and lockbar stabilization."
I found this pic on ThruMyLens. You can see the lockbar insert - the screw holding it in place is on the other side. If you unscrew and remove the lockbar, you should then be able to tap out the detent ball with a hammer and punch. Then you can measure it with a micrometer, buy a ceramic ball of the same diameter, and squeeze it into place. Voila?
"The 0562CF’s handle has a carbon fiber front scale and stonewashed titanium back. For secure lock up during use, ZT uses a frame lock with hardened steel lockbar inserts and lockbar stabilization."
I found this pic on ThruMyLens. You can see the lockbar insert - the screw holding it in place is on the other side. If you unscrew and remove the lockbar, you should then be able to tap out the detent ball with a hammer and punch. Then you can measure it with a micrometer, buy a ceramic ball of the same diameter, and squeeze it into place. Voila?
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