Ever think of taking a note out of CRK's book?

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

I wonder if drilling out the pivot hole in a blade and inserting a bushing in as CRK does would make a world of difference, and if it's actually possible to do at home. The tolerances would have to be extremely close. What do you think?

 

[knarfeng]

Not a job for the average home mechanic.

 

[mongomondo]

Spyderco does it on their Leafstorm, Manix 2, and Paramilitary 2. Maybe it will catch on.

 

[RevDevil]

Not a job for the average home mechanic.

I agree. This kind of thing is best left for people with the proper tools and experience. Anything less can result in serious injury and the loss of a finger or 2.

 

[yablanowitz]

Most people aren't set up for holding plus or minus 0.0001" tolerances, especially while machining hardened steel. It isn't the presence of the bushing, it is the precision of the machining that makes the difference. Odds are excellent that all you would do is ruin the knife.

 

[elkins45]

Most people aren't set up for holding plus or minus 0.0001" tolerances, especially while machining hardened steel. It isn't the presence of the bushing, it is the precision of the machining that makes the difference. Odds are excellent that all you would do is ruin the knife.

So you're saying I should put down my Dremel tool?

 

[termiteslayer]

So you're saying I should put down my Dremel tool?

Put down the Dremel.
Walk away from the Dremel.

 

[darthsoaker]

Put down the Dremel.
Walk away from the Dremel.

This is good advice.

Should probably be stickied in the Maintenance, Tinkering & Embellishment forum.

;-)

 

[2sparky]

Why not find a folder with a big enough pivot to lathe out? Most pivots arent hardened are they?

 

[Macchina]

Why not find a folder with a big enough pivot to lathe out? Most pivots arent hardened are they?

Lathes work to drill concentric holes in round or symmetric objects, not off center holes in non-symmetric objects.

Folder blades are thru-hardened, meaning the pivot is around 60 Rc. You'd need a carbide drill or endmill and a carbide reamer to enlarge the pivot hole. As far as making the bushing, You'd need to order a bushing with the correct OD/ID and surface grind it to the correct length.

Holding the blade an locating the pivot hole properly are going to be your biggest problems .You'll need a mill, a co-ax, proper holding fixture, a carbide endmill that is a few thousands under the diamter of your finished hole size, and a carbide reamer that is on size or .0005 for a slip fit. If things are nominal in your knife, you may be lucky enough to purchase the correct size bushing from McMaster-Carr or other machinist distro. If not, order one (or a few) with the OD of your new hole and ID of your pivot screw and surface grind it down in length to the thickness of your blade + washers. Assemble and enjoy!

Good luck.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Why not find a folder with a big enough pivot to lathe out? Most pivots arent hardened are they?

If I'm not mistaken, when the vast majority of folder blades are heat-treated, the WHOLE blade is put into a furnace and then quenched. This would imply that the entire blade (including the tang/pivot), is hardened.

Some knives are 'differentially heat-treated', so the hardening varies according to specific areas of the blade (harder at the edge, a bit softer along the spine). But this is mostly done with custom blades, and even then, most of those are fixed blades.