Folder is part way siezed up now that I put it together, need help on problem solving

[Matt Shade]

I've been working at refurbishing /cutstominzing a spyderco delica 98. The handle was about wore out and it had developed slight up and down blade play. I thought that the pins might have worn and that I could fix it by putting in new pins and making a new handle. It turns out the lock had just worn some and that problem stays, it still locks up solid.
Anyhow, its got 410 liners, bolivian rosewood scales and an aluminum spacer now. I ground the spacer down to about 1/100" thicker than the locking bar. I'm now realizing that should have only been a couple thousandths, but it worked fine with everything test fitted.
I forgot to take into acount that the original zytel handle had molded in washers at the pivot. Upon tightening down the spacer, peening in the pin on the locking bar with a .005 shim to keep it from getting to tight, and then putting in the blade... the tang is pinched right at the front of the liners, unless you spread things out enough that the blade has side to side play.

So, any ideas? I'm thinking I should start out with some type of washers at the pivot, is that a good idea? Or do I try and pull the spacer out without messing up my pin on the locking bar and grinding it down some?

The locking bar has the only peened pin. Everything else is screws. I had to turn my own pin for the locking bar and that was a total bitch. I don't have a lathe, so I chucked the pin into a drill press and held a sandind block up to it.I want to avoid redoing that if I can

Thanks for any help

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I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer... but I've got the sharpest knife in the room.

 

[Andrew McLurkin]

Matt, I think I have the picture based on your description. Since you want to save the pin that secures the lock bar, and the liners are hitting at the front of the tang your best bet would be to use washers on each side of the blade. The trick is to get the blade+washers=back spacer. With a lock bar you want blade+washers=lock bar - a few thousandths. The biggest secret is palying around with it until you get it right

 

[Darrel Ralph]

Sounds right Andy!


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[Matt Shade]

Thanks guys. I managed to pop the spacer out without damaging anything and I ground it down to about .005 bigger than the lock bar. That solved the majority of the rubbing problems. There still there a little bit though unless you have a lot of blade play. After measuring the thickness of the locking bar and the tang I found that the lock bar is .005" thicker than the tang. So I'm going to to order a pair of washers for it like you said.
Thanks again.

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I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer... but I've got the sharpest knife in the room.