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Friction folder plans

DCL Knives

DCL Knives

Joined
Jun 6, 2012
Messages
783
Hello all, I'm planning on building my first folder soon. I have 1/8 1095 and some 1/8 Micarta for scales and backspacer. I also have some 1/8in pivots and small phosphor bronze washers. The thing I'm most concerned about is drilling the holes for the stop pin (which I will use a pivot for?). Tell me what you think of the desighn! Any tips would be greatly apriciated. Also if there is anything I'm missing please let me know :D. The frame lock cutout shouldn't be there.
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Thanks for all your help here guys! And I'll post pics when I'm done (might be a while schools starts tomorrow :barf::thumbdn:and I have a lot (to me)of knives to finish up).
 
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I would move the stop pin back towards the butt of the handle, making for a larger radius around the pivot allowing for more rigidity side to side. I personally would use 3/16" or 1/4" for the pivot. What material is your pin stock for the stop pin? The stop pin in all reality can go where ever convenient behing the pivot. Also I would round the end of the tang, that sharp point will be wicked when it is closed! I do like the design though.

-Xander
 
The pivot and stop pin are hardened 416 from usaknife maker. All I have right now is 1/8 so do you think I could get by or should I order some. Moving the stop pin back is a good idea and I will use it, don't want any blade play.

I better round out the tang...ouch :) thanks for your help.
 
The 1/8" stock will be just fine for the pivot pin. Anything bigger just means a bigger hole in the blade material and less room to make things work right. Good point on the tang, even if you carried in a sheath.
 
I think it looks great! Bigger is stronger as mentioned but I think you will be great with your supplies on hand. Round that tang. Nice design!

Make a jig to sand the standoffs if they need to be shortened, you want them all even and dead square. Measure the blade plus the washers and that will give you a good length for the standoffs or spacers.
 
Take your design and make a couple copies of it, cut out the blade and then cut out the handle, use push pins for pivots, this will give you a sense of how things will work and what size hardware you can use with the available space.


-Xander
 
Xander's suggestion is a good one.

Make clear plastic cutouts of all the parts. Make several of the blade, leaving the tang and pivot area with extra.Leave the blade shape a bit fat for now,too. Take a piece of wood or aluminum and drill a 1" deep hole for the pivot stock, and put a 2" piece of pivot stock in the hole. You now have a template jig started.
Place the liner piece on the pivot pin and drill the liner and jig for the rear pin. Insert a pin.
If there is a backspring or spacer, do the same for it. You now have all the pins except the stop pin in place.
Now, place the blade piece on the jig, and mark with a sharpie any places that need material removed so it fits the shape of the liner and back spacer. Trim the blade area to fit the frame/liners. You will now see why you use clear plastic sheeting for these template pieces.
Rotate the blade to the open position, and mark to show where the material should be removed to make the blade open and close properly. Trim the plastic to this shape. If needed, trim the backspring/spacer to make the blade fit right.
When the blade seems about right, mark the spot where the stop pin will go, and drill it. Place a pin in this hole.
The mock-up should now open and close properly. If not, make adjustments....or take one of the other plastic blade blanks and try again. When everything is right, make the parts in metal using these plastic pieces as templates. Use the same jig to fit-up the metal pieces as you did the plastic ones.

Be sure to leave extra metal in the metal blade to trim in final fit-up, and for sanding post-HT or the knife will end up sloppy. I fit the stop pin area last. It should almost open fully after HT and then you just sneak up on it as you sand/file the stop notch.
 
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