Gap showing between standoffs and folder frame? Fixed! Thanks Guys!

Daniel Fairly Knives

Daniel Fairly Knives

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I'm working on a framelock folder with standoff construction.

Every time I tighten the screws all the way down a gap appears between the frame and standoffs. The gap only appears during the last screw turn or so.

Everything is flat, flush and burr free to my knowledge. My standoff width matches (within .005") my blade+washers width. There is no gap until I try to screw everything down tight and as mentioned only at the last turn.

This happens with one standoff, both standoffs, standoffs at spec, under or over spec... I can't figure it out.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance!
 
Does this happen as well with the pivot and/or stop pin removed? Does it happen when you tighten the screws through the standoffs first, and then the pivot? I assume you are using non-threaded standoffs with a single screw through, threaded to the opposite side of the frame? Nothing came to mind immediately, other than perhaps your standoffs not having perfectly square ends. Maybe make a sharpie mark on them on the gap side, loosen and turn them 180 degrees, see if you still get a gap when tightened. Other than that, I'm drawing a blank.
Are your liners or frame nice and flat?
 
I agree with what salem is thinking. It sounds like either the liner or the standoff might not be perfectly square. Have you tried rotating the stand offs in 90 degree intervals and retightening each time you rotate to see if the gap goes away? Are the threads on the frame tapped by hand? Maybe the threads are slightly off?
 
Daniel Fairly Knives said:
My standoff width matches (within .005") my blade+washers width.
Click to expand...
Tighten up to tolerances on your standoffs.

Todd Begg learned a trick from Phil Boguszewski. Phil hand laps his washers until they are within .0001". Todd tried this trick and said it makes a difference in the way a folder feels.
 
Perhaps to leave it overnight and then go back to it will give you a better chance of finding what is wrong. I agree with Salem and bpiatt in what they are suggesting to look at. Yes, start by removing the pivot and blade and washers. Assemble the two sides and the spacer and take measurements. Install the pivot blade and washers and take measurements again. I believe this may help you find where that annoyance is. Frank
 
Thanks very much everyone for the help! It really means a lot that you guys take the time to help me out.

I'm still really not sure what the problem is, maybe my threads are off/skewed? I hand tapped it (by rotating mill spindle, used thread forming tap) after drilling in my mill with everything clamped down and not moved. I'm going to make sure my mill is in tram next.

The problem is isolated from the pivot but I did manage to get everything matching to .0000"

The gap is tiny, sometimes I need a loupe to see it. The pivots are lapped flat, the gap is always even. The pivots are threaded through as well as the frames and I have tried both threading one long screw through as well as one screw on each side.

The goods news is that this is my biggest problem so far, I have my framelock built! The lock is rock solid and the detent feels perfect in my opinion! :D I have the oddest problems... will keep on it until everything is perfected!















 
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Did you say both the frame and standoffs are threaded? If so then the threads might not be lining up perfectly. I know most makers have through holes on one side of the frame, through the standoffs and into the other frame side which is tapped.

If your using threaded spacers then they put one screw through a through hole on each frame into the threaded spacer.

You can't have both the frame and spacer threaded unless you threaded them together which would be a constant PITA.
 
Chuck Gedraitis Knives said:
Did you say both the frame and standoffs are threaded? If so then the threads might not be lining up perfectly. I know most makers have through holes on one side of the frame, through the standoffs and into the other frame side which is tapped.

If your using threaded spacers then they put one screw through a through hole on each frame into the threaded spacer.

You can't have both the frame and spacer threaded unless you threaded them together which would be a constant PITA.
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I see, that makes sense! I'm 99% positive that would solve my problem.

Yes everything threaded. I think with some minor changes I might be good to go!

Thanks very much!
 
Thanks again, when I have enough coffee in me I'm out to work on it! :D

This makes sense too, I have made 4 other folders successfully with just a hf drill press and junky home made pivot lap... practically eyed the pivots! ...But they were not tapped all the way through with a threaded standoff. I'll report back later.
 
Yup, Chuck nailed it (big surprise :)
At a certain point the threaded standoff will lock itself against the screw threads or one side and turn relative to the frames and jack itself away. Not much but enough to bother you.
Great looking knife.
 
Salem Straub said:
I'm sure that's it. That's why I asked earlier, too. You only want the liner threaded, on one side.
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Thanks Salem! Your help has been invaluable from the start, from learning to grind and now this... much appreciated!

I have been in the shop quite a lot and was too tired to comment or make much sense of anything, lol.
 
elementfe said:
Yup, Chuck nailed it (big surprise :)
At a certain point the threaded standoff will lock itself against the screw threads or one side and turn relative to the frames and jack itself away. Not much but enough to bother you.
Great looking knife.
Click to expand...

That explains it well, it makes sense that would happen. At one point I thought I needed a bigger vise! :D

Thanks! I appreciate the kind words.
 
Thanks again guys! Problem solved and it took about 30 seconds... Shop Talk rocks!
 
That folder looks amazing, awesome job man! Im hoping to have a folder in the works very soon too
 
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