how to keep my griptilian flippable with no side play?

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fezcabdriver

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Mar 11, 2015
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I put on some new scales and now I can't seem to find that sweet spot of no side play and smooth enough to flip/open smoothly? teflon tape? loctite of some sort?
 
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I have the same problem with my 940. There just is no sweet spot. It seems to be a problem with some Benchmades. I guess changing the scales changed the tolerances just enough to bring it out.
 
I have a 940-1 and same here. Small minute blade play and no sweet spot. Has Never changed the scales


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fezcabdriver said:
I put on some new scales and now I can't seem to find that sweet spot of no side play and smooth enough to flip/open smoothly? teflon tape? loctite of some sort?

P.S. how do I post in the for sale section? Doesn't look like I have the option.
P.S.S I have a brand new AWT prybar/screwdriver tool in electric blue. The apex of the bottle opener has the typical wear use. I'll throw in a firesteel ferro rod with it if anyone is interested. PM me.
Click to expand...

The only way to post knives for sale is to become a Gold, or higher, member. You can buy, but not sell.
Blue Loctite on the pivot! And remember.......minute pivot adjustments to get to the sweet spot!!
Remove pivot screw and put a small dab of blue Loctite. Tighten it up in small increments, find sweet spot and leave it alone for 24 hours.
Give it a try!
Joe
 
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Some blade play is OK with an AXIS lock. Some that you can feel wiggling the blade and handle around with your fingers isn't a big deal and won't effect the strength of the lock, though there shouldn't be enough that you can feel while using the knife.

I've found with AXIS lock knives some are just more smooth than others. Time to break in helps but some just never get as smooth as you would like and I haven't figured out why. I've done quite a bit to knives that aren't as smooth and it doesn't seem like they ever get as nice as the really smooth ones when it seems like you should be able to or at least pretty darn close.

I like to put Teflon tape on the pivot screw so you can adjust it and not worry about needing to reapply afterwards or being so tight it's hard to break loose. An even better option is a thread locker product made by Vibra-tite VC-3 instead of the normally suggested blue loc-tite. The VC-3 is reuseable and let's you make adjustments multiple times but without the screw loosening up after you move the screw which would break the bond of normal stuff. Anyways, when adjusting a pivot it can take an almost non perceptible turn of the screw, only a degree or 3, to get to that sweet spot where the blade is very smooth with minimal blade play.

I've found I don't need a friction less movement where the blade effortlessly falls closed. A blade that slowly falls closed and even stops in the middle is ok with me. It still lets me pull the lock bar back and easily flip the blade open and closed and can even help stop the blade from bouncing back and rebounding at end of flip. Probably most important to those that like to play with knife and mindlessly flip it open and closed. I also like putting my nail under the thumb stud and flip thumb straight up in the direction of the knife's long axis. Most models will flip great like this and then pull lock bar back and flip closed like normal.

Anyways, if it's a new knife give it some time and try to find that perfect spot with the pivot. If that still doesn't do it we can give you some things to try that will require you to open the knife up.

Good luck!
 
palonej said:
Blue Loctite on the pivot! And remember.......minute pivot adjustments to get to the sweet spot!!
Remove pivot screw and put a small dab of blue Loctite. Tighten it up in small increments, find sweet spot and leave it alone for 24 hours.
Give it a try!
Joe
Click to expand...

This, I tighten it up all the way though and leave it be for couple hrs, then find the sweet spot afterwards. Think your good either way though.
 
I also tighten up to the point that it's very stiff and you can barely open and close. At that point, I open and close the blade at least 50 times and trust me your fingers will be hurting. You will notice it becomes slightly easier to open and close, then I slooooowly back out the pivot screw maybe 1/32 turn a time until I find the sweet spot. PB washers need to "mate" with the blade stock because as flat and flawless as both surface seem to you, they aren't perfect. After you find the sweet spot then back out the pivot screw completely, put some locktite and put it back slightly tighter and "micro" back out until you find the sweet spot again and leave it overnight so the locktite has time to set up.


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I love my Grip. I've found that when I reassemble I start all the screws. Then tighten all but the pivot, then tighten the pivot with a little loc tite on it. After tightening the pivot I adjust it to where I want it and let it set for a couple hours to let the loc tite set up. It always seems to work for me.
 
I would add (maybe it is assumed) to clean the pivot screw and pivot before adding your teflon tape or liquid lock tight.

I do this with a q-tip (pulling on some of the cotton and twisting it into a point) adding rubbing alcohol and screwing it into the pivot. For the screw, a little rubbing alcohol on a lint free rag and screw the screw into it.

There are several great videos on YouTube going through the process.

John
 
What kind of lubricant I should use on the washers? I noticed on the stock Mini Grip, it has a minute dab of some kind of grease.


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I just tightened the pivot screw on my 707 Sequel, and now have an easy to open blade without side play. It is likely to work loose again.
I have never removed the pivot screw on a Benchmade. Will it unscrew easily to allow the application of Loctite? Is there anything that I should be aware of here? At some point, I know I am going to need to do this.
 
arty said:
I just tightened the pivot screw on my 707 Sequel, and now have an easy to open blade without side play. It is likely to work loose again.
I have never removed the pivot screw on a Benchmade. Will it unscrew easily to allow the application of Loctite? Is there anything that I should be aware of here? At some point, I know I am going to need to do this.
Click to expand...

I just got my first Benchmade today, the pivot screw came out and went right back in with a little vibra tite, could not have been more simple
 
I love my benchmade 551BK-1 but... the blade play just bothers me so much. I tried loctiting it... but I'm pretty sure my loctite is just old and isn't working because it didn't secure the screw at all lol. I will probably buy some loctite in the future and give it another shot.
 
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