How to loosen a newly made, bound up, slipjoint?

peppercorn

peppercorn

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Jan 31, 2009
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Hello all.
I'm new to knife making and just completed my first slipjoint, a three blade stockman.

Things were going along just fine until I pulled the .002" shim stock after final assembly/peening of the pivots.

My big mistake was, on the end with two blades, I put the shim stock between the middle liner and the clip blade, which did me no good at all.
I went to open the two blades and they wouldn't budge, period.
I had to use a small screwdriver in the nail knicks just to get the blades opened.

On the opposite end I put the shim between the Sheepsfoot and the liner, my only option of course, and that blade functions perfectly.

Is there any way to 'loosen' these blades?

Thanks for any and all advice.
 
Wiggle them. Put them in a vise if necessary, and wiggle the handles to loosen the rivets.
 
The temptation to over peen the rivets often expand the pivot down into the blade area. This can make things really tight. Work it open and closed with lots of oil flooded in the joint. Wiggle from sis=de to side and open/close a few hundred times. That usually loosens things up.

As Bill suggested, placing the blade in a padded vise corner makes the open/closed cycles easier to do repeatedly. Again, flood with oil while doing all this.

Next time be gentler in peening.
 
That Youtube video by Tony Bose is exactly the way I do it - As Stacy says, be gentle, but no matter how much I try, I tend to get them a tad tight. This method also allows getting the point exactly centered between liner.

Ken H>
 
Guys, thanks a lot.

I've made some progress by applying all methods but one.
I can't get the sound on the video to work and it looks like he is doing a fair amount of explaining. So, not sure I want to attempt what I 'see' until can hear what it is he is saying.

I have now got both blades to snap 'open' but they have to be pushed shut.
It's acting like the joint is tighter toward the center of the knife and just about right toward the end, if that makes sense?
 
Provided I can get this to loosen up, do I need to re-peen the pivot pin?
And, if so, how do I do so without causing the same issue all over again?
 
Peppercorn, In the video he says you do this before you grind the pin off, because it's going to "pull that pin."
 
Grinding the pin is the VERY last thing you wish to do after the "walk 'n talk" action are working as you wish. Peen the pin, if it gets a tad tight, do as he shows and tap blade a bit - don't hurt to use a brass hammer. I forgot and used a steel hammer and BROKE the blade! Get action where you want it, have blade point centered, then and only then grind pin. Even with the tapping of blade to loosen up action a bit, as long as the pin hasn't been ground, it shouldn't need more peening.

Ken H>
 
Why in the world didn't I think of doing all that work before grinding the head off the pin?

Maybe I should watch more youtube...
 
Ken H> said:
Grinding the pin is the VERY last thing you wish to do after the "walk 'n talk" action are working as you wish. Peen the pin, if it gets a tad tight, do as he shows and tap blade a bit - don't hurt to use a brass hammer. I forgot and used a steel hammer and BROKE the blade! Get action where you want it, have blade point centered, then and only then grind pin. Even with the tapping of blade to loosen up action a bit, as long as the pin hasn't been ground, it shouldn't need more peening.

Ken H>
Click to expand...

Ken,
Thanks so much for that.
I have Not ground the pins yet and your explanation has really filled in a gap for me.

As of now, I have both blades snapping 'open'.

With either the clip or Sheepsfoot blade open, the opposite blade snaps shut perfectly. With the opposite blade closed I still have to 'push' the blade in question closed.

Not quite sure what to do now?
 
I use the Bose method, but if you have issues like you mentioned, you could make a brass wedge and work it in the exact spots you want to open toward the center.
If you have left a bit of taper don't cry if you already ground the pivot...you can still peen and sand flush to the bolster again :) you could also peen the bolster around the pin and sand flush.
 
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