I messed up and need some help

[Lo/Rez]

Working on my first liner lock and it appears as if I used the wrong bit for drilling the hole for the detent ball and the hole in the blade. That is so like me. The ball goes almost all the way through the detent hole and sits into the hole in the blade.

Because the ball isn't going all the way through the hole could it be pressed in from the other (outside) or should I use a drift punch and make the hole a little smaller and do it from the blade side? I read in Bob Terzuola's book (I think it was his) that if you mess up a detent hole in a blade you can pound in a plug and re drill the hole. What is this process, or can some type of product like JB Weld be used? The blade has been heat treated. I'm using 10 thousandths washers on this build and the liners are about 62 thousandths thick, the ball is about 92 thousandths. I did heat treat the liners already.

 

[Offlines]

could you get the next size up ball?

 

[Bill DeShivs]

You need bigger balls.

 

[Will52100]

Is the ball coming out of the liner? And is there play when in the closed position? As long as the ball is swedged into the liner and won't come out and snaps the blade closed without rocking your good to go. If the ball is falling out of the liner, or you can easily push it out, then you've got a problem and need a bigger ball, or you need to swag the hole close a bit. I start small on the blade hole, and increase in size a step at a time to get the "snap" on closing without allowing it to rock up and down, but the hole in the liner I have to drive the ball in with a punch.

 

[Lo/Rez]

You need bigger balls.

LOL. Is 1/8" the next step? That one is pretty close to the edge of the lock bar and I don't know if I have room to go that big.

Edit to add....I ordered some 1/8" balls.

 

[Will52100]

What size are you currently using? I normally use 1/16" balls, the next convenient size up is 3/32".

 

[Alpha Knife Supply]

The steps in detent balls are:
.0625"
.0787"
.0937"

Chuck

 

[Don Hanson III]

You need bigger balls.

This^^^

What size are you currently using? I normally use 1/16" balls, the next convenient size up is 3/32".

& This^^^

The hole in the blade is way too large and the ball looks like it's sitting too low in the lock bar hole.

 

[Lo/Rez]

Thanks for all the info. I ordered some 1/8" balls to fix this issue and also some 1/16" balls with the proper drill bits for my future builds.

 

[Daniel Fairly Knives]

You might want to try the 2mm balls from AKS, .125" is a big step up.

 

[flatgrinder]

Bigger ball

 

[Lo/Rez]

You might want to try the 2mm balls from AKS, .125" is a big step up.

The ones I have now are .0937". 2mm is .0787" which is too small.

 

[Lieblad]

Slight problem there.
When you are done playing with your balls, it might be nice to know how it turned out.
But on the other hand,,, maybe not...:barf:

I would try a larger dia. Or swage its recess to suit.
Bet there is a lesson here. Dammed if I know what it is !

 

[Lo/Rez]

I think I will have to go with the bigger ball as the main problem lies with the detent hole being too large.

Edit to add....I ordered a 3mm carbide end mill (could not find #31) and will open up the hole for the 1/8" detent ball on the liner. Possibly offsetting it a little compared to the present hole, but am not sure at the moment.