leveling slip joint spring

Ryan Minchew

Ryan Minchew

Joined
Sep 29, 2005
Messages
580
I've been working on slip joints the past couple of weeks and I've got no hair left to pull out so I thought I'd ask here.

I did a half stop and in the open position and the half stop position the springs sits flush with the liners. If I close the knife the spring sets below the liners. I know I can take some off the kick and bottom of the blade pivot to lower the spring in the closed position but that won't help me here. What can I do to lower the spring in the open position? I've ruined two springs so far so I'm hesitant to try anything, but it seems to me if I remove material from the top corner of the blade that will affect the lock up. Am I wrong thinking this? Or can I do this and safely drop the spring down level with the closed position and regrind the liners? Any help would be appreciated.
 
the problem is that the top and half stop need to be lowwered to match the bottom. you have two options make a new blade and leave the bottom of the tang wider(more distance to the pivot hole/ Or close the blade and grind down the frames and bolsters to match the spring the remove the blade and take down the half stop and back square area so that the spring sits flush.
 
When fitting up a slippie all 3 positions on the tang have to be correct, start by
taking the lowest point that the spring sits on the tang and then match the other
two positions to that height. If the tang of the blade is correct there isn't a problem
with the spring.
Ken.
 
I agree with Bill and you can choose which way to go with this one.

If you have enough spring [from blade edge to spine direction] I would take the back square down to match the closed position and work the the half stop to flush. Remember you will need to take the top of the blade down [open] if it was flush to the spring before this change.

Craig
 
Thanks for the help guys. I was just afraid if I did take the top of the back square down that it might change the geometry of the lock up and not fit right. It seems from everyone's advice that I can do infact take off from the top of the back square. I can see where it would knock the spring down unlevel with the top of the blade so I'll have to level them back up that's no big deal. The half stop wasn't bothering me as much I knew I could take material off there and match it up with the closed position. Thanks again for the quick responses. Ryan Minchew
 
actually you are correct in thinking that the fit up will change the geometry but I dont believe that it will be enough to be of consequence. the blade will just open slightly farther. it all depends on how much angle you have in the back square.
 
I like to start with the blade in the open position and call this zero. It's fairly easy to adjust the others to fit then. I cheat and use a guage. 0 in open, .010-.015 in half and .005 in closed works every time.
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Thanks for the help guys. I knew I could adjust the bottom and half stop easily. And in fact on my test run things were even. Then I ground the kick quiet a bit to drop the blade down and that seemed to lower the spring in the closed position as well. I read in one spot that grinding the kick too much can lower the spring, but haven't seen it mentioned again.

I am saving up to snag one of those guages. I don't have the tools here to build one.

John if i'm not mistaken he leaves them like that so that he has a hair bit of fine tuning to do once the blade is ground and preload is set on the spring. I think he gets them all to 0 before it's all said and done. Of course I could be wrong, but that's my thinking.
 
Yep your right Ryan, when you load the spring, or put tention on the spring and blade the whole thing changes a bit. you cant load them on the dial so I compensate for it. by leaving some in places on the blade so I dont have to change the spring at all. I just remove what I need to on the kick and halfstop. just remember for every .001 you take off the blade the spring will drop .002 or more. this may not happen to everyone but it seems happen to me every time.
 
:confused::confused:Rusty, you are saying "0 in open, .010-.015 in half and .005 in closed works every time".
But the indicator read out is different
 
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