Liner lock worn -- travels all the way across

[longbeachguy]

I have a liner lock knife with titanium locking liner, and the liner travels all the way to the opposing handle scale, and it doesn't lock up tight.

Does anyone know if there's a fairly quick fix for this? It occurred to me that if I hammer the liner on an anvil I might be able to extend it's length by a few thousandths of an inch, which I would imagine is all that's needed. However, I wanted to get some advice here from others who might have tackled this problem before I start pounding away on it.

Repair by the manufacturer may or may not be an option, as it's a discontinued model. Plus if it's something I can do myself, by which I mean without having to pay anything, I'd rather do that.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[STR]

Normally peening the lock contact is done with a flat bottom 3/32 diameter punch and it requires some experience so you know how hard to hit it and where. Hit it too soft it does nothing much. Hit it too hard it can shatter or even break the lock ruining it. There are differenent techniques for this depending on the thickness of the ti lock also.

Another method would be to go up to the very next size stop pin. Normally what I do is take out my digital caliper and measure the one in it now. Then I go to the very next size the closest to that as I can. Sometimes its just a simple matter of going from a 3/16" fractional size to a number drill or even a metric one next depending on which you can find.

You can use the end of the drill bit itself for the new stop also and they are already at the hardness needed to match up to the blades pretty good for maximum wear resistance to the banging they take.

For example if you had a .125 measurement or 1/8" for the stop pin in it now, you might go to a .1285 or #30 size drill for the new stop. If its a .1875 or 3/16" stop in it now you could bump up to a #12 drill and move it to a .1890 size. Stuff like this is sometimes easier to do with only need for some minor adjustment to the blade so it still rests in the same spot it needs to so the detent ball still falls into the blade. As a result of the bigger diameter pin in there now it will cause the blade to sometimes bump that pin in rotation which needs adjusted and then you also need to take off a bit to make it seat down into the folder as it always did when the blade is closed. This is both so the ball drops into the hole in the blade to keep it from opening by gravity and also so the point is not sticking up out of the folder.
This is only bumping it up about the width of a hair which in a folder can be huge. In most cases either method fixes the problem you describe though, and at least for a while.

Of course the stop pin method is dependent on the positioning of the one it has in it now. If its so close to the edge that making a bigger hole is impossible without breaking through on one side of the liner well, then you can't go that route.

With the peening method, which I do not really like by the way, it can and does often times cause a very sticky lock function to release it to close the blade. It also does not seem to me to be the best way to engineer a good contact so I've never quite taken to this method at all but I have done it and there sure are a lot of companies and makers that do it even on new knives just shipped out. I see it now and then on some more than others.

STR

 

[longbeachguy]

Thanks for the very informative repsponse Steve. It definitely sounds like a job for a professional. Do you happen to know where I can find one? Just kidding.

I just sent you a PM. I'd love to send it your way if you have the time to look at it.

Thanks again,

Jim

 

[Frank Hillary]

Hi,

You can also lengten the liner lock spring by hammering. I have done this and it works great.

Cheers
Frank