lockback folder fever

bjr · Oct 20, 2006

Got my bronze bushings and washers, and some spring steel and pin stock from texas knifemaker's last night.

Ordered my O-1 bar stock from onlinemetals.com today.

Got my design set. Holes planned. Handle scales picked out.

Before I jump into this, any last minute advice???

Anyone else addicted to lockback folders? How many sleepless nights of fanatical filing can I look forward to? How many did you botch before you got one that set up well and snapped the way it should? I am really looking forward to this.

Don Hanson III · Oct 20, 2006

Just remember to keep everything flat and holes drilled 90 deg. The first one will be difficult.

Get-R-done

holmsy · Oct 20, 2006

bjr said:
How many did you botch before you got one that set up well and snapped the way it should? .

my first one snappe open perfectly there was no pay and life was beautiful, it wasnt untill my second that i realised it was all luck the first time, my second and 3rd were pretty bad and thats all ive made so far.

good luck with it. i think youll really enjoy the challenge, i also used the spring steel from TKS and it worked a treat, very easy to adjust.

brett

happycat · Oct 21, 2006

Still struggling with my first one......It evolved from a lockback to a slipjoint. Still working .....
Ed

JCaswell · Oct 21, 2006

happycat said:
.....It evolved from a lockback to a slipjoint.
Ed

Now that's funny!

kkc · Oct 21, 2006

I made a bunch of failures befor getting the hang of it.Now there my favorite.This tutorial really helped me.
http://www.knifenetwork.com/workshop/tut_lockback_charity.shtml

Kirby

jim moyer · Oct 21, 2006

kkc said:
I made a bunch of failures befor getting the hang of it.Now there my favorite.This tutorial really helped me.
http://www.knifenetwork.com/workshop/tut_lockback_charity.shtml

Kirby

I recommend the "How to Make Folding Knives a step by step how to"

It is basically the same as this tutorial - however
page 155 (Trouble shooting and hints) is worth the price of the book.

JTknives · Oct 21, 2006

dont harden the spring to much, i did with my firrst one and it broke and destroyed all my fancy file work

bartblade · Oct 21, 2006

the lock up is the most difficult thing to master and aligning the pivot whole so there is tention. if i was you i would try making my 1st from some scrapp. lows carrys cheap (weldable steel) that works great for practice. then if u like the design you now have a templet to guide you. you can always change the shape of the blade its the wholes and lockup that has to stay the same once you have 1 that works. ive started on a linerlock and used some aluminum that i got from lowes for mockup; then if i like it all i have to do is clamp it on some good stuff and scribe my lines and cut out.