Military Tip up conversion

[uxo2]

I am sure there is a Necro thread floating about. But I did not find it.
Also I am just a guy who likes to do stuff. So you are on your own if you
bugger up up your scales or blade.
My DIY is just a guide to show you it can be done with great results...

For along time I avoided Millies because they are Tip down carry ONLY.


Now that a user Millie found me. Time to make it Tip up carry.
There is another member here who did the same thing
without using threaded inserts and has not had the screws pull out.

All you need are


-Standard Spydie clip to use as a template.-
-5/64th drill bit.-
-Drill, a steady hand and a calibrated eyeball to drill straight down.-

Remove factory clip. Save Clip screws as you will be using them again.
I had manix screws on hand and used those till I was done.

Move the clip to your desired location.

Check drill location because it may drill into blade if closed. If you have to open the blade while drilling.
Put tape over the edge so you will not draw blood.

Drill one hole at a time. I used the Clip screws from the Millie to chase the holes through the G10.

Don't gorilla them on. It is G10 and will strip the threads on the G10 and you will have to use a threaded insert.

Mount the clip with one screw to hold it in place
and then drilled next hole. Chased and second screw installed for secure drilling of third hole.
Watch out for the G10 dust being generated

No I do not use a pull through sharpener on my good knives. The plastic handle was my test material to check hole size to see if it
will have enough threads.

When I was done I installed a Casey Long clip because it looks better than the short
and used the Millie Clip screws with blue loctite.

IMHO, it rides in my pocket better than when it was tip down.
BUT now it draws as smooth as any TIP UP knife I Carry.



After all...Tip up just feels natural for me regardless of knife size.



And now I love Millies.

 

[foofie]

Did you tap?

 

[uxo2]

Did you tap?

No tap... My local hardware store did not have a tap. So I Bubba'ed it.
Fresh holes were simply chased with clip screws. They cut "good enough" threads.
Im happy with the results.

 

[bdmicarta]

People have a lot of reasons for tip up carry but it seems to convert a good one-handed knife to a slow 2-handed knife. One of my favorites to carry is a Manix 2 but I have to go through sleight of hand tricks to open it after I pull it out.

But seriously back to the subject- it will be interesting to see how your mod holds up to use over time. The standard Spyderco clip positions the screws such that normal use would put a lot of tension in the 2 screws that do all of the work. I haven't put any of mine to the test yet. The Military clip positions the screws farther apart so it puts less force on the screws. I did manage to catch a military clip on something in a store and bend the clip pretty far out, without any problem with the screws. I was trying to bend the clip for my daughter's Tenacious and I put a lot of force into it without actually bending it. The Tenacious clip spreads the screws out pretty far too but I was still concerned about damaging the screws so I took the clip off and then adjusted it. I'm afraid the standard Spyderco clip would pull out marginal screws before bending the clip but I'm not going to test it on one of mine.

 

[Kohai999]

No tap... My local hardware store did not have a tap. So I Bubba'ed it.
Fresh holes were simply chased with clip screws. They cut "good enough" threads.
Im happy with the results.

It is unlikely to hold. No manufacturer has ever gotten good results tapping into G10 alone, it was not made for it.

Good luck, and

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[bdmicarta]

It is unlikely to hold. No manufacturer has ever gotten good results tapping into G10 alone, it was not made for it.

There are a few threads about people doing the conversion and there was a recent thread somewhere involving little inserts put into the back of the scales. If the screws pull out of the G10 then the OP could get some of these inserts and use them. And like I mentioned before the Military or Tenacious type clip spreads the screws out further to reduce the stress on them. I've studied my Military to see how this might be done and if a person is willing to buy the appropriate tap I think the easiest would be to get a thin piece of steel similar to the liner, put it behind the scale and drill and tap holes into it. The piece would only need to be a little bigger than the pattern of 3 holes. If I wanted to convert one I would probably try it this way.

 

[rding]

I have a Ti Military I don't use it over the tip down.I haven't seen where the information on tap and drill bit sizes is help on size or where to find info would be nice.What would be a good clip choice original would look a little awkward maybe without going over pivot bolt.

 

[Kohai999]

There are a few threads about people doing the conversion and there was a recent thread somewhere involving little inserts put into the back of the scales. If the screws pull out of the G10 then the OP could get some of these inserts and use them. And like I mentioned before the Military or Tenacious type clip spreads the screws out further to reduce the stress on them. I've studied my Military to see how this might be done and if a person is willing to buy the appropriate tap I think the easiest would be to get a thin piece of steel similar to the liner, put it behind the scale and drill and tap holes into it. The piece would only need to be a little bigger than the pattern of 3 holes. If I wanted to convert one I would probably try it this way.

You could use a dremel to mill out a small pad behind the holes and put in an insert that accommodates the threading, as you are saying....but G10 alone does not have the required properties for fine pitch threads to hold....if it was coarse threads with maybe 1/4" to 1/2" of penetration/material thickness and you could get a clean cut with a tap....maybe.

We are basically saying the same thing, I think, lol.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[Cursum Perficio]

Hope that works out well for you OP, tip up Military rocks.

Didn't do the job myself, but here's an attempt to take pics of my tip up Millie with 2 nuts sunk into the inside of the G10, the 3rd clip screw going into a barrel spacer.
I find it carries and deploys great the from tip up position.

 

[Riz!]

Looks like a good mod if you are set on tip up carry. It definitely needs something to secure those threads to.

I feel like this knife was designed for tip down carry. It was designed for use with gloves. Tip down with a good bit of the handle showing allows some space to get a purchase when drawing with gloves. I have smaller hands and feel like if I went tip up carry with a millie, i would have to draw the knife and then shimmy it in my hand to be able to get my thumb and hand positioned to open it. They way the stock knife is, I draw it from my pocket and it naturally pivots in between my thumb and index finger, settling exactly where I need it to be able to deploy the blade.

 

[uxo2]

Thank you for the comments.



As I said. It was a USER Millie. So I loose nothing if it pulls out because I will just have to add threaded inserts.
For now I am getting Millie love because it is in my desired mode of carry.

Tip up carry is my preferred way to carry regardless of brand.

My hand works a Tip Up knife on pure Mechanical Reflex and Tip down is just awkward. Almost as bad as Flippers

I have never had any issues when working with gloves on opening a knife. Unless its winter then it is 2 hands to open.



Now as For Curium Perficio

I am working on something along the lines you have.
But I am going to use a plate... maybe a old bet up Liner.

Hope that works out well for you OP, tip up Military rocks.

Didn't do the job myself, but here's an attempt to take pics of my tip up Millie with 2 nuts sunk into the inside of the G10, the 3rd clip screw going into a barrel spacer.
I find it carries and deploys great the from tip up position.

Eventually I will be buying a set of Mircata OD green scales for it that are drilled with inserts for tip up carry
from Sketchen Scales Customs.



For now... I gave you Millie guy something to think about.

TIP UP

 

[Sonnydaze]

I liked the idea that Cursum used, with the recessed nuts. Of course, a recessed steel piece of liner may well do just as well. Nice ideas...
I don't carry my Millies; they're just for kicks at this point. They tend to come and go.

 

[bdmicarta]

I'm not sure that you even have to recess a piece of liner. There is a lot of extra space in there at this end of the knife because the tip is so thin. I don't know how thick those nuts are but they might have to be recessed to clear the blade.

 

[uxo2]

Il


I don't carry my Millies; they're just for kicks at this point. They tend to come and go.

The Millies I owned were come and go
to.

Till this one showed up which allowed me to
experiment.

 

[Cursum Perficio]

....I am working on something along the lines you have.
But I am going to use a plate... maybe a old bet up Liner.

Eventually I will be buying a set of Mircata OD green scales for it that are drilled with inserts for tip up carry
from Sketchen Scales Customs

Cool, post some pics it's done, would like to see it.
Sketchen scales rock, it was Steve that did that Military for me, beautiful work. It also has no lanyard tube to allow optimum tip up clip placement.

I also have a standard black/S30V Military, and have no problem with the tip down carry. There's a fumble the first time I pull it out for the day 'cos almost everything else I have is tip up, but I seem to remember after that. It works just fine.
But tip up works so much better for me.

 

[foofie]

The 2-56 nuts are probably much easier to come by than a tap. Never seen it at a hardware store - only online with knife supply companies.
That said - please update us with the durability of g10 only for threads.
ps - have a bag with a hundred 2-56 nuts. Let me know if you want me to send you a handful. (edit - could be 2-64. Can't remember now)

 

[uxo2]

- please update us with the durability of g10 only for threads.
ps -

Thank you for your offer but I found a old set of Grip factory scales and promptly took them apart
to use the inserts.

have no problem with the tip down carry.

There's a fumble the first time I pull it out for the day 'cos almost everything else I have is tip up,

But tip up works so much better for me.

That is why we are here.

Tip Up

 

[bdmicarta]

It also has no lanyard tube to allow optimum tip up clip placement.

That's a catch-22. One of the biggest arguments I read for tip up is that you can use it with a lanyard.

 

[foofie]

Love it. Noble sacrifice:thumbup:

 

[115Italian]

Someone recently posted about this conversion. They used some kind of insert where you drop it into the hole and the screw actually caused the insert to spread which secured it in place.