Pinless bali idea

WrongFriend

WrongFriend

Joined
Jul 6, 1999
Messages
1,151
I'm going to do an experiment if thrust bearings can be applied to balisong. A thrust bearing is two small circular plate sandwitching bearings in between, durable to high pressure, still holding smooth rotation to each other. My idea is glueing the bearings to the handles and the blade. If the glue is tough enough, and resistive enough to corrosives, there'll be no need for pins. (Pins can be applied also, to give additional pressure by pinching the blade if tightened by bolts)

Do you think it will work as I think? Anyone has the same idea? Or already tried by many people? Any comments are welcome.

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\(^o^)/ Mizutani Satoshi \(^o^)/
 
I am not an engineer, but I wonder about using glue. I would love to see a sketch if you have one. All of the custom work that is starting to happen is very exciting.
 
I'm wondering about overall thickness at the juncture of the handle and blade.............With a bearing on each side of the blade the handle is going to be WIDE. I don't know how that would fly on a knife with a 4" or so blade; on a BIG knife it would be more in scale
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If a maker used a two piece handle (a lot of work) maybe you could 'pocket' the bearings.

[This message has been edited by Dawkind (edited 09-06-2000).]
 
Thank you guys, for your input!!

Random, I have no sketches now as I've just stumbled on the idea with no precise vision what and how to make it. I'm trying to purchase some small kinda thrust bearings to kick the idea around.

Dawkind, you sound quite rational, the thickness! The diameter is what I know all about; inner 5mm, outer 11mm, but the thickness had fell off my brain somewhere.
Embedding the bearings onto the blade surface, or just moving on to bigger blades, kicking around the every possibility is nothing but great pleasure for me now.

I think I can proceed only slowly on the project, or project-to-be, but I'll post if any progress is made.

------------------
Did you enjoy today?
\(^o^)/ Mizutani Satoshi \(^o^)/
 
Hmmm... A while ago I started tinkering w/ a Jag, to see if I could set up screws for pins (like the 42) rather than nails or those cheap hollow brass pins. It will work, if I can ever get it finished (no drill press to re-drill the blade, my hand-held drill turns way too fast)

Yours sounds like a very unique idea, and worth exploring. To eliminate the 'spread' on the handles, maybe remove some of the handle material & thin the tang a bit? Perhaps make yourself a wood or plastic blade to try it with first, 'cause hardened steel is a beetch to screw around with (hence the mentioning of my current Franken-Bali proj.)
As far as fastening the bearings goes, a good strong glue will be Ok for a prototype, but probably won't hold up under extended manipulation. Maybe ask in the Maker's forum for fastening ideas?

Anyway, good luck & keep us posted!

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Yeah, well, people ... They're in tiny pieces in my bag ...
 
willOthewisp, thanx for advice. I came upon a new idea about latch system. When the bearings are delivered, I'll try sketching, and make a model of cardboard or wood sheet. I've never tried to upload pix on the forum, I'll try some pix when I get something informative.

------------------
Did you enjoy today?
\(^o^)/ Mizutani Satoshi \(^o^)/
 
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