Quick Slipjoint Questions

David Schott

David Schott

Joined
Sep 27, 2004
Messages
3,041
Hello,
A few basic and quick slipjoint construction questions:
-Do pivot pins need to be fully hardened or can i use something like stock 416 SS rod? I assumed it didnt need to be hardened since it required being peened...
-Is there any reason at all I cannot use .05TI as liners and not use any bolsters or scales at all, relying purely on the peening of backspring pins and pivot pin to hold everything together? I wanted to try this for an ultralight design.
-Are there any materials available from local sources (home depot, lowes, etc) that can be used for the thin shim-like liners that separate blade on multi-blade slipjoints? The outer liners are usually 2X as thik as the spacer liners that separate the blades, so I figured there had to be some product at home depot that could be cut for this use.
-Would you say the overall smoothness of the action is driven by the blade/liners friction, the spring/liners friction, or the friction between tang and spring as it rotates. Im not talking about how much force it takes to open the knife, but more about how silky it feels regardless of force.

Thanks!
-Dave
 
Dave take a look at this link. I think you will find a lot of information here .
http://boseknives.com/backpocket-construction/

Pivot pins DO NOT need to be hardened. I have used nickel silver pins on many occasion .

No reason at all you cant make a folder without bolsters its called a shadow pattern and is popular.

Local sources for materials is doubtful .

Last question you really need to talk to a maker . I would be glad to help any way I can . If you would like for me to give you a call I have nationwide calling , if there is anyway I can help feel free to ask. Also I have several patterns that may help you on the geometry of blade and spring angles and such. Hope all goes well Glen
 
Thanks a bunch! I'll check out that link.

Very interesting on the pivots and the confirmation on the shadow pattern.

I bet question 3 is much more complicated than i'm putting it, but it would be great to hear any feedback people have!
 
Dont harden the pins they will wear too quickly. I use either 410 or 416 ss pin material. and it works just fine.
 
Most factory slipjoints have N/S pins and my early folders did too. They work but I use
410 / 416 now or threaded pivot when I use screws.

The smoothness of a slipjoint is based on spring / tang contact and tang / liner contact. I use a .005" bronze washer on either side of the tang in mine. Others mill the liners, leaving a raised area that contacts the tang just around the pivot.
 
Thanks don!

When you use screws on slipjoints, are you using a dowel pin to keep the bolster in place, then tensioning the bolster, liners and blade all together with the single screw, or are the bolsters fastened to the liners separately beforehand? AKA can you take the bolsters off?
 
Don: Is your spring then....010 thicker than blade ? Tang plus 2 x .005 = spring thickness? Do you also do this on your autos? I have often wondered about the exact insides of an auto, spring leaf, knife. There has to be a specific relationship between end of leaf spring and runup area that I have not figured out yet. May I come by at Atlanta and ask a few questions? Thanks

John Lloyd
St. Louis
 
Dave, when I use screws the bolsters are held on with one screw, plus the pivot screw.
When I use pins, the bolster are soldered.

John, yes, the spine is the thickness of blade plus washers. I do this on my autos and folders. With my autos, the flat area of the tang behind the edge makes contact with the tip of the leaf spring. Stop by at Blade and I'll try to answer your questions.
 
Awesome everyone!

I read some of the threads, and headed down into the shop for a few hours. Everything went pretty smooth and i've got a snappy little dry-fitted slippie going. I am still deciding if I want to do screwed-on damascus bolsters and a hamon or a plain blade and 416 bolsters. If I do the hamon I am a bit worried about the unhardened tang but If I want 416 bolsters i a not sure I want to solder...can I JBweld like some do with guards? Is the purpose to seal out moisture or to add stability?

Thanks again. This folder thing has bitten me badly and I think I might get hooked.
 
David if you JB Weld or glue on bolsters and the knife ends up being an EDC it could end up having problems.(may work on a wall hanger) Even though the pivot pin would go thru the bolsters and be up against the handle scales if they ever broke loose it would look pretty sad.
Ken
 
kc custom said:
David if you JB Weld or glue on bolsters and the knife ends up being an EDC it could end up having problems.(may work on a wall hanger) Even though the pivot pin would go thru the bolsters and be up against the handle scales if they ever broke loose it would look pretty sad.
Ken
Click to expand...

Gotcha! Looks like its soldering practice time tonight!
 
Chuck Gedraitis Knives said:
I'm not sure you can solder 416 to Ti?
Click to expand...

You read my mind! I was just coming here to ask exactly that...I havent found many people soldering SS to Ti.

I probably wouldnt even have used Ti except that my 416 liner material hasn't arrived yet, haha!

Looks like I will need to either go for a threaded pivot with screw-on bolsters or I'll have to peen the bolsters using an additional pin and JB weld and hope for the best unless I can find some other solution.

I suppose that since the bolsters can be attached before final assembly, I could always thread them on and screw them in from the inside of the liners and use loctite. Between the threading and the pivot peening, I doubt they'd move...
 
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