Rebuidling/repinning a slipjoint question

synthesist

synthesist

So many knives so little time
Joined
Sep 14, 2004
Messages
933
I’ve been playing with an old, unbranded, steel bolstered/linered, barehead slipjoint. I took it apart without too much drama. It’s grimy but not abused except for the “rubber” scales which were very deteriorated. Tossed those. The blade and backspring are 1/8” thick. Hefty……………….. had good walk and talk before I disassembled it so I’m hopeful it will work when rebuilt. It has an awl/needle opposite the blade sharing the spring.

So I’m cleaning it up, fitting new scales on it and, obviously, going to use new steel pins on it But I’m at a loss on one thing. How am I going to press/tension that very heavy backspring into place when it comes time to repin it. Can someone give me a hint or 2 on how best to go at this? I suspect I’ll use a vise and some sort of wedge pressing it back into place but I thought I’d ask if there’s a trick that makes this easier. Once I clean the liners I’d like to keep them unmarred.

Thanks

Syn
 
Take a piece of your pin material about 2" long,clean up one end of it to go in the pivot,then grind about an inch of the other end into a point.Put all other pins in place except for the pivot pin.Then use the point of the pin to go through the pivot holes and push it into place.Cut the pin to length and peen.

Stan
 
You're welcome Frank.Also should have added.An easy way to grind the point is chuck the pin up in a drill and set the drill to run oppisite of your grinder.Perfectly centered point on you pin.

Stan
 
I use the method Stan decribes with center pins too when there are blades on both ends
of the knife. In that instance put in the pivot pins- now the backspring is high center of the
back, compress it to level with the liners and work the pin thru.
Ken.
 
You can usually just compress the knife in a vise and line the holes up. Use a pointed pin.
There shouldn't be much cleanup on the liners.
 
In a copper or wooden jawed vise or using a pair of smooth jaw pliers or vicegrips. You don't need much pressure to compress the spring.
 
Thanks for the replies each of you...............

Whoever made this knife originally REALLY wanted a strong spring so the holes don't line up easily (I may have to take some pics of this). But I like Stan's suggestion. I've got some piano wire pins that are the right size that I'll try.

Thanks again...............
 
No mater how you compress the spring, you will need to taper the pins to get them in.
 
Okay then.................. I played with this sucker and I got it together using "tapered" pins, a vise and 2 vise grips. I also measured things.

The blade and backspring are .148 thick.:rolleyes:
The liners, however are .03.............. thin

What would happen is that the strong spring would twist the thin liners when I got the blade and awl in place and without a rear bolster (it's a barehead style remember) there's nothing back there to stop this while I'm playing with it. It does have a hellaciously strong snap btw. Anyway now I understand what I'll have to do to get it back together. I was going to go with ebony scales but I think I'll use black micarta instead. When the scales are on and pinned they'll strengthen the thin liners.

One last question...................... this knife was constructed with soft steel pins. My "tapered" pins are piano wire, too hard to use to pin it back together I think. Can I just use the right diameter common nails to put this back together? If not what should I use. I've used brass and nickle silver for pins before but never steel.

Thanks again

Syn
 
Nails work very well. Turn them to size by chucking the nail in a drill and file to size.
 
All righty then................ This should all come together soon. Thanks
 
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