Resources to learn to make automatics?

T

Travis Fry

Joined
Jun 11, 2010
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So I'm not new to knives at all, but am newish to folders. And also new are laws in Texas making the carrying of autos legal (!!!!). I've made a slippie and a couple of lockbacks, and intend to make many more of the latter until I can do them efficiently and cleanly. There's a fellow down the road from me who makes auto lockbacks (and linerlocks) with a mechanism I think he invented, and I hope to convince him to teach me how to do it. Aside from that (which is clearly the best option), are there any good resources in print, web, WIP, tutorial or any other form that can teach a guy to make automatics?

Thanks in advance.
 
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Travis, check out KnifeKits.com. I think they have some instructional content (videos or text I can't remember). They also have parts for conversions and kits for autos which you can learn a lot from. If you really want to go all-in, talk to Johnny Stout about a class. If you get him to do an auto class, I might be in for the second slot.

Bob

BTW- Bob Mertz is in your area and he's a super nice guy. He's a mad scientist of knife mechanisms and shares his stuff pretty openly. Might be who you were already referring to but if not, you should give him a shout.
 
RangerBobTX said:
BTW- Bob Merz is in your area and he's a super nice guy. He's a mad scientist of knife mechanisms and shares his stuff pretty openly. Might be who you were already referring to but if not, you should give him a shout.
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Yep, Bob is who I was talking about. I spent about 5 hrs at his shop a couple weeks ago working on a lockback, and he was a big help. I figured I'd get my lockbacks nailed down before I start bothering him about autos, and I'd also like to come in with some knowledge base to work from.
 
Thanks, Count!
I got stalled with the button locks when I realized that doing it without a lathe was probably just an exercise in frustration.
Sure would be fun to get in on a class on autos...
Oh, Travis- have you seen Chris Crawford's resources on making scale lock autos? It's really good.
 
elementfe said:
Oh, Travis- have you seen Chris Crawford's resources on making scale lock autos? It's really good.
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Hadn't thought of that, but it turns out he has a new video making lever action lockback autos, which is the style I was thinking of pursuing. May have to add that one to the library.
 
Don, couple questions if you please- Did you have a certain style you did, button, scale, etc, and did you machine the parts for them?
Also have you ever done a WIP or DVD or what have you about your approach and process?
Thanks!
 
I've only seen Chris Crawford's Scale Release Auto video, but it's good enough that I'm going to buy the newer one.


If you can make a lockback, you can make a scale release auto. So that'd probably be the place to start. Chris does a good job explaining the mechanics, and doesn't have any big machine tools, so it's pretty geared to a small setup. Also the production value on all the videos he sells is higher than most I've seen. Definitely recommended.
 
Don Robinson wrote up a bunch on the button lock I believe. You can get his findings in print from USA Knifemaker Supply Hey sounds like with what Don said, I did a good thing for myself not trying to tease myself by trying to make them.
Frank
 
elementfe said:
Don, couple questions if you please- Did you have a certain style you did, button, scale, etc, and did you machine the parts for them?
Also have you ever done a WIP or DVD or what have you about your approach and process?
Thanks!
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I used a latch or rocker bar release. I didn't machine any parts, but did use a mill to cut the slot in the bolster for the rocker. Here's one of the last ones I made.

 
Hank Knickmeyer and I went to Don's years back to learn to do autos we probably broke him of wanting to teach someone how. He wound up doing about 96% of the work on both our knives. But damn we had a good time. Hank and I that is. Don had to much work to do.

Cliff
 
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Cliff Parker said:
Hank Knickmeyer and I went to Don's years back to learn to do autos we probably broke him of wanting to teach someone how. He wound up doing about 96% of the work on both our knives. But damn we had a good time. Hank and I that is. Don had to much work to do.

Cliff
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That was a good time, old buddy!
 
Does anyone know how to convert a regular spyderco Vallotton sub hilt to the automatic version?
 
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