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Stonewashed Titanium Cadet featuring a CNC engraved Canadian flag maple leaf. The tools and screws are Darkwashed and a satin Brass liner was installed.
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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
SAK Mods! Post your pics, questions and ideas
- Thread starter Spikediesel
- Start date
My second attempt at the Excelsior Solo. 1mm Brassliners, nickel silver bolsters and pins, red dyed spotted bone with brass pins.
I have a Excelsior wit secondary pen-blade that I am thinking of doing without bolsters... What do you guys think would be a nice material to use? Still doing brass liners though, and still aiming for the traditional old-school style. Any one with experience from MOP?
I have a Excelsior wit secondary pen-blade that I am thinking of doing without bolsters... What do you guys think would be a nice material to use? Still doing brass liners though, and still aiming for the traditional old-school style. Any one with experience from MOP?
I usally buy 3mm rods and turn them down to what ever size needed, using a dremel and a file.I just ordered some 3/32" brass rods. My plan is to roll them in sandpaper to polish them down to 2.2mm.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how stupid am I?
edit: I suppose I could also try using a power drill to do the turning of the rod for me.
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I buy 2.2mm brass. Not hard to get from outside the states. I only turn nickel silver since I don’t use enough to warrant an order to draw and temper what I want.I just ordered some 3/32" brass rods. My plan is to roll them in sandpaper to polish them down to 2.2mm.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how stupid am I?
edit: I suppose I could also try using a power drill to do the turning of the rod for me.
With a drill, I suggest trying something that will cut like you would on a lathe. Curly swarf is produced to cut the bulk instead of wasting time sanding except to finish.
If you’re not doing many mods, you could just harvest the pins from a larger knife than your mod. Broken Champs or Champions can be useful that way.
Nah I'm just going to try to take one or two Waiters and turn it/them into an Apprentice. I already have the required backside phillips pieces, so I won't be taking apart any donor SAKs. I actually have 3 backside phillips. Depending on how poorly this goes, I may or may not also try turning a Handyman into a Craftsman or a Master Craftsman.
HolyRoller
Gold Member
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Not technically Swiss, but I'm pushing to finish a project I started years ago.
I have a Aitor German Army folding knife. The kind with the saw-bottleopener-flathead combo tool.
The plastic handle scales are shot, so I want to convert it to screw construction, g10 scales, and add a pocket clip (probably a wire clip, with screw anchored into a threaded barrel run through the lanyard hole).
First step is going to be full disassembly and drill everything out from 3/32 to 1/8 for a set of threaded barrel pins from knifekits.
Is this even feasible, using high-speed bits but lacking a drill press?
I have a Aitor German Army folding knife. The kind with the saw-bottleopener-flathead combo tool.
The plastic handle scales are shot, so I want to convert it to screw construction, g10 scales, and add a pocket clip (probably a wire clip, with screw anchored into a threaded barrel run through the lanyard hole).
First step is going to be full disassembly and drill everything out from 3/32 to 1/8 for a set of threaded barrel pins from knifekits.
Is this even feasible, using high-speed bits but lacking a drill press?
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- Apr 14, 2018
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Carbide straight flute bits are best but easily chip and break without a drill press and some type of work holding. You can try Cobalt drill bits in your hand drill at appropriate RPMs. Good luck and post pics!
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I’d just try to reuse the pin. Since it’s the one pin that’s not in a bushing, you have lots of removal options and retain the full length of the pin. Just file and sand both heads to the 2.2mm dia. As long as you don’t shorten it, there will be enough material to peen both ends again.Nah I'm just going to try to take one or two Waiters and turn it/them into an Apprentice. I already have the required backside phillips pieces, so I won't be taking apart any donor SAKs. I actually have 3 backside phillips. Depending on how poorly this goes, I may or may not also try turning a Handyman into a Craftsman or a Master Craftsman.
Good luck whichever way you go.
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I doubt it. I haven’t tried drilling an Aitor before, but I doubt their stainless is soft enough to be cut by HSS. Carbide, masonry or diamond…but even then it’s tricky to pick or modify carbide or carbide tipped bits to work with a hand drill to cut stainless.
Nice. It should also open cans. I once saw a youtube video with a guy testing this and it looked like it worked okay.
Interesting. I never would've thought of that. Thanks. Why both ends though? Why not just one side?
I'm not sure if I'll do it though, since It will be less material holding the pin in place when it's done, meaning it should theoretically be weaker. It's going to be my first time peening, so I'm not sure if I will be able to do it well enough to make it as strong as it needs to be. I'll be paranoid about busting it every time I turn a screw. It's a cool idea though since it means you only have to peen one side of the pin (maybe?). Less work.
I don't know. Maybe I'll try it first and see how it looks. If it looks bad, I'll take it out and put a new piece of rod in.
Is a 5 ounce peen hammer good for this?
Thanks!
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The larger dome head has way more material on it and is effectively longer on that side. Sharing this length with the other (back) side would actually be a stronger than stock head, because the back side usually has a very thin head near the CS/Phillips.
A 5 oz should be fine, I have a tendency to use smaller ones for the back rivet. Mostly because they have smaller heads available for doing that. But you could get away with whatever you have in the house that has a smooth face.
That's very useful information.
Stronger is definitely good, but I'll be happy just to maintain the original amount of strength if it means I only have to peen the pin on one side. If Victorinox thinks it's strong enough, then it's good enough for me.
Keep in mind that I've never done this before. The less peening I have to do, the better it is for me.
Here's what I'm thinking: The smaller side is already the weakest point, right? So I keep the smaller side untouched and file the larger side down. With the extra length on the larger side, it should be more than enough brass to peen with. The untouched side will still be the weaker side, just like it always was from the start.
"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link." Or in this case: the brass pin is only as strong as the weakest head. While it's true that the pin has lost material on its strong side, it shouldn't matter as long as it is still stronger on that side when compared to the other one.
Right? Or not?
Hmmm. Maybe I'll do okay with the 5 ounce hammer if I choke up on it and use gentle wrist flicks. If not, I guess I could unscrew one of the small round knobs from my closet door...
Its not as strong as when I 1st did it but can hold PC screws
You take a strong magnet and rub it from pivot area to Tip slowly an number of times
The important thing is always start from the handle or pivot in a SAK's case and go to the screw driver tip.
If you rub back from Tip to handle you will de magnetize the screw driver
I store the magnet in question in the Caribiner area of my LM skeletool
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I do think that’s workable, but would require taking the pin all the way out. While that’s not an issue for a one or two layer, it becomes more of an issue with more back tools. Reassembly and getting more back tools on with an assembled knife isn’t easy.
So for say a Ranger to Master craftsman mod, I would suggest:
File back head. Make it slightly tapered.
Push /punch pin enough just to release the CS
File the large front head sides
Install Phillips. This will be the difficult part compressing the tang and tapping the rivet back through.
Peen each side alternately. Check for operation and tightness as you go.
Hmmm. Maybe I'll do okay with the 5 ounce hammer if I choke up on it and use gentle wrist flicks. If not, I guess I could unscrew one of the small round knobs from my closet door...
hahaMy plan for this step is to put the SAK in a bench vise and tighten it down so that the corkscrew/phillips gets pushed into the backspring. Hopefully this will line up the holes enough for me to push the pin out/in without striking it. I don't want to risk deforming the pin until it's fully reinstalled and ready for peening.
That sounds like good advice. A taper should help to keep the pin from getting stuck on its way back through all of the various layers and liners. If it gets hung up and you try to whack the pin through, it could end up being ruined and then you would have to try to pull it back out and start over with a new length of brass rod.
Okay, holy @#$% balls. 
I could not save the pin. It was not worth the effort. You have no idea. Wow.
In the end, just gave up and filed both heads completely down. The pin came out real quick once I made that decision.
Do yourself a favor if you end up attempting this modification for the first time: don't try saving the pin. Save your time and your sanity instead.
I could not save the pin. It was not worth the effort. You have no idea. Wow.
In the end, just gave up and filed both heads completely down. The pin came out real quick once I made that decision.
Do yourself a favor if you end up attempting this modification for the first time: don't try saving the pin. Save your time and your sanity instead.
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Okay, holy @#$% balls.
Dang. I’m sorry for suggesting to save it.
I did 3 yesterday and one with files just to practice that way. I hope turning the 3/32 stock down ends up easier for you.