Spoke to Spyderco about Threadlocker

[Sharperthansticks]

I bought a Slysz Bowie on the secondary market. The knife looks good (though I'm still trying to authenticate it), but I wanted to remove the pocket clip. The thing is, the clip screw was pretty tight, and having had experience with stripping screws, I'm a lot more cautious these days. I didn't want to apply a lot of torque and strip the head of the screw.

Maybe there was loctite, I thought. Today I called Spyderco and spoke to someone in service about what to do. The guy said that Spyderco would not have loctited down the clip screw but that perhaps a previous owner did. I asked if I should use a soldering iron, and I was surprised at what the guy replied. He said that he didn't recommend that, since it takes a lot of heat to break red loctite. (Of course, neither of us knew that there was loctite of any variety in there, let alone red loctite, actually.) Instead, he recommended hammering the torx bit in there a bit to break the loctite seal. He said that that's what they do!

I'd never heard of this, but tonight, after work, I gave the screw three moderate taps with a hammer, and the screw broke free. There was something white on the ends of the thread, so I'm not sure what was used, but it must have been some kind of fixing agent. Anyway, thought you guys would like to use this tip gotten straight from the spider's mouth. (Maybe @NickShabazz will want to share this with his viewers.)

 

[CarmelBlades]

The white locktite is what I believe they call "clear". I've definitely seen this directly from Spyderco in the past. Great tip about giving it a couple of whacks to break it loose. Thanks for sharing!

 

[stitchawl]

Not just knife screws. This hammering trick works everywhere, even changing a lug nut on a flat tire. Just be sure to put the screw driver into the slot then hammer on the screw driver's handle so as not to deform the screw. Several light taps work better than one heavy hit.

 

[Sharperthansticks]

Here I thought I found a neat trick, and it turns out that the cool kids had been doing it all along.

 

[sbh06]

Here I thought I found a neat trick, and it turns out that the cool kids had been doing it all along.

Well if it makes you feel better at least one person learned something new from this. Thanks for posting it.

 

[SharpieB]

Thanks for the post. I have 2 knives that have thumbscrews that feel like they are welded on. This trick may work.

 

[Sharperthansticks]

Thanks for the post. I have 2 knives that have thumbscrews that feel like they are welded on. This trick may work.

Definitely let us know if it does.

 

[Wowbagger]

Here I thought I found a neat trick, and it turns out that the cool kids had been doing it all along.

That was a good reminder.
THANK YOU
I have read this here in the forum in the past.

I have never run into a pocket clip screw that was difficult to remove but then I have only ever bought one preowned knife.
I work on machines that have loctited fasteners every day but here is the difference:
When the right strength of loctite is chosen the stuff acts as an antisieze agent so the fastener is often easier to loosen than if the threads were assembled dry. The loctite just prevents a fastener from backing out if the surfaces of the assembled components compress under stresses.
The problem comes when a way,way,way too strong locking goop is chosen for the fastener size.

And I never take my handles appart, well almost never, so I just forget this cool trick.
Hopefully it is back in the brain to stay now.

 

[Sharperthansticks]

That was a good reminder.
THANK YOU
I have read this here in the forum in the past.

I have never run into a pocket clip screw that was difficult to remove but then I have only ever bought one preowned knife.
I work on machines that have loctited fasteners every day but here is the difference:
When the right strength of loctite is chosen the stuff acts as an antisieze agent so the fastener is often easier to loosen than if the threads were assembled dry. The loctite just prevents a fastener from backing out if the surfaces of the assembled components compress under stresses.
The problem comes when a way,way,way too strong locking goop is chosen for the fastener size.

And I never take my handles appart, well almost never, so I just forget this cool trick.
Hopefully it is back in the brain to stay now.

You just educated me about loctite. Different industries use slightly different terminology to refer to the problem of fasteners coming undone. In the gun industry, people talk about trigger screws "walking out," and I remember specially constructed screws that prevent that -- "anti-walking screws." (It's been a while since I've shot my guns or read about guns, so hopefully this isn't a figment of ny imagination.)

I was surprised that the stuff on the end of the screw was *white*. Incidentally, the screw head was not even close to stripped, but because I recently stripped a pivot screw of a different manufacturer, resulting in a huge hassle and damage to that knife as the Dremel bit into the frame (as I clumsily fashioned a flat head insertion area), I was extremely eager for this not to happen again. Once bitten, twice shy.

 

[Wowbagger]

. Incidentally, the screw head was not even close to stripped, but because I recently stripped a pivot screw of a different manufacturer, resulting in a huge hassle and damage to that knife as the Dremel bit into the frame (as I clumsily fashioned a flat head insertion area), I was extremely eager for this not to happen again. Once bitten, twice shy.

Oh I know what you mean.
My surprise came when I removed some pocket clips screws . . . they came out easy enough; I didn't notice any real resistance . . . then I happened to look at the torx bit and the end was spiraled some; easy to see with those parallel ridges on the bit going barber pole.

Soft bit. But interestingly enough it would have saved the screw from damage.
From there I suppose the RIGHT tactic is to whomp the fastener.
I would have bought a "better" hardened bit and rounded out the screw.

I remember specially constructed screws that prevent that -- "anti-walking screws."

Like this ? I wish they would use these on knives. Maybe there isn't enough thickness in the liners what have you to be practical.
https://nylok.com/products/nylok-torq-strip

 

[sbh06]

Just used this trick to get the clip screws off my new Para 3. Worked like a charm.

 

[Lapedog]

The white locktite is what I believe they call "clear". I've definitely seen this directly from Spyderco in the past. Great tip about giving it a couple of whacks to break it loose. Thanks for sharing!

Sometimes that white stuff is that tape plumbers use as threadlocker.

 

[uxo2]

Soldering iron always worked for me.

Never a problem with heat transfer.

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

On China made Cara2, I’d name it white monster. They use too much, and it’s very strong, definitely not like Seki blue locker. The Seki blue will loosen just with a firm down & twist with the driver.

The tapping trick was posted by M. Janich over Spyderco forum. Didn’t work for the Cara2

 

[Wowbagger]

On China made Cara2, I’d name it white monster. They use too much, and it’s very strong, definitely not like Seki blue locker. The Seki blue will loosen just with a firm down & twist with the driver.

The tapping trick was posted by M. Janich over Spyderco forum. Didn’t work for the Cara2

I was going to mention that in some cases it may be necessary to back up the thing the screw is threaded into with something solid. If it is a through screw like a pivot put a punch or another bit on the back side with it in a vise or on a thick steel plate. If a screw into one liner then maybe a spacer plate or series of spacers to get a solid backer so the shock of the hammer isn't absorbed by the flex of the liner. Just a thought.

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

I was going to mention that in some cases it may be necessary to back up the thing the screw is threaded into with something solid. If it is a through screw like a pivot put a punch or another bit on the back side with it in a vise or on a thick steel plate. If a screw into one liner then maybe a spacer plate or series of spacers to get a solid backer so the shock of the hammer isn't absorbed by the flex of the liner. Just a thought.

Good thinking...

 

[fishface5]

Anti-walk pins on guns are totally different. Don't use loctight on guns!!! On knives tapping works but be careful not to angle the bit or you can deform the screw

 

[Sharp Guy]

A while back someone on the Spyderco forum mentioned that Charlynn (Spyderco W&R) told them how to do this. I've used the whack method to break the screws loose ever since. It works great!

 

[RLDubbya]

I bought a Slysz Bowie on the secondary market. The knife looks good (though I'm still trying to authenticate it), but I wanted to remove the pocket clip. The thing is, the clip screw was pretty tight, and having had experience with stripping screws, I'm a lot more cautious these days. I didn't want to apply a lot of torque and strip the head of the screw.

Maybe there was loctite, I thought. Today I called Spyderco and spoke to someone in service about what to do. The guy said that Spyderco would not have loctited down the clip screw but that perhaps a previous owner did. I asked if I should use a soldering iron, and I was surprised at what the guy replied. He said that he didn't recommend that, since it takes a lot of heat to break red loctite. (Of course, neither of us knew that there was loctite of any variety in there, let alone red loctite, actually.) Instead, he recommended hammering the torx bit in there a bit to break the loctite seal. He said that that's what they do!

I'd never heard of this, but tonight, after work, I gave the screw three moderate taps with a hammer, and the screw broke free. There was something white on the ends of the thread, so I'm not sure what was used, but it must have been some kind of fixing agent. Anyway, thought you guys would like to use this tip gotten straight from the spider's mouth. (Maybe @NickShabazz will want to share this with his viewers.)

Huh. I posted this method a few months ago in this forum, and received nothing but ridicule via PM and close to ridicule via posting.

Perhaps I should just pass any tips I have onto you, and you can disseminate as you see fit. Or I can just shrug my shoulders while sewing my piehole shut.

 

[Sharperthansticks]

Huh. I posted this method a few months ago in this forum, and received nothing but ridicule via PM and close to ridicule via posting.

Perhaps I should just pass any tips I have onto you, and you can disseminate as you see fit. Or I can just shrug my shoulders while sewing my piehole shut.

Don't feel too bad. I've been attacked in BladeForums threads with the bitterness usually reserved for political trolling or the resentment at being a 40-year-old virgin. Early on I blocked one guy who has a tendency to follow me from thread to thread just to try to stir up a hornets' nest. He recently found himself a little friend, resulting in my second blocking. When people have the luxury of saying things at a safe distance from others, where, if they said them in person, they'd seriously risk personal injury, sometimes they let loose. Don't worry, man; you're not alone.