Taking apart a knife

E

eygen

Joined
Dec 19, 2009
Messages
513
Opened up and cleaned my Spyderco Tenacious today after some hard work in the garden. First time I opened up a folding knife like this.
A tip:
Make sure you have all the parts before you start cleaning.
I'm sharing this with all of you because I didn't :o

All the parts
P5164700copy.jpg


Notice the bladestop pin:
P5164701copy.jpg


It isn't secured by screw thread or anything
P5164703copy.jpg


So when I started cleaning it it fell off and had me searching for a while. Thankfully I found it so I could put everything back together.

It looks a bit dirtier than it really is.
P5164705copy.jpg



What I learned today: make sure you know where every part is and keep those parts safe (I usually stick them on a strong magnet) before you start cleaning. Preferably use a checklist from someone who did this before.
Like I said, this is the first time I really cleaned out a folder like this, all in all it went okay. I hope this is some help to newbies :thumbup:
 
all at the blade pivot ?

that's the first time i see a folder with more than 2 ...one each side. except lawks system. is that to compensate poor adjustments ? like 2 a side 3 the other ?
 
More washers doesn't mean much more than they put more on of a thinner thickness when they put the knife together. For instance my tenacious has 2, my friends has 4. In some cases it is to keep the blade centered, I wouldn't call that poor adjustments though, simply working around tolerances.
 
good pics,i don't not like to take my knives a part,i have dropped little screws and been on the shop floor searching like a fool for them.............
 
THE PUNISHER said:
good pics,i don't not like to take my knives a part,i have dropped little screws and been on the shop floor searching like a fool for them.............
Click to expand...

Haha yeah that's why I use magnets. This time though the bladestop was still in there and it fell out when I brushed against it with a cloth.
 
My Tenacious had two washers on each side when I took it apart. I also managed to mangle the screws that hole the back spacer stand offs...

I usually use a terry cloth dishtowel on my work bench when working with small parts. The towel keeps the parts from bouncing off the table if I drop them.

I also have a piece of 3/4" wood that i routed multiple shallow divots in. As I take apart thing, I can put the parts in individual divots in the order in which they were removed. this helps me to remember how it goes back together as well as not losing small parts.


Ric
 
pwet said:
why 5 bushings ?
Click to expand...

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bushing

Machinery.
a. a replaceable thin tube or sleeve, usually of bronze, mounted in a case or housing as a bearing.
b. a replaceable hardened steel tube used as a guide for various tools or parts, as a drill or valve rod.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/washer

a flat ring or perforated piece of leather, rubber, metal, etc., used to give tightness to a joint, to prevent leakage, to distribute pressure, etc., as under the head of a nut or bolt.
 
It looks like the Tenacious is easy enough to take apart. However some of my knives with Torx pivot screw head on both side cannot be loosen in the same manner. It's like fused together no matter how much torque I have put on only to strip both screw heads. No need to mention how frustrated it could be. Hope someone's able to shed light on dissembling this type of pivot screws.
 
A lot of knives use thread-lock which will make the screws extremely hard to loosen - that couple with the fact that torx heads are relatively easy to strip compared to flathead or Phillips makes it very hard to get some of the out.

In my experience with enough downward (into the screwhead) force while turning they can be gotten out without stripping the head. However, there are a few can't manage to get out (the torx screw on the thumbstud thingie on my CRKT Horus). Idk if they make such things - but an impact driver with precision bits would be the way to go.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bushing

Machinery.
a. a replaceable thin tube or sleeve, usually of bronze, mounted in a case or housing as a bearing.
b. a replaceable hardened steel tube used as a guide for various tools or parts, as a drill or valve rod.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/washer

a flat ring or perforated piece of leather, rubber, metal, etc., used to give tightness to a joint, to prevent leakage, to distribute pressure, etc., as under the head of a nut or bolt.
Click to expand...

Actually, a bushing can be most kinds of plain bearing. In the definition you linked, it's simply a linear plain bearing.

On our knives, it's a rotational plain bearing. Bushing and washer are both correct.
 
jec006 said:
A lot of knives use thread-lock which will make the screws extremely hard to loosen - that couple with the fact that torx heads are relatively easy to strip compared to flathead or Phillips makes it very hard to get some of the out.

In my experience with enough downward (into the screwhead) force while turning they can be gotten out without stripping the head. However, there are a few can't manage to get out (the torx screw on the thumbstud thingie on my CRKT Horus). Idk if they make such things - but an impact driver with precision bits would be the way to go.
Click to expand...


Actually Torx Heads are harder to strip providin' you use the appropriate quality driver and you break the bond on the thread lock.

Bring a pot of water up to a boil lower it in with a strainer spoon and suspend it of the bottom to prevent meltin' or burnin' after 60 seconds remove and try the torxx driver it should turn out easily, if it doesn't resubmerge for another 90 seconds.

Another way is to use a solderin' iron to heat the screws and loosen the loc-tite bond.
 
00max00 said:
It looks like the Tenacious is easy enough to take apart. However some of my knives with Torx pivot screw head on both side cannot be loosen in the same manner. It's like fused together no matter how much torque I have put on only to strip both screw heads. No need to mention how frustrated it could be. Hope someone's able to shed light on dissembling this type of pivot screws.
Click to expand...

A bit late on answering, but I have a good method for that. It's easy, too. Simply get a torx screwdriver and insert in both sides. Hold one still in a vise while you screw the other side. It's a bit of fumbling (I dropped the screwdrivers a lot...) around but it works.
Taking the tenacious apart and everything was easier than I expected.
 
I never take my folders apart. :)

I found that just spraying them down with WD-40 and wiping them down then add a few drops of 3-in-1 oils works or if they are really bad I wash them in the sink with very hot water then after they dry spray them down with WD-40 and add a few drops of 3-in-1 oil.
 
Itch Blade said:
Actually, a bushing can be most kinds of plain bearing. In the definition you linked, it's simply a linear plain bearing.

On our knives, it's a rotational plain bearing. Bushing and washer are both correct.
Click to expand...

If one set of definitions enables you to distinguish between two different ideas easily, and the other conflates them, it's best to abandon the second set, and use the one that clarifies rather than the one that obscures.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
If one set of definitions enables you to distinguish between two different ideas easily, and the other conflates them, it's best to abandon the second set, and use the one that clarifies rather than the one that obscures.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately a washer is nothing more than a short tube.
 
Thanks so much for the replies. Not meant to hijack the thread, but is there anyway to take out the pivot screws with damaged head? The last thing I would do is to send the knife in for repair.
 
Last edited:
00max00 said:
Thanks so much for the replies. Not meant to hijack the thread, but is there anyway to take out the pivot screws with damaged head? The last thing I would do is to send the knife in for repair.
Click to expand...

I checked the screws on mine and they are a little damaged but not stripped by far. I used two screwdrivers like I mentioned so I recommend that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top