XM 18 is off center, can't get it to center !

W

WhiskyJar

Joined
Dec 27, 2011
Messages
52
So I decided to take my knife apart this evening to clean it, and I can't seem to get it to center. Its a fraction of a millimeter from scraping the sides.

The pivot screw is pretty tight, further tightening it doesn't fix the centering just makes it difficult to deploy the blade.

Suggestions?
 
Make sure you have both Teflon washers properly centered on the pivot, on either side. Then loosen the scale bolts, you can slide a business card between the blade and the side you need the clearance on, then tighten the scale bolts, and then finally the pivot. That should bring you back to center. You don't need to crank the pivot, if anything use your fingertips to snug it down with the tool, like your "cracking a safe".... If this doesn't help search the maintenance links in this forum, these knives ALWAYS CENTER, if all of the parts are properly installed, and the washers haven't been cut by being punched by the pivot off center.. Don't panic, and never force anything...good luck! Hopefully you didn't get any thing stuck in there during your photo shoot....

; )
 
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Extend the blade out to a 90* angle and tighten the pivot very tight. Then loosen the frame screws (but not so much that they disengage from their barrel holders... ie, just enough so that the tension is released on the screw but is still holding the knife together). Next lower the blade into the knife and re-tighten the frame screws WHILE pushing the blade toward the side it needs to be corrected toward (ie, if it's off-center the the right, hold the blade to the left). Finally, loosen the pivot to the correct/desired tightness and viola, you should have a centered blade. This is the best way I have found to center a Hinderer (I didn't come up with it... it's a sticky on another Hinderer forum).

Good luck.
 
wowcoop said:
Make sure you have both Teflon washers properly centered on the pivot, on either side. Then loosen the scale bolts, you can slide a business card between the blade and the side you need the clearance on, then tighten the scale bolts, and then finally the pivot. That should bring you back to center. You don't need to crank the pivot, if anything use your fingertips to snug it down with the tool, like your "cracking a safe".... If this doesn't help search the maintenance links in this forum, these knives ALWAYS CENTER, if all of the parts are properly installed, and the washers haven't been cut by being punched by the pivot off center.. Don't panic, and never force anything...good luck! Hopefully you didn't get any thing stuck in there during your photo shoot....

; )
Click to expand...

The business card as a spacer worked! I loosened up all the screws put a piece of card board and started tightened everything, in the end perfect center! Thank you!

PS. No nothing got stuck, part of the reason why I took the knife apart was when I took it to the sand dunes last weekend, dusty/ sandy yuck!
 
jon1all said:
Extend the blade out to a 90* angle and tighten the pivot very tight. Then loosen the frame screws (but not so much that they disengage from their barrel holders... ie, just enough so that the tension is released on the screw but is still holding the knife together). Next lower the blade into the knife and re-tighten the frame screws WHILE pushing the blade toward the side it needs to be corrected toward (ie, if it's off-center the the right, hold the blade to the left). Finally, loosen the pivot to the correct/desired tightness and viola, you should have a centered blade. This is the best way I have found to center a Hinderer (I didn't come up with it... it's a sticky on another Hinderer forum).

Good luck.
Click to expand...

Another great suggestion!

I'll keep that in my arsenal of centering for next time. Thanks!
 
Good info in this thread, thanks. After reading it I checked my 3.5" Spanto flipper and it was slightly of center toward the front scale side. I have had it a month and flipped it quite a bit in the first two weeks, but not so much lately. I got out my Hinderer armorer tool and snugged up the pivot a hair, and it's back to center.

The pivot seemed a wee bit loose compared to when I first received it, and now it takes just a little more snap to flip it open, but it seems right. I am thinking the pivot needs some blue locktite? It definitely seemed to loosen up after I started using it, although it hasn't been put to any hard work.

I have never had the knife apart.
 
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