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The Folding Knife (& Switchblade) Forum The materials, techniques and the designing of folding knives.

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  #1  
Old 05-29-2003, 11:04 AM
T. Hendrickson T. Hendrickson is offline
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Linerlock spacers

ok...I got Bob's book and i'm finally ready to start my first linerlock. One thing the book didn't discuss much is the spacer material. It looks like Micarta to me. What do you use? Do you just surface grind it to the correct thickness?


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Old 05-29-2003, 12:25 PM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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I think most everybody uses Micarta for the back spacer. A few knives get steel backspacers but that's usually on fancy knives where filework is used.

Surface grinding a back spacer might not work to well. Anyway, it would be tricky because it won't stick to a magnetic chuck. Since you seem to have a surface grinder, you might consider surface grinding your blade to whatever thickness is necessary to get the thickness of the blade plus the thickness of the washers you plan to use to match the thickness of a standard sheet of Micarta.

I do it that way on small knife using a 1/8th sheet of Micarta for the spacer. For larger knives, I use a mill to reduce the Micarta to the required thickness....
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Old 05-29-2003, 06:04 PM
whv whv is offline
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i prefer an open back, so use stainless spacers (sleeve material) at a length equal to blade+washer thickness. depending on how fancy you want to get, aluminum, tungsten and stainless steel are used, as well as wood, micarta and other plastics. depends on type and use of the knife more than anything.


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Last edited by whv; 05-29-2003 at 06:07 PM.
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  #4  
Old 05-30-2003, 12:11 AM
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Brett Schaller Brett Schaller is offline
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I use Micarta. I make sure one side is flat, then I grind the other side to just over the proper thickness using my grinder platen. Then I "mill" it to final thickness using an end mill in my drill press, holding the spacer on the drill press table and CAREFULLY silding it under the mill by hand.
I set the depth of the bit by trial and error, milling a scrap piece of Micarta first to check for proper thickness.

"Milling" it like this ensures both sides are parallel, vital to the proper functioning of the finished knife.

Of course, if you own a mill, it's probably a lot easier....


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Old 05-30-2003, 07:28 AM
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Brett,

It is definitely easier with a mill but your method clearly shows where there is a will there is a way. Sounds like you should invest in a cross sliding vise....
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Old 05-30-2003, 10:57 AM
T. Hendrickson T. Hendrickson is offline
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let me get this straight...I don't have a surface grinder - I have basic tools. I don't even have a belt grinder - just a bench grinder and I hand finish my blades. Takes a lot of time but its worth it. I'll have to sand to the correct thickness on a flat board. I thought about using small peices of steel for the spacers with holes drilled in them (and tapped?) I think I'm using g10 for the handles with the titanium liner. . . I have another question. I am considering buying a sand blaster, but what size glass beads (grit) is generally used for finishing? and where do I get it from? ( yeah, I know, my money is better invested in a belt grinder, maybe I should just forget it.)


thanks guys.
thayer hendrickson


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Old 05-30-2003, 11:02 AM
T. Hendrickson T. Hendrickson is offline
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Oh yeah, another thing. Why is it necessary to drill pivot holes undersize then ream it? Why cant you just drill the correct size hole? Sorry if I'm driving you guys nuts.


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Old 05-30-2003, 12:32 PM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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You're not driving us crazy with your questions, that happened to most of us long ago and for lots of other reasons. However, if you're going to ask different questions, you should start a new thread. That makes id easier for people using the search engine to find answers to questions you already asked.

I have two blast cabinets, one for sand and one for glass beads. I bought a 50 pound bucket of each when I got the cabinets about 4 years ago and still haven't made any real dent in them. Don't have any idea what grit they are except that it is very fine. One problem with blasting is that it isn't very useful as a finish except for tactical knives. And tactical people are fickle and don't always want it anyway. Another problem is that you need a good compressor to use them

Blast cabinets and compressors are not cheap. You'd be waaaaay ahead to spend $300 on a Grizzly grinder instead of blast equipment, even if you already have a compressor.

We ream the pivot hole to size because most drills don't really produce the advertised size. Sometimes it's because the drill bit is cheap and it might be a few thou over or under. Mostly, it's because drill presses have some amount of run out and they wobble the hole larger than the drill bit. Also, a ream produces a better finish on the inside of the hole....
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Old 05-30-2003, 08:35 PM
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Brett Schaller Brett Schaller is offline
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Yeah, a cross-slide vise is on my "list of things to do."

Of course, so is a mill.


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Old 06-04-2003, 10:09 PM
Frank J Warner Frank J Warner is offline
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Oh wow. I've been doing it wrong. All my liner locks have spines made of the same steel as the blade (or, sometimes, of stainless standoffs).

I cut my blades to near profile on the band saw. There's always that little hook-shaped piece coming off the belly of the blade that, with a little grinding, is perfect for the spine. And, surprise, the interior of the "hook" has the same profile as the blade's edge. Seems a shame to throw that piece away, especially if it's Damascus at $12 per inch.

FJW
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Old 06-18-2003, 06:50 PM
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Re: Back spacers

Somebody mentioned surface grinding back spacers, then somebody else said you can't surface grind materials that aren't magnetic.

Not so, me boys! Look in the MSC catalog for "magnetic hold-downs" or a name to that affect. These are thin spring loaded pieces like parallels with a saw tooth edge on one side. When you activate the magnetic table, the flat springs on these little babies are pulled down. locking whatever is between them down with enough force to let you grind away.

I make my spacers from all kinds of things. Wood, micarta, G10, etc. I usually make the spacer out of the same material as the handle scales. Just surface grind it to the right thickness.

Somebody else mentioned milling the spacer. I do this too, roughing out handle material to get it flat, etc. You can safely clamp good, dense hardwood like Ebony, rosewood, mesqite, ironwood, etc. in your milling vise. It'll squeeze the edge a little, so don't put a piece with finished edges in the vise.

Try it and you'll like it. Your customers will like having the back spacer made out of the same wood as the scales.
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Old 06-18-2003, 10:22 PM
blademan blademan is offline
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Back Spacers

Outstanding Don

I do the same thing, you can mill just about anything.

I mill my scales to size, blades, however I do not use spacers
I use full back splines and is great to mill/grind them to the right size

James


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Old 06-19-2003, 02:39 PM
navajas navajas is offline
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magnetic holders

Don, do you know what page you found the hold downs?. I have looked in the new MSC Book and can,t located them.
Thanks, Roland
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Old 06-19-2003, 03:58 PM
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I was afraid of that, so I looked in my catalog too. Not there. These are toolmaker's tools, so I may have gotten them from one of the other companies that send out catalogs to industrial machine shops. Mine are probably 20 years old.

I'll google it and see if I can find them somewhere. If I do, I'll post the source.

Worst case, a set wouldn't be too hard to make. They're made of blued spring steel.

E-mail me directly and I'll send you a picture of mine.
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  #15  
Old 06-20-2003, 04:10 PM
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Don Robinson Don Robinson is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Don Robinson
I was afraid of that, so I looked in my catalog too. Not there. These are toolmaker's tools, so I may have gotten them from one of the other companies that send out catalogs to industrial machine shops. Mine are probably 20 years old.

I'll google it and see if I can find them somewhere. If I do, I'll post the source.

Worst case, a set wouldn't be too hard to make. They're made of blued spring steel.

E-mail me directly and I'll send you a picture of mine.
I've taken pictures and sketched the dimensions if anyone's interested. Couldn't find a source for new ones on Google.

If you want this, e-mail me and I'll send them as attachments.
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