linerlock

[Omega]

im not really sure how to explain my question but ill try. im just finishing up my frist real linerlock and when its all put together the lock sit on the lockface of the knife (not sure of the terminology) just a slight bit if i take the blade in one hand and the body in the other and try and close it i cant forsct the lock to slip. can anyone think of any problems i might have and is there a standard amount you guys like the lock to sit on the blade. hope thats clear

thanks bill

[Don Robinson]

Sounds like you got it right, Bill.

If you can't overcome the lock, then it's fine. I shoot for having the outside edge of the blade flush with the edge of the blade shank, but I'd settle for that any day.

Can you push the lock bar over to unlock the blade?

[Omega]

I shoot for having the outside edge of the blade flush with the edge of the blade shank.....not sure what you mean by this,whats the blade shank? yea other then what i thought was a problem the lock works great.

thanks bill

[Ray Rogers]

Bill,

Turn the knife over and whack the back of the blade against the edge of your work bench. If my blade closes when I do this the lock isn't good enough. Sitting as you describe your lock I'd almost swear it's gonna close. Of course, if the blade is already sharp be darned careful when you do this!

If it does close then you will want to make the lock move further across the face of the blade's locking ramp. I accomplish this by using a worn 400 grit belt to remove a tiny bit of steel from the back of the blade at the point where it meets the stop bar. Work carefully and safely....

[justice]

i em by far no expert!
but i would try breaking the lock in so it sits further over to the right when it opens.
you can do this by flicking the blade open about 30 to 100 times with a nice amount of force. or untill the lock does not move/sits in the proper place under the blade.
you can also put a stronger bend in the lock so it willl need more force to move it.

i had this same problem a few days ago with a ddr3 kit. lock would slip off the blades tang and it would also fail light spine whacks against even my hand.
and my solution was to break it in with forced openings (about45) and then put a slightly stronger bend in the lock bar.
its now locking up very tight and will not close uder pressure or spine whacks.

also is it possible that the angle of the lockface on the blade might be to high and is causing the lock to slip of the blade (like sliding down a hill)?
i think this can be fixed by regrinding the lockface on the blade at less of an angle very slowly and carefully a very small amout at a time. you can easly take to much off and ruin the lock up all together so grind off very littel amouts!
some one els with more expertise might want to chime in here befor you listen to my sugjestions. Ray, Don any one?

try geting a closer look at the lockface and compaire it to other liner locks you have around that are working properly.
mabey even take the lock side handel scale off and asseble the kife with out that scale( so the knife looks like a frame lock) to get a better look at the lock.
if your pivot screws are to long to acomplish this you can make a washer like the one in Ray Rogers liner lock tutorial. just use it on the lock side.

ps. keep all fingers out of the path of the blade when spine whacking a folder. and dont do it to hard you could cause damage to the locks surface.

......justin

[Ray Rogers]

Actually, damaging the lock face is the point of a hard whack on the back of the blade. It the hard whack is what causes the two parts to 'set'. I learned this from a gunsmith who makes some of the slickest actions I've ever seen. When he installed a new sear in my .45 the first thing he did was to cock the hammer and then struck it against the edge of a wooden work bench (Note: the gun wasn't loaded and the blade shouldn't be sharp!).

This technique only works isf the lock is very close to being perfect in the first place. A few hard snap opens like Justin suggested are a good way to test it. The blade should lock up tight, a whack on the back of the blade should not defeat the lock, and the lock should release easily. If this isn't what you get, then go back to what I said before and remove a tiny bit from the back of the blade and try again....

[Omega]

ok i snaped open the blade and the lock sets in abit further than when i ope it by hand and either way i cant defeat the lock, now my problem is i cant open the lock without using something else to push it open, im sure i could just grind either the lock or the blade down some but then it might be too mush is there any other way to get the lock to open or just grind and be carefull?

[Omega]

i think i figured it out the lock is only cut down 1 1/4 inch maybe a longer lock would be easier to move?

[Ray Rogers]

A longer lock is easier to move once you get it to the point it doesn't stick any more. You can grind on the lock notch in the blade or you can grind on the lock face and there is a small chance that you will get the lock working correctly and a fairly good chance the lock will get sloppy.

My suggestion is as mentioned above: use a worn 400 grit belt to remove a tiny bit of metal from the back of the blade where it meets the lock bar. This will relieve the tension between the lockbar and the blade and allow the lock to open easier. Just put the blade against the belt for a few seconds, re-assemble the knife and test it. Repeat as necesary. When the lock is almost working right, maybe just a little stickiness, turn the blade over and whack it against the edge of the table and 90% of the time that will remove the last of the stickiness....

[Omega]

i cut the lock further and it works like a charm, now all i have to do is figure how to use my new polishing wheel right :confused:


thanks for all the help

[Jeremy Krammes]

I guess you have things all sorted out. One question though. Did you harden your lock face?
I'll just throw one more idea out. I was having problems with my locks sliping sometimes. I would get them set, and after I used the knife for a while the lock would slip. Then I noticed a slight curve the the lock. I was just bending it with my hands, which made the curve. So I bent the lock straight and used a block of Micarta (with a slot cut in it) and bent it at the back end of the lock. Now the lock is straight, and no more sliping. Here is a pic of how I like my locks. These are .080 Ti liners.


Jeremy

[Omega]

how do you harden the lock face? so the lock is totally straight with just one sharp bend? mine are curved too since i bend them by hand, ill thry that ne the next one

[Jeremy Krammes]

After I drill the hole for the detent ball. If you do it with the detent in, it will take the hardness out of the ball. I just heat it up to cherry red with my torch, and then quench in water immediately. I do this 3 times. Each time will take longer to get to red hot. It won't be as hard as your blade, but it should wear much better than if you don't harden it.

Jeremy

[Kevin Wilkins]

I hear this a lot and I think it belongs in an Urban Myth thread. 6AL4V titanium can't be heat treated with a torch. It can't be really heat treated for hardness at all, rather for tensile strenghth in an oven filled with an argon atmosphere. They do this for aircraft parts. Ask an experienced heat treater about "cooking your Ti" and he may try and sell you a bridge over Hudson river...

[Jeremy Krammes]

Call it what you want, it will get harder. I know it's not like heat treating steel, but it will harden. Try drilling through a piece, then "harden" it, then try drilling it again.

Jeremy