I have rounded and smoothed the sharp edges of the G-10 scales and stainless liners on both of my Chinooks, and that really improved the "feel", with fairly little effort.
Dann Fassnacht
Aberdeen, WA
glockman99@hotmail.com
ICQ: 53675663
Modifying your 
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glockman99
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sc_rebel1957
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Marauder man i saw that post about the green lum and lights went off in my head, the liners and locks as well as the piviot pin and clip would look dayumm good using a shiney black Ti coating, maybe even the blade. I have a Paragon XO-Lite with the deep blue Ti now,it would really set the green scales off! hmmmmmm ok gotta have it done thx..Ron
I was playing with my Vesuvius clip and put some extra grip on it with an inner 550 cord. I wanted the clip to hold in the pocket tighter, and it worked. Works too well. <img src="smile.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> My string grip is too thick. I'll have to cut it off and try again.
Blades
Blades
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sc_rebel1957
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I just yesterday finished removing the paint from the cips of my Endura and Delica lt wts. I was surprised how nice they turned out a few mins witha dremel tool and some very fine sanding film (you can buy it in model shops)i went all the way up to 1500 grit now the clips look fantastic, i purposly left the black paint in the spyder symbol, more changes are new bevels 30 degree on all straight edge blades. 1 thing i can say is a waste of time on the clips and thats most if not all paint removers, i also made a form from a straight edge ruler and super glued the 800 grit film closed the knives and paitently sanded the piviot area on the sticky FRN Delica ive been whining about, i didnt remove alot of material but man what a change it made in opening it, i was considering sending this 1 to sfo repair before. Im looking into getting the liners, locks, and a few blades coated with black Ti' Ive been away afew weeks and ive missed this forum. thx guys for being the nicest people ive ever dealt with...Ron
OOooooooo! Those clips do look ... c<img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0><img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>l!! (sharp is just too bad of a pun). But they do look sh<img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0>rp!
"Ne vyklykaj vowka z leesoo, ..... bo tsej vowk maje <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> ." Don't call the wolf out of the forest, because this one carries a <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> .
Edited by - Zabrewolf on 7/2/2002 7:39:22 AM
"Ne vyklykaj vowka z leesoo, ..... bo tsej vowk maje <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> ." Don't call the wolf out of the forest, because this one carries a <img src="spyder.gif" width=15 height=15 align=middle border=0> .
Edited by - Zabrewolf on 7/2/2002 7:39:22 AM
No it was done by http://www.angelfire.com/sports/customjewelshop/
They done great work with spydies.
JEFF
They done great work with spydies.
JEFF
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dfmccarthy
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Here's a series of posts and pics showing the work I did and how and _why_ it was done in the last 2-3 weeks on my Rescue.
The first thing on my list of things to do with my new Rescue was to "melt" the back of the blade. The reason for this is that you may need to force the blade between some constriction, such as a belt, rope , or trapped clothing. You'll want the smoothest surface possible to slide in a backward motion to get between the "trapper" and the "trapped." When pulling the blade forward to cut the restraint you want to be very sure _NOT_ to have your forefinger over the lock cutout. If you do, when the blade comes free it will swing around and bite you. (That's how I got my first of only two "Spydey" bites. I was testing my Mariner sometime back in the '80's. Taking the waistband from an old pair of jeans I was cutting up, I took the waistband and tried to pull the blade straight through it. The G-2 blade did pop through, and as soon as it did, it whipped around and stung the back of my thumb knuckle. After a minute two little pinpoints of blood showed. Sadly, I did't get any superpowers.)
(Def. MELT: As in if you took a cube and "melted" it, you would have a sphere of diameter equal to the original cube's width. Shape all edges to the maximum radius. Orig.: So far as I know from Jeff Cooper trying to convince Jim Hoag to take more metal off the corners of his rear sight. Hoag got irritated at Cooper continuing to say he wanted it more rounded...so Hoag went back and ground off the maximum amount possible. When Cooper saw the results his face lit up and he said it was exactly what he wanted. N.B., I should have realized when Hoag told me the story it was a sign he didn't understand the difference between "pretty" and "functional." I wasn't that pleased with the work he did for me.)
If you're going to work on your "Spydie," _first_ put tape over the working edge. Both to protect it and you. Then if you're going to do grinding or polishing, cover _everything_ with tape. It saves you from embarassing scuff marks when you slip and keeps grit out of folders. Smooth it down and tuck it in all around. Then cut away the tape from where you'll be working. (See fig. 1) To "melt" something, first knock off the corners a little with a grinder. The shaping is best done with flap sanding wheels. After you've worked your way from coarse to fine with the flap wheels, polish to a satin finish with a rubberized abrasive wheel. For a mirror finish, end with a felt or cloth wheel and polishing compound/rouge. Done properly the result looks like figure 2.
Since you can only post two pictures with each post, I'll cover the other things I did with further posts.
The first thing on my list of things to do with my new Rescue was to "melt" the back of the blade. The reason for this is that you may need to force the blade between some constriction, such as a belt, rope , or trapped clothing. You'll want the smoothest surface possible to slide in a backward motion to get between the "trapper" and the "trapped." When pulling the blade forward to cut the restraint you want to be very sure _NOT_ to have your forefinger over the lock cutout. If you do, when the blade comes free it will swing around and bite you. (That's how I got my first of only two "Spydey" bites. I was testing my Mariner sometime back in the '80's. Taking the waistband from an old pair of jeans I was cutting up, I took the waistband and tried to pull the blade straight through it. The G-2 blade did pop through, and as soon as it did, it whipped around and stung the back of my thumb knuckle. After a minute two little pinpoints of blood showed. Sadly, I did't get any superpowers.)
(Def. MELT: As in if you took a cube and "melted" it, you would have a sphere of diameter equal to the original cube's width. Shape all edges to the maximum radius. Orig.: So far as I know from Jeff Cooper trying to convince Jim Hoag to take more metal off the corners of his rear sight. Hoag got irritated at Cooper continuing to say he wanted it more rounded...so Hoag went back and ground off the maximum amount possible. When Cooper saw the results his face lit up and he said it was exactly what he wanted. N.B., I should have realized when Hoag told me the story it was a sign he didn't understand the difference between "pretty" and "functional." I wasn't that pleased with the work he did for me.)
If you're going to work on your "Spydie," _first_ put tape over the working edge. Both to protect it and you. Then if you're going to do grinding or polishing, cover _everything_ with tape. It saves you from embarassing scuff marks when you slip and keeps grit out of folders. Smooth it down and tuck it in all around. Then cut away the tape from where you'll be working. (See fig. 1) To "melt" something, first knock off the corners a little with a grinder. The shaping is best done with flap sanding wheels. After you've worked your way from coarse to fine with the flap wheels, polish to a satin finish with a rubberized abrasive wheel. For a mirror finish, end with a felt or cloth wheel and polishing compound/rouge. Done properly the result looks like figure 2.
Since you can only post two pictures with each post, I'll cover the other things I did with further posts.
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dfmccarthy
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- Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
The next thing I wanted to address was experimenting with a different belt clip design. An old American standard of public behavior was "don't scare the horses." If you limit your public behavior to that which won't offend anybody, you're a fool. Some people are offended by hugging and kissing in public.
But just as a billboard that is so startling as to cause traffic accidents should be removed, it is reasonable to try to avoid frightening people. At this time and in this society some people are terrified of anything requiring adult and responsible behavior. (Particularily in states like California and Massachusetts.) Until things can be improved by education, frightening people doesn't lead to their enlightenment. Hopefully the need to be prepared, both with mind set and knowledge can be encouraged by more experienced people passing on what they know to the generations following them. For if we do not teach each other, harder lessons will be taught to us from the outside, as was the case on 9/11. I believe it's important for as much of the population as possible to be familiar with anatomy and simple physics. Together, they will tell you how to save lives, whether through first aid or self defense.
Given, that at this time, visible signs of some useful tools can draw undue attention and even cause concern, being discrete is appropriate. As such, although the reversible clip Spyderco currently offers has several praiseworthy features, I would be happier with a somewhat different design. The crossed slots of the current clip work as checkering to provide a gripping point for drawing the knife. But, I wanted a clip that would leave as little visible as possible.
For raw material I needed a piece of steel about 1/2" wide and at least 6" long. I finally decided on feeler gauge stock. Luckily for me, there's a machinist's supply just down the street from me. (johncameronsupplyinc.com) It comes up to .029" thick. The piece I got was .026"x12"x1/2" for $4. (As an alternative, a General Tools 6" steel rule is about $2. It's .021 thick stainless and drillable, but doesn't seem to respond to annealing or quenching.) I'm familiar with annealing and hardening, but clearly I'll need to read up on tempering. After annealing a few inches I drilled the mounting hole and bent it to shape. (I wasn't completely happy with how the bend turned out. I suspect to get a constant radius bend a punch and die are needed.)
After grinding the width to my taste, I heated it back to orange and quenched it in water to reharden it. Then I cut it loose from the rest of the stock. Since the thin strips on each side of the mounting hole would cool fastest, they turned out to be brittle and snapped right off. (Oh well, this is a test to see how the general idea worked. I'll do a better one later.) Using a 1/4" router bit and a drill press I routed out one side of the mounting recess on the Rescue handle.
(If Spyderco should decide to offer a "discrete" clip as an accessory, it's possible to make one that doesn't require routing/milling out the recess for the ambi clip. But the bend would be trickier, so milling the recess for my own permanent installation was easier. I guess if any one wants this type clip for their knife, they should ask Sal?)
Since the retaining nut, (that's the one with the internal threads), would rub on whatever the clip went over, I domed and polished it. It's a 6x1mm thread. So I chucked a 6x1mm bolt in the drill press and threaded the nut on it. Then with the press running on slow, it was easy to shape and polish the head with a rubberized grinding wheel.
The part of the clip that extended beyond the handle was covered with black heat shrink tubing. Since I'd broken off the bottom half of the mounting hole, I used super glue to help retain the clip. It works fine, and I've even removed and remounted it.
In the picture of me from behind, an unmodified Rescue is clipped to the right of center and the "discrete" clip modified Rescue is on the left. As mentioned above, this should be refered to as discrete carry _not_ covert. If you want to boost your ego by being all cloak and dagger, realize you're doing it at the cost of legal liability and making trouble for yourself in the real world. That is not how to win friends and influence people.
In the next post are two pictures showing how the two clip types appear when carried in the pocket. This discussion of clip design will finish in the next post so as to allow the two pictures to be included.
Edited by - dfmccarthy on 7/6/2002 7:46:08 PM
But just as a billboard that is so startling as to cause traffic accidents should be removed, it is reasonable to try to avoid frightening people. At this time and in this society some people are terrified of anything requiring adult and responsible behavior. (Particularily in states like California and Massachusetts.) Until things can be improved by education, frightening people doesn't lead to their enlightenment. Hopefully the need to be prepared, both with mind set and knowledge can be encouraged by more experienced people passing on what they know to the generations following them. For if we do not teach each other, harder lessons will be taught to us from the outside, as was the case on 9/11. I believe it's important for as much of the population as possible to be familiar with anatomy and simple physics. Together, they will tell you how to save lives, whether through first aid or self defense.
Given, that at this time, visible signs of some useful tools can draw undue attention and even cause concern, being discrete is appropriate. As such, although the reversible clip Spyderco currently offers has several praiseworthy features, I would be happier with a somewhat different design. The crossed slots of the current clip work as checkering to provide a gripping point for drawing the knife. But, I wanted a clip that would leave as little visible as possible.
For raw material I needed a piece of steel about 1/2" wide and at least 6" long. I finally decided on feeler gauge stock. Luckily for me, there's a machinist's supply just down the street from me. (johncameronsupplyinc.com) It comes up to .029" thick. The piece I got was .026"x12"x1/2" for $4. (As an alternative, a General Tools 6" steel rule is about $2. It's .021 thick stainless and drillable, but doesn't seem to respond to annealing or quenching.) I'm familiar with annealing and hardening, but clearly I'll need to read up on tempering. After annealing a few inches I drilled the mounting hole and bent it to shape. (I wasn't completely happy with how the bend turned out. I suspect to get a constant radius bend a punch and die are needed.)
After grinding the width to my taste, I heated it back to orange and quenched it in water to reharden it. Then I cut it loose from the rest of the stock. Since the thin strips on each side of the mounting hole would cool fastest, they turned out to be brittle and snapped right off. (Oh well, this is a test to see how the general idea worked. I'll do a better one later.) Using a 1/4" router bit and a drill press I routed out one side of the mounting recess on the Rescue handle.
(If Spyderco should decide to offer a "discrete" clip as an accessory, it's possible to make one that doesn't require routing/milling out the recess for the ambi clip. But the bend would be trickier, so milling the recess for my own permanent installation was easier. I guess if any one wants this type clip for their knife, they should ask Sal?)
Since the retaining nut, (that's the one with the internal threads), would rub on whatever the clip went over, I domed and polished it. It's a 6x1mm thread. So I chucked a 6x1mm bolt in the drill press and threaded the nut on it. Then with the press running on slow, it was easy to shape and polish the head with a rubberized grinding wheel.
The part of the clip that extended beyond the handle was covered with black heat shrink tubing. Since I'd broken off the bottom half of the mounting hole, I used super glue to help retain the clip. It works fine, and I've even removed and remounted it.
In the picture of me from behind, an unmodified Rescue is clipped to the right of center and the "discrete" clip modified Rescue is on the left. As mentioned above, this should be refered to as discrete carry _not_ covert. If you want to boost your ego by being all cloak and dagger, realize you're doing it at the cost of legal liability and making trouble for yourself in the real world. That is not how to win friends and influence people.
In the next post are two pictures showing how the two clip types appear when carried in the pocket. This discussion of clip design will finish in the next post so as to allow the two pictures to be included.
Edited by - dfmccarthy on 7/6/2002 7:46:08 PM
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dfmccarthy
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- Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
The remaining question is: if the handle is below the belt, how do you get it out? In the pocket there's enough space to grab the clip and handle with your thumb and forefinger the same as the original clip. When carried at the small of the back, what seems to work best is to slide your hand down along the handle until the tip of your middle finger passes the end of the handle. The tip of the middle finger naturally curls over when it passes the handle. By keeping it bent and sliding your hand upward the knife comes out with your hand.
The third modification relates to use and closing of the knife. Continued next post so as to include pictures.
The third modification relates to use and closing of the knife. Continued next post so as to include pictures.
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dfmccarthy
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- Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
When I use a tool, I want my hand to be able to operate without my having to look at it to see what's going on. I have substantial damage to my nervous system. Therefore, I am less able to tell where my fingers are without looking than most people. As I was absent mindedly opening and closing the Rescue one handed, on one occassion the lock didn't release. When I looked my thumb wasn't positioned correctly.
In an emergency I"m going to want to return my tool to a "safe" condition as soon as I'm through with it. With the "discrete" clip I'd just drop it in my pocket. (Or just plain drop it in a _real_ emergency.) Some tactile indicator to let me know if my thumb is in the right place seemed called for. Since to drop the blade part way safely requires that your forefinger be positioned as far forward as possible, something to encourage that seemed a good idea as well.
So I put in a "tactile" notch in a place and at an angle so as to encourage my thumb to push _forward_ and down. Not just down. If you're pushing forward and down, in order to have something to push against you have to have your forefinger at the front of the finger relief. (See pictures.) If your finger is in the foreward position the choil will be the only thing that can hit your finger. This allows safely flipping the knife shut. As a picture in a following post shows, the thought has occurred to me that if the rear of the lock was relieved in a curve, the same purpose might be served. This sort of "tactile" indicator also serves as a warning when holding the knife with edge up to cut something free that your forefinger should _not_ be gripping in that area. In that later picture the area I'm considering removing is highlighted.
These three modifications are the ones I considered really important. But there was one other idea I wanted to explore. To be continued.
In an emergency I"m going to want to return my tool to a "safe" condition as soon as I'm through with it. With the "discrete" clip I'd just drop it in my pocket. (Or just plain drop it in a _real_ emergency.) Some tactile indicator to let me know if my thumb is in the right place seemed called for. Since to drop the blade part way safely requires that your forefinger be positioned as far forward as possible, something to encourage that seemed a good idea as well.
So I put in a "tactile" notch in a place and at an angle so as to encourage my thumb to push _forward_ and down. Not just down. If you're pushing forward and down, in order to have something to push against you have to have your forefinger at the front of the finger relief. (See pictures.) If your finger is in the foreward position the choil will be the only thing that can hit your finger. This allows safely flipping the knife shut. As a picture in a following post shows, the thought has occurred to me that if the rear of the lock was relieved in a curve, the same purpose might be served. This sort of "tactile" indicator also serves as a warning when holding the knife with edge up to cut something free that your forefinger should _not_ be gripping in that area. In that later picture the area I'm considering removing is highlighted.
These three modifications are the ones I considered really important. But there was one other idea I wanted to explore. To be continued.
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dfmccarthy
- Member
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:33 am
Auto accidents are the most common emergency we're likely to have to deal with. In terms of a small tool you could always have with you there's one other possible task that might need solving. That's being able to break through glass. Either to get yourself and loved ones out following an accident or to get to someone who's trapped.
A hardened point seems to be what's required to start the break. I wasn't willing to use the windows on my car for testing. And I haven't yet had the chance to go to a wrecking yard if they'll let me do tests there. What I did have was about a one foot piece of glass louver. What we called jalousie windows where I grew up in Florida. It's about 4" wide and 1/4" thick. It's not tempered like auto side and rear window glass. Tempered auto glass when it breaks, breaks into little cubes in my experience.
I gave a lot of thought to where and how to mount a hardened point on a Rescue (I considered trying to just use the "hump" on a Spyderco blade to break the glass. Seemed more likely to injure my fingers.) Finally I decided that gripping the knife with the "hump" between my first and second fingers was the strongest and most natural. That meant mounting the point on the end where the clip was. The two choices for an inexpensive tungsten carbide point were a General Tools scriber part # 88CM (your local hardware store $4-6) or Dremel's replacement point for their engraver (part # 9924 $6.90 PPD).
The scriber has a 1/16"/1.5mm TC point mounted in an 1/8"/3mm aluminum holder. The Dremel point is 1/8"/3mm diameter TC. Both seem to have 60 degree points. A hole in the handle of the Rescue that would make a firm grip for a 1/8" shaft was needed. The actual diameter of the Dremel point was .124", the aluminum scriber shaft, .121". My solution was to drill a 7/64" hole. (After removing the clip mounting screw and nut.) Then I chucked a 1/8" drill in the drill press, but didn't turn it on. I fed the drill downward with one hand while turning the chuck by hand with the other. As though I was tapping the hole with the drill bit. I then let the chuck come back up while reversing the rotation of the chuck. The result in plastic is a sort of "furry" hole. Works great.
Next I tried to break the glass louver by slamming the scriber point into it. And tried and tried. All I did was make little 1/16" holes in the glass! My idea to shroud the point with a sleeve of heat shrink tubing so it wouldn't catch on clothing when being worn worked just fine. I made the same holes in the glass with or without the protective sleeve. After a dozen tries, hitting harder and harder until it made my hand sting, I gave up on the scriber point. (Note: It might still work on auto glass, but it sure wouldn't do much to a plate glass window if you had to get into or out of a building.)
Well, this is why you do tests. So I went to the Dremel engraver point. The glass was supported on a sheet of corrugated cardboard. Mainly to contain the pieces in case of success. At first I struck with about the blow I would use to strike a center punch. When a few of those didn't work, I swung more like I was driving a nail. Success at last! It would appear there is a minimal diameter for the hardened point (perhaps in relation to the thickness of the glass). After achieving success I noticed a few spots of blood on my tee shirt. Looking around I found a small nick on the inside of my right forearm. Note well, if it's not tempered glass, then pieces with edges sharp down to the last molecule will be flying. Lightweight cotton would probably stop them. When I'm working I wear glasses and save wearing contacts for social occasions. But in the future when experimenting with breaking glass I'm putting on a long sleeved jumpsuit and gloves.
Well, this ends my experimenting for now. After living in the same apartment for over 21 years, the new owner wants it back to renovate for the lawyers and executives that are moving into the neighborhood. It'll probably take several months of putting all the time I can in to finding a suitable new place. I tinker the way some people knit, to calm my nerves. So I've been tinkering like crazy the past few months. The Spyderco Forum and its members are quite addicting. But I've really got to spend more time apartment hunting. I designed a group of accessories for that other indispensible EDC tool the Photon Microlight.
I plan on sending my prototypes to Photon with the suggestion they consider offering some or all of them. Although this is a Spyderco forum, if you're interested in the Microlight improvements let me know and I'll post a description for those that may want to make their own. The last picture shows the possible enlarged tactile notch in outline and the Photon accessories.
A hardened point seems to be what's required to start the break. I wasn't willing to use the windows on my car for testing. And I haven't yet had the chance to go to a wrecking yard if they'll let me do tests there. What I did have was about a one foot piece of glass louver. What we called jalousie windows where I grew up in Florida. It's about 4" wide and 1/4" thick. It's not tempered like auto side and rear window glass. Tempered auto glass when it breaks, breaks into little cubes in my experience.
I gave a lot of thought to where and how to mount a hardened point on a Rescue (I considered trying to just use the "hump" on a Spyderco blade to break the glass. Seemed more likely to injure my fingers.) Finally I decided that gripping the knife with the "hump" between my first and second fingers was the strongest and most natural. That meant mounting the point on the end where the clip was. The two choices for an inexpensive tungsten carbide point were a General Tools scriber part # 88CM (your local hardware store $4-6) or Dremel's replacement point for their engraver (part # 9924 $6.90 PPD).
The scriber has a 1/16"/1.5mm TC point mounted in an 1/8"/3mm aluminum holder. The Dremel point is 1/8"/3mm diameter TC. Both seem to have 60 degree points. A hole in the handle of the Rescue that would make a firm grip for a 1/8" shaft was needed. The actual diameter of the Dremel point was .124", the aluminum scriber shaft, .121". My solution was to drill a 7/64" hole. (After removing the clip mounting screw and nut.) Then I chucked a 1/8" drill in the drill press, but didn't turn it on. I fed the drill downward with one hand while turning the chuck by hand with the other. As though I was tapping the hole with the drill bit. I then let the chuck come back up while reversing the rotation of the chuck. The result in plastic is a sort of "furry" hole. Works great.
Next I tried to break the glass louver by slamming the scriber point into it. And tried and tried. All I did was make little 1/16" holes in the glass! My idea to shroud the point with a sleeve of heat shrink tubing so it wouldn't catch on clothing when being worn worked just fine. I made the same holes in the glass with or without the protective sleeve. After a dozen tries, hitting harder and harder until it made my hand sting, I gave up on the scriber point. (Note: It might still work on auto glass, but it sure wouldn't do much to a plate glass window if you had to get into or out of a building.)
Well, this is why you do tests. So I went to the Dremel engraver point. The glass was supported on a sheet of corrugated cardboard. Mainly to contain the pieces in case of success. At first I struck with about the blow I would use to strike a center punch. When a few of those didn't work, I swung more like I was driving a nail. Success at last! It would appear there is a minimal diameter for the hardened point (perhaps in relation to the thickness of the glass). After achieving success I noticed a few spots of blood on my tee shirt. Looking around I found a small nick on the inside of my right forearm. Note well, if it's not tempered glass, then pieces with edges sharp down to the last molecule will be flying. Lightweight cotton would probably stop them. When I'm working I wear glasses and save wearing contacts for social occasions. But in the future when experimenting with breaking glass I'm putting on a long sleeved jumpsuit and gloves.
Well, this ends my experimenting for now. After living in the same apartment for over 21 years, the new owner wants it back to renovate for the lawyers and executives that are moving into the neighborhood. It'll probably take several months of putting all the time I can in to finding a suitable new place. I tinker the way some people knit, to calm my nerves. So I've been tinkering like crazy the past few months. The Spyderco Forum and its members are quite addicting. But I've really got to spend more time apartment hunting. I designed a group of accessories for that other indispensible EDC tool the Photon Microlight.
I plan on sending my prototypes to Photon with the suggestion they consider offering some or all of them. Although this is a Spyderco forum, if you're interested in the Microlight improvements let me know and I'll post a description for those that may want to make their own. The last picture shows the possible enlarged tactile notch in outline and the Photon accessories.