Dyed the FFG Delica 4 & Bushing Replacement

[theZOOfromHELL]

I hope this photo works. Sorry for the junky cell phone quality.

After six months, the Blue FRN on my delica was showing a little wear. Maybe it was just me, but even after cleaning it it seemed a bit dull. Maybe I was just getting tired of the bright Carolina Blue, though :D anyways, i used some scarlet RIT dye with 1/2 of the suggest water to dye my handle a gorgeous dark plum color! As you might be able to see from my pocket clip in the photo (assuming it works) my Delica has been to **** and back, and the dye job really helped "freshen" the knife up a bit.

On another note, I took the knife apart to dye the scales, and quickly found out just how annoying the bushings can be to put back in. After about half an hour of trying to re-assemble the knife, I lost one.
I put the knife back together without them and ordered a parts replacement kit...does anyone have any advice on the easiest way to re-assemble a delica WITH the bushings?

Thanks, and Spyderco, great job on this knife. It rocks. And, thanks for giving users who like to disassemble their knives the option of fixing them solo by selling parts kits.
:spyder:

[theZOOfromHELL]

I went outside, this one might be a bit better:

[suedeface]

I did a scale swap on my D4 ffg, and I taped the blade in the open position and installed the lock bar last. Didn't have much of a problem doing it that way and I'm pleased with the result. I have to agree with you about the parts kit. I wish spyderco would offer parts kits for their more common models. If this were a different model and you lost/damaged a part, you most likely would be out of luck.

[Jay_Ev]

When you say bushings are you referring to the washers? If so, they are rather small and I can see how it could become easily lost.

Nice dye job :)

[araneae]

Search for mr blonde's lego Delica thread, or look on youtube- i think our fellow forumite Unit has a video on assembly.

[theZOOfromHELL]

thanks for the help, guys. and yes, i was referring to the washers.
also, thanks for the kind words Jay Ev - you might be able to tell from the bottom picture, it was originally going to be a fade with the butt end purple - alas, i dropped it. :) though i'm happy with how it turned out. It's unique now!

hah, and you might also be able to tell the number of sharpening this knife has been though from the photo - the edge has noticeable backed up.

[angusW]

I like the dye job as well and I like a person who doesn't follow instructions :D

If I'm fiddling with something with small parts I usually do it over a towel or at least a paper towel so parts don't bounce and roll as easily.

[Scottie3000]

I've heard working over a cereal box with the largest panel removed works well too.

[jackknifeh]

I did a scale swap on my D4 ffg, and I taped the blade in the open position and installed the lock bar last. Didn't have much of a problem doing it that way and I'm pleased with the result. I have to agree with you about the parts kit. I wish spyderco would offer parts kits for their more common models. If this were a different model and you lost/damaged a part, you most likely would be out of luck.

I took my Manix2 apart and thought I lost the button thing that holds the ball bearing. I emailed Spyderco about getting a new one and they said I'd need to send the knife to them. Luckily, I found the piece. I really didn't want to be without the knife for 2 or 3 weeks. Moral is don't work with small parts with a toddler running around. They can be worse than an earthquake. :)

I have always wondered why they sold parts kits for the Delica and Endura and not other models.

Jack

[BAL]

The little magnetic bowls that you can get at Lowes etc works great when storing metal parts. They have saved me countless times.

[VashHash]

In this scenario the magnet bowls wouldn't help. The washers aren't magnetic. I've used the cereal box trick a few times. Works pretty well. So does a white towel. Sometimes its just fun to see how a new machanism works. I have yet to disassemble a lockback though.

[bada61265]

cool , one other thing will dress that knife up more. Take the clip off , strip the paint off it and polish it out. will really complete the package.

[BAL]

In this scenario the magnet bowls wouldn't help. The washers aren't magnetic. I've used the cereal box trick a few times. Works pretty well. So does a white towel. Sometimes its just fun to see how a new machanism works. I have yet to disassemble a lockback though.

Thanks, it probably wouldn't matter to me anyway, I have a tendency to loose whatever I take apart. That's why I use the magnetic ones, to reduce the odds. I have used boxes as well. Cereal boxes are thin and would work great.

[theZOOfromHELL]

cool , one other thing will dress that knife up more. Take the clip off , strip the paint off it and polish it out. will really complete the package.

love that idea - the only problem is, the screws are loc-tited in there. one of these days i'll bust out the heat gun and remove/replace the clip altogether, but sadly, today is not that day.

on the other hand, i got the new bushings and installed them today. I found that the easiest way was to remove the locking bar and the blade, then to install the bushings and screw the blade back in first. afterwards, i hooked the locking bar into the back of the blade (in the open position) and pushed the blade down onto a bock of wood, which pushed the locking bar flush with the handle and allowed me to screw in the lock pivot.

[theZOOfromHELL]

cool , one other thing will dress that knife up more. Take the clip off , strip the paint off it and polish it out. will really complete the package.

love that idea - the only problem is, the screws are loc-tited in there. one of these days i'll bust out the heat gun and remove/replace the clip altogether, but sadly, today is not that day.

on the other hand, i got the new bushings and installed them today. I found that the easiest way was to remove the locking bar and the blade, then to install the bushings and screw the blade back in first. afterwards, i hooked the locking bar into the back of the blade (in the open position) and pushed the blade down onto a bock of wood, which pushed the locking bar flush with the handle and allowed me to screw in the lock pivot.

[Nifelheim]

Aren't you supposed not to disassemble the knife as doing so voids the warranty? Hence the lack of kits for every knife model. I would assume otherwise each and every one with a torx driver would be tearing apart their knives and that would be quite the headache for the customer service guys.

[josephdom]

when you say "Bushing" are you referring to the washerman?if so they are rather small and i only know how it become lost so easily.........

[theZOOfromHELL]

yes, the washers. and nifelheim, it does void the warranty. but it's more to discourage people who don't know what they're doing from taking the blades apart :D