Hay boy's any thoughts on Teflon vs. Nylatron vs. Bronze, pivot washers?

I make my own washers because no one sells the sizes I like to use. In the past I have tried Teflon but find that deforms too much for my taste and can wear out eventually. The secret to making good bronze washers escapes me, never had any luck getting them smooth and flat (but that's probably just the tools and tecnique I use).

Ultimately, my preference came to be Nylotron. It's available in several thicknesses, you can get clean edges on it with a hand punch, it's chemical resistant, semi-self lubricating, and absolutely will not deform or wear out .........

Hello George. I have tried most and even though they may seem expensive I have found the nylaton ones that I buy already cut to be the very best. Teflon will compress when tightened on ;so every time you put any pressure on them they change thickness size ; brass and stainless steel are fine but do not have the "slippyness". Nylatron is tough enough so you can cramp down on them and they will leave a streak mark on the blade as would the brass or stainless but will not compress. George, are you going to the show in Kamloops? If I can help you with liner lock stuff don't hesitate to reach me at niro@telus.net Frank

Phosphor Bronze washers are the way to go. I have tried Teflon and gave those up for the reasons already stated in this thread. Making washers on the lathe is possible, but it's really a pain. I'd rather spend the time making things on the knife that add to the knife, so once I had decided on the sizes - each knife has one smaller and one larger washer - I had Bokers in the USA make a bunch of them from 0.52 mm Bronze. That way all the washers are always the same. They were expensive, but worth it. Do a search and you'll find Bokers. A really super company to do business with, they have a ton of tooling for almost any size washer you can think of.

Phos-Bronze all the way ... they're great!!!

We have them in 3/16 and 5/32, if anyone needs any.

http://www.knifekits.com/store/s-pages/kk_products_parts_pbwashers-main.htm

Alex

I've just started using phosphor bronze and I love them! I got mine from Seastroms. Send for their catalog, thousands of washer sizes in many different materials and thicknesses. 1-208-734-7222 Naturally you should buy from Alex if possible and help support the CKD but for that hard to find size.......:)

I've used all of them, and have found that each has it's place. For my hard use folders I like Nylatron or bronze. For the high end collector type folders I tend to use teflon. I've decided that rather than buy washers in sets, I'm going to order a punch set from MSC, along with several types and thicknesses of materials. I always find myself wishing I had a size or thickness of washer that's not in the shop..........with the punch set and different materials maybe I can solve that!

Hey guys, Whats the thickness on these phosphor bronze washers yall are talking about? I'd like to try some to see how I like'em. Dwayne

http://members.cox.net/ddushane

I use washer with a thickness of 0.52 mm for all folders. Some guys like thinner ones, but this way I dont have to recess the grip for ball bearing clearance when closing, plus the knife is very sturdy.

Anyone know where to get nylatron sheet for making your own washers? MSC lists nylon sheet - same stuff, or no?

Thanks

nylatron sheet (http://www.piedmontplastics.com) another (http://www.s-lplastics.thomasregister.com/olc/s-lplastics/nylatron.htm) 1 more (http://www.machinist-materials.com/Direct_sale/Direct-sale-nylatron_flats.htm)

Speciality Nylon 6/6 - Black
this is the stuff you want from mscdirect - p 1821 of the big book. one thing i like about it is that the molybdenum disulfide attaches to metal and helps lubricate in a dry form. it doesn't seem to attract as much crud.

Thanks guys!

Did you ever consider Thordon bearings? They use this stuff to replace Teflon (tm) in high wear areas on outboards and stuff. Apparently they work great ( Although I can't for the life of me remember where I read it) but it's supposed to be the cat's meow for knives. I believe they compress little, they wear like iron, and they are pretty slick. If I find the article I read it in, if its allowed, I can post the mag and page number.

Take care,

Ed.

Has anyone tried Derlin? I made some from sheet stock (0.02") from McMasterCarr. I made them by drilling the i.d. then stacking them on a mandril and shaping them round-- a technique I saw on a CKD tutorial "How to mank 0.004 inch Stainless Steel Washers" by Chris Crawford.

I put some in a CRKT Titanium frame lock. Haven't had any problem with them yet.

Speaking of plastics, has any one used polysulphone for handles. Its a translucent plastic with an amber tint(almost honey colored, or not quite a dark beer).

Phydeaux

I use Nylatron washers on all my folders. About a year ago, I purchased 5,000, .500 X .188 X .015 for $100.00. That's fairly cheap in my opinion. :D I got 6,000 of the .375 X .188 X .015 for $100.00. Check out http://www.espemfg.com/.

A.T.

http://www.customknives.com/
New Knives added 4.9.03
"Don't you buy no ugly knife"