OK moving right along.

[PhilL496]

I received 2 spines and a piece of cocobolo from Knifekits, and my plan is to finish up my first GX6 kit this weekend. I do have more questions for you Pro's.
I like the way the spine stiffens up the knife, but I did notice that the blade when closed has drifted off to the side away from the linerlock. It's not rubbing, but it's not as well centered as when the posts were in there. There also is a hairline gap between the spine and liners. Are you guys flattening or finishing the sides of these spines? And is there any tweaking I can do get the blade back to center?

[SharpByCoop]

but I did notice that the blade when closed has drifted off to the side away from the linerlock. It's not rubbing, but it's not as well centered as when the posts were in there.

Pretty common problem, Phil. Try this thread for some hints. It's always a case of shifting things a bit. If the blade is too loose the liner will torque it away from itself. If not, then the pivot needs adjustment.

Are you guys flattening or finishing the sides of these spines?

Yes, I make sure I flatten both the liners and the backspine with a piece of paper on a flat surface. One burr and it's a hairline.

Keep at it!

Coop

[PhilL496]

That thread was helpful, thanks Coop. It seems just polishing up the spine has gotten the blade back to the center, but even polishing the inside of the liners hasn't totally remove the hariline gap. It's diminished, but I still got gap. Now I know why you guys do all of that filework on the spine, you can't get rid of the gap either.

Tomorrow, Cocobolo scales, and figuring out how to countersink the screw heads without a drill press. :confused:

My plan is; to flatten the scales to about the thickness of the bolster, double face tape them together and clamp them to the scales, drill the pilot holes, unclamp the liner and enlarge the holes up one size of drill bit. For the countersink I've marked off the drill bit with tape as a depth stop;. I know I'll have to resink them after finishing the scales, but that's the only way I've figured out how to do it.

Short of buying a drill press, are there any other suggestions?

[Kelly Carlson]

With enough sanding on a flat surface, like plate glass, you can get the backspacer to be flat and with no gaps - assuming the liner's aren't slightly bent. I make my own backspacers, but would be very surprised if the ones available from Knifekits don't have enough extra width to sand to a perfect fit.
Without a drill press, I think you might have a tough time countersinking the screw holes straight and evenly. I used to do it with a variable speed Dremel, working up the sizes slowly, but it was tedious.
Suggestion (in the absence of drill press access) - instead of countersinking the screws, you might try filing the screw heads into rosettes, polish them, and let them sit on the surface of the scales. A good amount of repetitive, small scale filework, but an attractive end result.

[PhilL496]

Kelly, I have them as flat as I can get them, and they're almost to a mirror finish. When I say a hairline gap, I'm talking about an anemic hair. It may be I just need to give them a good cleaning, but I'll wait on that because shaping the spine and scales is going to make a lot more dirt.

I think I can actually get the holes straight and screw heads countersunk the way I have planned, and I'm sure not ready for more filework after I messed up the traction grooves on the linerlock. What I did learn from that experience was to practice first on non-kit parts, and not be so confident.

[SharpByCoop]

Now I know why you guys do all of that filework on the spine, you can't get rid of the gap either.

Phil, you're on to us! Man, getting those hairline gaps out is tough. As careful as I make my mating surface finishes, once it's disassembled, there's always a *little* tell-tale. And that's the key. For an absolutely perfect fit one would probably need to do the very final sanding completely assembled. I've done it, but I have yet to make one perfect.

Hey, aren't you getting the pre-drilled scales?? They fit like a glove and will save you a ton of work (without a press).

Coop

[PhilL496]

Originally posted by Coop747

Hey, aren't you getting the pre-drilled scales?? They fit like a glove and will save you a ton of work (without a press).

Heck No, that's no fun. For me the joy of making something with your hands is the problem solving. Finding ways of getting the job done without a fully equipt shop. That's why I haven't accepted the invite up to your place. It's not that I'm against having the right equipment, but sometimes ya just gotta work with what you have. If all these kits were was screwing it together with all shiny perfect fit parts I would have been done in 30 minutes. What fun is that?

I'll let you in on a little secret, my goal is to have one knife ready for the March NYC show that I wouldn't be ashamed to show you, Tim Herman, JW Smith and some of the other folks I know.

[PhilL496]

Well, so much for goals.

I hate to admit defeat, but a man's got to know his limitations.
After practice on scrap, and testing the depth of the stop on the drill for the countersink, I figures it was about time to cut the cocoblo into scales. I flattened up the bottoms and squared up the ends and everything was looking flush and square, I clamped it up and drilled the pilot holes, still looking good. I enlarged the holes, everything was lined up and looking good. I was really taking my time and checking everything twice. Now, I drill the first countersink for the screw heads and the darn wood tore out toward the bolster...okay I figure this is just another scrap piece, so I try another countersink. It tore out agiain...oh well. I figured now that I had two holes I would check the depth for screws and how it fit against the bolster. What was once flush with the bolster now there was a gap about the thickness of a business card...hmmmm! Let's try this again, I got another scale, checked everyting including my new Brad Point dill bit and proceeded. Same results, chip out and the same gap. Okay, this has stopped being fun. My guess is that when I go to drill the countersink the bit is creeping up toward the bolster end and giving me the gap. I wasn't planning on using any liner material, but just how thick is that stuff?

A drill press isn't an option at this point and I don't feel like ruining any more cocobolo. So if I'm going to finish up this kit, as much as I hate to I guess the pre-drilled scales is the way to go.

[Osprey Guy]

Phil-

I'm sorry I didn't hear what you're using instead of a drill press...would I be correct in assuming we're talking hand drill? If that is the case, let me offer an idea (again this is with the caveat that you do not wish to purchase a drill press at this time...by the way, in today's circular from Sears they have a drill press on sale for $59.95...just thought I'd mention it)...anyway, my thought is to put down the hand drill and switch over to your Dremel.

Before I got my drill press, I drilled nearly all my holes with my Dremel. You can control the speed and accuracy quite well with a far more sensitive touch than with the hand drill, and it can take a bit up to 1/8". So you've got you're 1/16" pilot and 3/32" holes covered...and as for the 5/32" countersink for the screwheads (I've just finished using 9/64" instead on the William/Henry's...same size screws for the scales...made for a nice tight fit), you should be able (with a light touch) to go in and open the end of the holes with a small diameter grinding bit,...any one of several different bits will work as long as you use a small cylinder shape. Of course you could go for more of a chamfered look with a cone-shaped grinding bit.

This is what I used for my first 4 or 5 kits...takes a little longer but it worked just fine for me...

Then it all changed dramatically for me when I broke down and bought my Delta drill press for $80 bucks....can't imagine life without it now. And I can achieve astonishing accuracy with that sucker...just look at the holes I had to accurately drill for that 1st William/Henry customization (pics over in the embellishment forum). I got within .0002" accuracy with that cheap drill press!!

Hope maybe the Dremel idea works for you. Good luck...

Dennis

Yeah Baby!

PS. I've just re-read your description and there's something I just don't understand. If you accurately drilled the 3/32" screw holes, but are having trouble with the 5/32" countersink, I would think that the worst that would happen would be that the screw heads won't fit very clean in the holes...but how does that have any effect on the accurate positioning of the 3/32" screw holes and the subsequent way in which the scale butts up against the bolster? Please help me to better understand so that I might help you better...

[BigDB]

Don't give up Phil. Sometimes you just need to find another to skin the cat!! I would suggest using a couple drops of superglue to hold the cocobolo to the liner. Clamps can still allow movement, and I would think it is possible to get movement with the double sided tape also. I had the same trouble on an EV that I was trying to scribe and mark and could't get it correct on 1 liner. Jumped on here, found out about superglue and problem solved. Never go back now. Use just a couple drop, the scale will not move, you can drill your pilots and the the scale wil pop right off the liner with no trouble. Good Luck,
Dan

[PhilL496]

Originally posted by Osprey Guy

PS. I've just re-read your description and there's something I just don't understand. If you accurately drilled the 3/32" screw holes, but are having trouble with the 5/32" countersink, I would think that the worst that would happen would be that the screw heads won't fit very clean in the holes...but how does that have any effect on the accurate positioning of the 3/32" screw holes and the subsequent way in which the scale butts up against the bolster? Please help me to better understand so that I might help you better...

I am using a hand drill. After drilling the pilot hole with the liner clamped to the scales, I unclamp the liner and drill the next hole with the next larger sized bit, (which in my set is a 5/64 not a 3/32). At this point I'm still inline with the liner and the bolster tight when I test fit. Okay Dennis here's my guess. I'm using a 9/64 Brad point pit, with tape as a depth stop. When I drill the countersink, if the rotation of the drill walks the bit forward toward the bolster that would account for the gap I'm getting. Of course this is just a guess, because I can't see what's happening.

Dennis and Dan, thanks for the encouragement and I will try again, heck what else am I gonna do with those little pieces of cocbolo?

Dennis, I will try the Dremel for the drilling and the countersink. I also have a hand counter sink to try, that may help with the tearout I was getting.

Dan, I don't think the problem is movement when I'm drill the pilot holes. I would certainly notice if they had moved before unclamping the scales.

Should I make the enlargement hole with 3/32 instead of the 5/64?

Just so you know, if I had the space I would go buy a drill press tomorrow. Trust me, it's not an option.

[Osprey Guy]

Phil-

I get the idea about the walking bit...but your countersink shouldn't be coming into any contact with or causing any change in the diameter of that 5/64" hole...so why would the position change other than the fact that the screw head is not positioned as you like. If the offset countersink is causing the screw to go in crooked, than wouldn't enlarging the entry hole give the screwhead enough play to re-align itself and enter that 5/64" hole correctly?

If the original 5/64" hole (which is fine vs. the 3/32"-if anything it'll give a tighter fit) aligns properly when the scale is clamped in position, then there is no way for the countersink to change that fact! Unless the 5/64" hole somehow got bigger, it MUST still fit!

Dennis

Yeah Baby!

[PhilL496]

Success, well at least with this step, there's plenty more I can goof up.

Here's what I did different; I took Dennis' advice and used the dremel for the enlargement hole, but I cheated it away from the bolster, I then used a hand countersink rather than the drill. Result, no chip out, and no gap.

Next, shape the scales and spine.

[PhilL496]

I'll admit there's things I could have done better or different, and this knife doesn't compare to what I've seen here, but aside from a final polish, I'm going to say this knife is done. There were times I thought I'd never get to a knife worth showing, but the guys at work and even my wife thought it looked pretty good. I learned a lot off of this one and the next one will be a lot better. Thanks for everyone's help.

Not worth shooting film on, but here's a quick scan.

[KNAdmin]

Well done Phil! That looks very good ...

Alex