605 thumb studs

[J. Hartt]

I just recieved from KovalKnives a 605 and a mini 605 (I have seen these refered to as DDRI and DDRII, perhaps somebody can set me straight.) and my question is "What is the best way to remove and replace the thumb studs on these knives. I want to sand them with a 600-1200 grit then (as Coop suggests) sand the flats of the blades last to define the grind lines.
Thanks to all in advance.
J.Hartt
P.S. I have been reading some of the posts and replies and am amazed at the friendliness and encouragement from all those online.

[SharpByCoop]

J.,

Hey there! Welcome to the CKD! Yeah, you're right, there's a LOT of good peope offering advice. Stick around and join us.

The larger DDR1 has dual thumbstuds which, on one of the studs, has a small hole at the base. Use a small allen wrench or grind something with a tight fit and use that as a wrench to turn it loose.

The smaller DDR2 can be done with a soft material (leather, wood, etc) as a cushion in a clamp or vise grip. You probably need both. I actually put the stud in a drill press chuck and use that to hold it, also.

I've found for either the large or small versions, that you *really* should apply some heat to loosen the loctite. Enough to be too hot to touch but not enough to color it or affect heat treatment.

Let us know your progress. We'd love to hear all about it!

Good luck!


Coop

[Bob Sigmon]

j,

FYI, the 605 is Kovals name for the DDRI (marketed by knifekits.com) The mini is the DDRII. Same knives different marketing names.

The DDRII is much harder to take the thumbstud off of but Coop hit the nail right on the head with the combination of heat and something (like a drill chuck) that can get a good grip without damaging the stud too much.

Good Luck and post some pics of your knives when you're done.

Bob Sigmon

[Osprey Guy]

J-
Try this...it's from the support section of knifekits.com:

* Question: I want to remove the pre-installed thumbstuds. How?
Answer: To remove your thumbstuds, take a piece of metal (approx. 1/4 round or square), then use a torch to heat the rod up to a dull red glow. After heating the rod, hold it on the thumbstuds (you may have to do this a few times on each side) to release the loctite adhesive. Take two sets of pliers with tape on their jaws (this is so the jaws do not scratch the thumbers!). Grab the thumbstuds with the pliers and try to loosen them carefully. This process may have to be repeated several times to get the thumbers loose, but will work with patience.

Hope this helps along with the previous advice.

Dennis

Yeah Baby!

[J. Hartt]

Thanks to Coop, Bob, and Osprey Guy for the suggestions.
The hole in the DDRI thumber worked well with a ground down small screwdriver(old tool sacrificed to make new tool), however I did scratch the opposing stud a bit. The drill press chuck idea worked perfecly on the DDRII- not a mark.

Coop; after I got the blade profile done with 1200 grit, I sanded the flats with 600 then 1200 and the first time I looked at the blade, WOW, the definition between the profile and the flats was amazing,great tip.

One quick question, if I may. What thickness are the scales that you guysstart out with? Using the standard 3/8 thickness seems like a lot of waste.

TTYL, J. Hartt

[Bob Sigmon]

J,

I have taken the scale pairs and resawn them down to just over 1/8". I can get two bookmatched sets from the original set.

You need a 1/2" blade on the bandsaw so the blade does not wander.

Bob Sigmon