Detent Ball Retention?

[BrianT]

Hi

I am curious about what keeps the detent ball in place on a liner lock when the blade is open. If the ball is placed in the lock, when the blade is opened and the lock pops up, It seems to me that the ball would fall out.

Brian

[Tom Anderson]

If you drill an undersize hole, the ball can be staked (press fit) in place.

I use a #53 drill to machine the hole for a 1/16" diameter detent ball.

[Ray Rogers]

I started out using a #53 drill but found that I would lose a ball occasionally (no jokes here please!). I don't know if it was due to an incorrectly sized drill bit or wobble when I was drilling. Since then, I have changed to a #54 and have not had the problem any more.

My liners are titanium which is a very malleable material. When you force the ball into the hole, sink the ball into the metal just beyond its center line. This leaves about .025 of the ball above the surface of the liner and allows the malleable metal to close slightly over the ball. It will never come out by itself after that .....

[Jason G Howell]

If for some reason, you have wollered out your #54 hole, or the hole is just too big and the ball "IS" coming out... you can peen around the ball in several places on the backside of the liner and anchor the ball.