TL29 liner lock question

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ryanb
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TL29 liner lock question

Post by ryanb »

I found a Camillus with a decent blade at the flea market for 4 bucks. I intend to make it a single blade and keep the liner. What approach would you fellas take in making the liner lock engage the blade? I either need to modify the tang of the blade or the lock itself I'm assuming. I did a forum search to see if this has been covered already but I didn't find anything. Sorry if I missed it. This is my first attempt at knife modification/customization and so far this forum has been a great resource.
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whitebuffalo58
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Re: TL29 liner lock question

Post by whitebuffalo58 »

Lay the screwdriver blade over the main, scribe and file to shape. ::nod::

WB
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ryanb
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Re: TL29 liner lock question

Post by ryanb »

Ahh of course!

Thank you sir.
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orvet
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Re: TL29 liner lock question

Post by orvet »

It is as simple as Rob said, but I would add a little bit.

I just did one I was trying to make very accurate & happened to take some pictures.

I used a brass pin, the biggest one I could get through both blades and I peened the pin down on both sides to hold the blades firm. Then I took a piece of thin brass and tapered it down to keep the screwdriver blade from scratching the spear blade and to keep the blades parallel.
2- tapered brass spacer to keep blade tangs parallel.jpg
I taped the blades to a micarta jig so the blades could not rotate.
4- Blade ready to file.jpg
Then I used two scrap pieces of micarta to hold the blades in the vise, clamping on the blades themselves.
5- Blades & jig in vise ready to file.jpg
I used a 6 inch mill smooth file with the teeth removed from one edge and a 6 inch 3 square file, also with one safe side. That way when I have the notch cut back far enough but still need to take the tang down farther I don’t accidentally cut back in the stop for the liner lock. Also I try to keep the bastard file level with the notch on the screwdriver blade. (I make a safe sided file by removing the teeth from one side or edge with a coarse belt on my belt sander).

When I am finished the filing I grind the head off the pin on the screwdriver side so if I hit the screwdriver blade it on the belt sander (or with a file) I don’t damage the spear blade I intend to use. Then I just drive the pin out with a pin punch. Or a person could drill it out if he wanted, but the punch is faster and easier, IMHO.

Then I test fit the liner to see if I have removed enough from the tang for the liner lock to engage properly. Then I file it some more until it fits.

TIP: You can always remove more metal with the file, but you can’t put metal back on the tang if you take too much off. Take it slow and don’t over cut the notch.
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ryanb
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Re: TL29 liner lock question

Post by ryanb »

Very good suggestion with the jig. Where do you get your big chunks of micarta? Is there a reason you prefer using it over other materials? So far I've just been using soft scrap wood for such purposes.
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orvet
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Re: TL29 liner lock question

Post by orvet »

I used to use wood & still do for some jigs.
I usually pick up a few scraps blocks from one of the knife makers at the OKCA show.
He sells them very reasonably.

I like making jigs from micarta because it is easy to machine, inexpensive, hard, but won't scratch steel or brass.

I make covers for my vise jaws with it to grasp things I don't want scratched but want held firmly.
Here is a set I made for a vise; it is holding the spring for the TL-29 I am working on while I polish it. The micarta is glues to two sheets of brass formed to go over the jaws, and because I use them a lot, I hold them on with Velcro.
Micarta us very versatile and useful around the shop, especially if you like to make your own tools.
Attachments
spring sanded to 1200 grit.jpg
Dale
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Schradenut
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Re: TL29 liner lock question

Post by Schradenut »

There are some really good tips there Dale. It is an interesting project you are working on there, for some lucky bloke. It will be great to see it when you have finished. I hope you are going to post it here.
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glennbad
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Re: TL29 liner lock question

Post by glennbad »

Great little tutorial, Dale! I would never have taken all those steps like you did.

Guess that just shows why I am so impressed with the stuff coming out of your shop, always top notch! ::tu::

Ryan, make sure to share some pics of your work. We like pics... ::nod::
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ryanb
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Re: TL29 liner lock question

Post by ryanb »

Welp I used some of your tips and I think I did a half way decent job at it. I wish I could take pics but the only decent camera we have is my wife's phone, and I only get time to work on it when she isn't around. ::smirk::
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orvet
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Re: TL29 liner lock question

Post by orvet »

Schradenut wrote:There are some really good tips there Dale. It is an interesting project you are working on there, for some lucky bloke. It will be great to see it when you have finished. I hope you are going to post it here.
Tony.

:wink:
Dale
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