TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

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Meridian_Mike
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Meridian_Mike »

Here is one I did for my sister-in-law. I put one of these in the "dirty santa" game just before Christmas. She got it BUT then someone stole it from her. I thought she was gonna CRY. SO, my wife told me I should make her one....
Well, here it is......
Culpepper's green smooth bone.
.
IMG_5653.JPG
.
Dog-gone-it.....
I just noticed in this picture, that there is a crack going across the entire cover at the rocker pin....
Where the heck did that come from. It wasn't there yesterday.
Welllllllll crap.
::facepalm::
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by doglegg »

Crack or no crack it turned out awfully pretty. Cracks seem to be part of the curse.
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Meridian_Mike
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Meridian_Mike »

doglegg wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2020 3:09 pm Crack or no crack it turned out awfully pretty. Cracks seem to be part of the curse.
LOL... yep, the curse sho' got me on this one!
::dang::
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Jeffinn
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Jeffinn »

Great job on that one!
That Culpepper green is some pretty nice stuff and I like the threaded and rat tail bolsters!
Hey … it’s a pocketknife for gosh sakes. I’m not selling the Mona Lisa….Bullitt4001
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Meridian_Mike
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Meridian_Mike »

Jeffinn wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2020 3:19 pm Great job on that one!
That Culpepper green is some pretty nice stuff and I like the threaded and rat tail bolsters!
Thanks Jeff!
:)
"Life is tough.... but it's tougher if you're stupid."....John Wayne
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glennbad
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by glennbad »

That's dang nice, shame about the crack though...
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Meridian_Mike »

glennbad wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2020 6:13 pm That's dang nice, shame about the crack though...
I am so confused by that dang crack. I could have sworn it was NOT there during finishing....
Then, taking pictures this morning... there it was....CRAP!!

(maybe I'm just about blind.....LOL)
"Life is tough.... but it's tougher if you're stupid."....John Wayne
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Reverand »

Green is typically my least-favorite color, but I have to admit it looks really good on that knife! I hate cracks like that, but I would be tempted to Zap-a-Gap it to stabilize it, and keep rollin'. It looks too pretty to tear it apart again!
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Jeffinn
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Jeffinn »

Meridian_Mike wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2020 6:43 pm
glennbad wrote: Thu Jan 02, 2020 6:13 pm That's dang nice, shame about the crack though...
I am so confused by that dang crack. I could have sworn it was NOT there during finishing....
Then, taking pictures this morning... there it was....CRAP!!

(maybe I'm just about blind.....LOL)
I’ve had one or two knives that developed a crack after opening and closing the blades a few times. My assumption was that the pin to hole clearance was a bit too loose which allowed the pin to shift when the blades were opened and closed. I drilled the holes to match the pins but maybe they were a bit too snug or too loose? Both of the knives in question were Swinden key knives but I can’t really see how that’s an issue.
For now those cracks remain somewhat of a mystery. I rehandled both of them and re-installed the pins with no issues afterwards so who knows!
Zap a Gap is a great way to stabilize that crack and avoid the disassembly procedure!
Hey … it’s a pocketknife for gosh sakes. I’m not selling the Mona Lisa….Bullitt4001
https://www.jfinamoreknives.com
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by herbva »

After long admiring all the terrific and highly creative work posted on this thread, I couldn't resist giving it a try. Here are my first 2 modest attempts, both in Culpepper's "sunset" smooth bone. The top one is a simple one-blade conversion and I got a little fancier with the second one; added rear bolsters and "wharncliffed" the screwdriver. (Is "wharncliffed a legitimate verb?) I wasn't quite as careful as I usually am, so both have some minor imperfections. Now that I've had a taste of this, I really like these TL-29's. Very sturdy knives with thick liners, blades and springs and I think they take well to thick scales, which I greatly prefer. Because of the imperfections, I am not planning to list these for sale, but if anyone takes a shine to them, a reasonable offer might be considered. (The blades are tight with good snap, but one has a hairline crack next to one of the rocker pins and a there are a few other minor details.) I modified the bolsters off a donor from my parts bin this time, but I would like to find suitable sheet metal to make bolsters for my next TL-29 endeavor. Or, perhaps does anyone know of a good source for bolsters that have already been stamped out? :D
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Herb
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by doglegg »

Herb you did well. If you print it out then it is a word. Nouns become verbs all the time. You are a knifesmith and a wordsmith. ::tu:: ::tu::
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Jeffinn »

Nice! The wharncliffed blade is a really great mod.
Well done!
Jeff
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Reverand »

Those are right pretty! You gentlemen are making me jealous!
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Meridian_Mike
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Meridian_Mike »

Jeffinn wrote: Sat Jan 04, 2020 1:23 am
I’ve had one or two knives that developed a crack after opening and closing the blades a few times. My assumption was that the pin to hole clearance was a bit too loose which allowed the pin to shift when the blades were opened and closed. I drilled the holes to match the pins but maybe they were a bit too snug or too loose? Both of the knives in question were Swinden key knives but I can’t really see how that’s an issue.
For now those cracks remain somewhat of a mystery. I rehandled both of them and re-installed the pins with no issues afterwards so who knows!
Zap a Gap is a great way to stabilize that crack and avoid the disassembly procedure!
I'm am gonna get me some of that "Zap a Gap" stuff. It sounds like good stuff!
::tu::
"Life is tough.... but it's tougher if you're stupid."....John Wayne
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Jeffinn
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Jeffinn »

Meridian_Mike wrote: Mon Jan 06, 2020 12:39 pm
Jeffinn wrote: Sat Jan 04, 2020 1:23 am
I’ve had one or two knives that developed a crack after opening and closing the blades a few times. My assumption was that the pin to hole clearance was a bit too loose which allowed the pin to shift when the blades were opened and closed. I drilled the holes to match the pins but maybe they were a bit too snug or too loose? Both of the knives in question were Swinden key knives but I can’t really see how that’s an issue.
For now those cracks remain somewhat of a mystery. I rehandled both of them and re-installed the pins with no issues afterwards so who knows!
Zap a Gap is a great way to stabilize that crack and avoid the disassembly procedure!
I'm am gonna get me some of that "Zap a Gap" stuff. It sounds like good stuff!
::tu::
It’s a form of super glue. I like it because it can be sanded and polished and becomes almost invisible once the repair is complete. There’s a medium and a thin product and I use the medium most of the time. It’s a good product to have around the shop.
Jeff
Hey … it’s a pocketknife for gosh sakes. I’m not selling the Mona Lisa….Bullitt4001
https://www.jfinamoreknives.com
http://www.secondlifeknives.com
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by WillyCamaro »

Jeff nailed it. It's perty famous in the plastic modelling world, because it's such great stuff to work with. They also make accelerator for it, and de-bonder.
Willy :D
P.S. The knife mods are coming along wonderfully fellers ::tu:: .
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by herbva »

Jeff, I recently started using the thin followed by gel to finish a crack off (Dale's great idea, not mine.) That stuff is amazing. Just be careful, I actually got one finger stuck to the knife and lost a bit of skin! ::teary_eyes::
"Better to do something imperfectly, than to do nothing flawlessly." ~ Robert H. Schuller

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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Jeffinn »

The thin is definitely fast setting and will get hot to the touch if you get it on your skin. It’s some amazing stuff though. I haven’t tried the gel yet.
Jeff
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Meridian_Mike
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Meridian_Mike »

Jeffinn wrote: Tue Jan 07, 2020 10:52 pm The thin is definitely fast setting and will get hot to the touch if you get it on your skin. It’s some amazing stuff though. I haven’t tried the gel yet.
Jeff
Hot to the touch? Dang....
NOW, it doesn't melt the material you put it on does it? (like some sort of chemical reaction?)

Since I have the surface of the knife finished, will I have to sand or polish again?

::shrug::
"Life is tough.... but it's tougher if you're stupid."....John Wayne
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Jeffinn »

Yes, sand down the glue with 220, 400 and 600 grit, then re-polish it/buff it out.
And no, it won’t melt most of the materials that we work with (as far as I know), it just cures so fast that it tends to heat up (at least when it’s on the skin). It’s surprising just how transparent a repair can be.
One of the other things I learned was that standard super glue can be set instantly by sprinkling baking soda over it. Apparently they use this technique in the repair of chips and cracks in certain airline props and rotors (according to what I read online). The baking soda creates a chemical reaction which causes the glue to set instantly (and possibly a bit harder). I haven’t really found a use for this particular technique but I’m sure it’ll come in handy at some point.
Jeff
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Meridian_Mike
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Meridian_Mike »

Thanks for that nice explanation Jeff.
I had to ask because I fear making a mess when using anything that is new to me for the first time. My sister-in-law is coming to get this knife this weekend. SO, I won't have a lot of time to make another if I screw this one up..... LOL.

::tu::
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by glennbad »

Here's one I finished recently. Amber stag and teardrop bottom bolster added. Punch mod on screwdriver blade
GaryM TL-1.jpg
GaryM TL-2.jpg
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Meridian_Mike
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by Meridian_Mike »

WOW.... that is a beauty Glenn.... That stag is first class!
The tear drop bolster is extra nice! I need to do me one of those. I LIKE!!!
I love what you did with the screwdriver blade!
Great job!

::tu:: ::tu::
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by orvet »

Glenn, either your pictures are getting better or your knives are! :lol:
That looks so good, it could have come out of the GEC factory! Absolutely outstanding! ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
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Re: TL-29 mods thread... Let's put 'em here

Post by doglegg »

Glenn, absolutely gorgeous, what a fabulous knife. That thing looks factory new and what beautiful handles. Wow!!! ::nod:: ::nod:: ::tu::
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