I got started on my TL-29 mod project

[Meridian_Mike]

I have been gnashing at my bit for a chance to get in my shop and work on this TL-29. In light of all the beauties I have been seeing in the TL-29 thread, I have been in a bad need of some shop time!
Here is my blank slate.....

It's a 3 blade Colonial.
I originally thought I would reshape the screwdriver but for this one, I just left it out.

I put on new nickel silver bolsters, front and rear.
I got the bone glued on and pinned.... the springs and blades cleaned up (until I decided it was time to STOP chasing PITS).
THEN, it was time to assemble this guy.
When drilling the new front bolsters, I put a pin thru the rear bolster holes and the rocker pin holes in the liners to get the sides lined up. Then I pushed the bit thru the one hole I had already drilled in one bolster and used it as an index point for the hole thru the other side. This is my way of making sure both holes are in line.
All holes drilled, it was time to put in my pins...... or so I thought.
I put in the rear pin and the front pin, then I put the assembly in my vise to squeeze the springs so I could put in the rocker pin. I had the pin pointed so it would seek the next hole and line things up. WELL.... I couldn't get the dog gone pin to go completely through. (HERE is were my impatience is my downfall....) I kept trying to drive the pin thru and in the process of my TRYING TO FORCE IT... I cracked the bone. WELL, THERE YOU GO STUPID...... ANOTHER lesson learned.
Well, here is a couple of pics to show how far I have it. Next move is to disassemble and replace the scales. maybe it is just sour grapes but I don't really like this color anyway.

The inside liners were brass colored but that was all they were.... brass colored.
They were steel and when cleaning them, I had to get all the color off too.
Oh well.....
Onward!

[doglegg]

Mike, if it were easy everyone would be doing it. Hang in there, the new bone will probably be prettier anyway.

[Jeffinn]

Looks like it was going well until the pin episode. When I get a stubborn one like that I usually flip the knife over and try driving the pin in from the other side. For some reason that seems to work a large percentage of the time. Some days I just walk away for a bit and come back to it later.
Since you didn’t like the bone anyway it’s all good!
There have been instances where even though the pin went in effortlessly for me I still ended up with some small chip out at the pin hole. It’s discouraging of course but Ive learned to accept it as one of the possibilities when working with bone.
One the plus side it looks like it’s gonna be a really cool knife when you finish it (assuming you haven’t thrown it across the shop in anger)!
Jeff

[Doc B]

I can never breath easily...until that last pin is in. Although I haven't mastered it...my batting average has gone up by making the pin pointy, beveling the hole (in the liner) and putting a drop of oil in the channel. I also started using a flat end punch, on the pin, which has cut down on my errant hammer strikes, to bone. Like Jeff said...always a possibility, with bone.

[Meridian_Mike]

LOL Jeff..... I am a few deep breaths removed from throwing it across the shop.
Mostly what I did was sit down and just say S#!t and then I had to ask forgiveness for my foul mouth....LOL.

Yep, I was a bit disappointed in the color of the bone. I thought there would be red a little deeper that the surface. I guess I was wrong. Oh well.....

SO, since the bone didn't suit my fancy, then I will get some more fit-up practice and then I can move on from there.

AND, I am going to do my best to figure out why that dang pin fit fine when I pinned all the parts together for a trial fit WITHOUT the blades...
Oh well...... ONWARD!!