Muskrat Rework

[orvet]

Some time ago I picked up an Old Timer, 77OT with a broken blade. I decided it would make a nice single blade knife.

I don't think I took a before pic, but I did take some pics of when I had it apart. you can see the Swinden Key in it, for those of you who are unfamiliar with it.

I did some file work on the backspring and put red jigged bone on the handles. It was my first time to work with bone, so I ended up with a hairline crack on the pile side rocker pin.

All in all I was pleased with it. I think it may be my new EDC, unless someone buys it from me. (Which is what happened last time I made myself a new EDC).

I am open for criticism or advice.

Thanks,
Dale

[muskrat man]

One piece of advice Dale, send it to me for final inspection. I AM the muskrat man afterall .

Hey all in all nice job, I';ve got one torn apart, if I can't get the walk and talk worked out on the mainblade I plan on doing just like you did. I know you've seen it before, but here is that schrade 787 single blade lunchbox knife. Nice job on concealing the pins, I always have had a hard time getting the pins concealed in the bolster, what do you use to countersink you holes? I use a demel with a cone shaped bit


Also, no pic of the filework? Did you mirror the blade?

[jonet143]

nice job dale. did you jig and dye that bone? show us the filework!

[orvet]

Sorry, I forgot the filework. Here it is.

I didn't countersink the pivot pins. I just peened them real good, sanded then down on my 1 X 42 with 800 grit. Then I went over them with a Satin Bright belt and then buffed them. I had not thought about countersinking the pivot pin. That makes a lot of sense though. Does everyone do that?

I did countersink the pins in the bone a little bit. I used a 82 degree countersink & turned it by hand. I usually do that with the scale pin holes on the inside of the liners.

Dale

[orvet]

nice job dale. did you jig and dye that bone? show us the filework!

Sorry, no. I bought it.
I am getting ready to try jigging though.

Dale

[muskrat man]

nice work Dale, I sometimes countersink them, I've actually had better luck not countersinking them, unless they are done that way at the factory.

[jonet143]

i think most bolster holes are slightly conical to keep the pin from working out. i take a nail set and gently turn(ream) from the outside and this gives me enough to peen into. like dale said on the liner i give a slight countesink to keep the handle pins from showing and a place to peen and grip.

[Diligence]

Dale,

Looks great....it's hard to find anything to provide you with creative criticism about. Only thing would be the cracked bone handle, but what can you do? Perhaps it's related to trying to peen too hard. I've cracked a couple of scales from over-zealous peening.

Great coloring and the single blade is a great all day carry.

J

[orvet]

Actually I heard it crack when I was pushing the pin through. I had taken that scale & liner, ran the drill through it & wobbled it around a bit, just to be sure it was big enough. The only thing I can figure is that there may have been a ever-so-slight bend in the pin. The silly thing cracked before I ever got to the peening stage.

One thing I did learn though, if you do get a crack in the bone like that, super glue it before you do any more buffing. I didn't & got just a bit of rouge, probably off my hands, in the crack and that really made it stand out. If I had super glued it (I used Zap-A-Gap) I don't think it would have been nearly as noticeable.

See, I learned something on this knife too.

Dale

[jonet143]

super glue works well on old cracks as well. clamp it up and sometimes are completely repaired, invisable. plus, it works better than a bandaid for those inevitable cuts.

dale, the scale was probably already cracked, from curing.