Another fun tool for restoration
Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 8:09 pm
I have a friend who has been a knife mechanic for many years, and he showed me the tool that he uses to install blades. He called it a "Spring Jack".
I made this one after seeing his, and it works pretty well. It is a piece of 1/8" steel stock, split and shaped on the end, and bent into a curve. To use it, you peen the pivot pin first, then place this against the springs. Slowly tighten it into a vice (my friend uses Vice-grips instead of a vice) until the springs are pushed backwards just enough. Put the blades in, and the blade pin slides in easily!
I don't use it every time. I have altered the small bench vise in the picture to easily compress the springs to install the pivot pin last (similar to Dale's device, and used by Camillus). I like both methods
It is just an easy-to-make and easy-to-use tool that I thought I would share.
I made this one after seeing his, and it works pretty well. It is a piece of 1/8" steel stock, split and shaped on the end, and bent into a curve. To use it, you peen the pivot pin first, then place this against the springs. Slowly tighten it into a vice (my friend uses Vice-grips instead of a vice) until the springs are pushed backwards just enough. Put the blades in, and the blade pin slides in easily!
I don't use it every time. I have altered the small bench vise in the picture to easily compress the springs to install the pivot pin last (similar to Dale's device, and used by Camillus). I like both methods
It is just an easy-to-make and easy-to-use tool that I thought I would share.