Leatherman MUT Scissors! (SUPER Pic Heavy)

Metropolicity · **on:** December 21, 2011, 04:13:33 AM

I have to admit, I stole this 'idea' from a very great post/mod from Silverwarior.

Having had a MUT for a number of months now and having never done anything with it, it made me remember why! SCISSORS!

As soon as SW posted his mod of adding tweezers and scissors, I immediately went to my parts drawer and found my extra pair of Surge scissors, squared them up and I was hit with the bug again.

Everything seemed to line up really really well, but things would be so much darker than the shining optimism that I had initially.

So I go ahead, took a Surge pivot screw, shimmed up the gap with some bronze washers and tightened it up. Little did I know this would take MUCH more work than I anticipated.

The next problem was the back spring. On a Surge, the liner lock stops the scissors from rotating and the back spring engages and everything is cuttingly happy. The advantage of that design is that when folded back, the scissors aren't sprung and slides back in with no resistance.

After 3 different attempts at solutions (including using a meltable polymer to fill the gap, using aluminum foil to make a spacer and super gluing the crap out of it) I finally thought, I am going to pin this sucker.

Drilling a tiny hole with my carbide bits was easy, and then trimming a nail to fit into the hole was even easier.

I peened the back side of the pin so that it would stay put and sanded it flat on the belt sander.

Installing the back spring, and then installing it into the MUT.

Then the dark side of this mod reared its ugly head. I knew this would be a problem as soon as I thought to pin it. The permanent backspring pin pushes the scissors out into it's natural unsprung state.

SOOOOOOOO...

20 mins later I had a solution! A rotating lock!

I took a screw driver part from a knock off SAK and starting hacking away into a plate to swing in the way of the scissors. A bolt was then trimmed down and the threads cut off on the inside of the screw so that when tightened, the plate would be able to swing freely. A set of thin washers completes the mechanism.

Then, a corresponding hole was drilled and tapped. The bolt is trimmed so that it doesn't interfere with plier head closing.

After installing the whole thing together again, I encountered yet another problem. The locking plate would swing freely and could slip off the scissors. I imagined the MUT in my pocket and the scissors deploying with great vigor...no thank you.

Solution: milling a little notch in the scissor handle so that plate will stop wiggling. Works like a charm. A little squeeze on the scissor handle loosens the plate and it swings out of the way.

And now...for some hero shots:

Thanks to Silverwarior for reminding me about my MUT!

HACK ON!

MultiMat · **Reply #1 on:** December 21, 2011, 05:26:01 AM

mod mate

I wonder if a Wingman's scissors would be a possible option instead of the Surge's

, I can not seem to find my Wingman

Metropolicity · **Reply #2 on:** December 21, 2011, 05:51:03 AM

ugg, I am looking at Wingman now and I don't want any parts of that horrid tool. I regret trading stuff for it....

BUT they would fit.

Beerplumber · **Reply #3 on:** December 21, 2011, 08:09:24 AM

Genius!

WWW · **Reply #4 on:** December 21, 2011, 09:50:12 PM

A fantastic work sir!! But a hell lot of trouble. I was just wondering if the lock wont be sticking into your hand when you're using the blade or the saw

? Any ways great job

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #5 on:** December 22, 2011, 06:02:17 AM

Nice mod- but is the constant tension going to kill the spring?

Def

Metropolicity · **Reply #6 on:** December 22, 2011, 06:05:49 AM

Quote from: Grant Lamontagne on December 22, 2011, 06:02:17 AM

Nice mod- but is the constant tension going to kill the spring?

Def

Only time will tell, I've been playing and stressing the back spring so see if it will fail and so far it hasn't shown any signs of fatigue.

silverwarior · **Reply #7 on:** December 22, 2011, 06:36:15 AM

Great mod there, Metro

I did have the same ideo but after I saw how the scissors works with liner locks in the Surge, I dropped the idea. Nice work on the rotating lock & I really like the look of it. Glad that I've reminded you not to give up on your MUT

Syph007 · **Reply #8 on:** December 23, 2011, 12:13:00 AM

Nice modding, I always enjoy seeing how others tackle problems.

This didn't make me want a MUT though, but it does now make me want a surge. As I was reading I was thinking, might as well just get a surge and the MUT doesn't have much else to offer for me. Seems like the MUT is really only good if you are a shooter.

Metropolicity · **Reply #9 on:** December 23, 2011, 12:15:30 AM

One word friend.

Hammer.

Accujohn · **Reply #10 on:** December 23, 2011, 02:01:49 AM

Quote from: Syph007 on December 23, 2011, 12:13:00 AM

Nice modding, I always enjoy seeing how others tackle problems.

This didn't make me want a MUT though, but it does now make me want a surge. As I was reading I was thinking, might as well just get a surge and the MUT doesn't have much else to offer for me. Seems like the MUT is really only good if you are a shooter.

I think he is sharing his mod with us all and not really trying to compare it to other tools or sell us on the MUT.

Nice work... And great effort!

J-sews · **Reply #11 on:** December 24, 2011, 07:49:07 PM

Great workmanship there Eric

I'm sitting here trying to come up with a better solution than the rotating lock, but so far, nothing.

Metropolicity · **Reply #12 on:** December 24, 2011, 07:55:06 PM

Quote from: J-sews on December 24, 2011, 07:49:07 PM

Great workmanship there Eric I'm sitting here trying to come up with a better solution than the rotating lock, but so far, nothing.

i figure it was fitting for this particular tool since there are is already a rotating lock, you now know what kind of mind set I was in

Thanks Bob! Always nice to get approval from a professional.

J-sews · **Reply #13 on:** December 24, 2011, 08:16:47 PM

Quote from: Metropolicity on December 24, 2011, 07:55:06 PM

Quote from: J-sews on December 24, 2011, 07:49:07 PM
Great workmanship there Eric I'm sitting here trying to come up with a better solution than the rotating lock, but so far, nothing.

i figure it was fitting for this particular tool since there are is already a rotating lock, you now know what kind of mind set I was in

Thanks Bob! Always nice to get approval from a professional.

Oh yeh, I hadn't thought of that!

Metropolicity · **Reply #14 on:** January 02, 2012, 08:16:50 AM

I want to update you guys on the usage of this mod. There was worry about the constant tension when they were closed and after a whole week of use, closing, opening, the spring hasn't shown any signs of stress.

Things are looking good

Here's a little matchy match combo, a SRM Tan G10 763 with some OD lanyard.