It Was Bound To Happen One Day.

[toolguy]

That day is today.All the years that I've been buying multitools I haven't received a bad one,until I received this one,which apparently slipped passed the quality control inspectors.

I received a Leatherman ST 300 and one handle is "loose as a goose".LOL. Really,one handle literally swings freely when I grip the other handle firmly. When I hold the good handle and then atke hold the other handle there is a considerable amount of lateral movement in the second handle.

It does appear that I could tighten it with the proper tool.They use the same fasteners for the plier pivot as they do for the tool pivot points.Is there such a tool available to the general public?

These are my old Leathermans but the fasteners look to be the same.

[Lynn LeFey]

I've just used vice grips, personally. But someone will be along with a less marring solution soon, I'm sure.

[JAfromMn]

I'm pretty sure that the tool is almost impossible to find.

I would carefully use a vise grips.

hopefully I'm wrong.

it wouldn't be the first time.

edit you may want to heat the screw to break hold of the lock tight.

[Pacu]

i read here somewhere about someone using some tool they made themselves but i can't quite locate the post. Vague i know but bump for exposure. Maybe someone knows what i'm talking about.

You might email Leatherman ..asked em to tighten it up for you. They tightened my original supertool right up.

[PTRSAK]

I used a couple of cheap and nasty 6.5mm sockets to make a couple of LM spline sockets.
You just put them in the vice with the LM in between and wind the vice up to force the bolt heads into the sockets.
Provided you're not using high quality sockets, the heads of the bolts are harder and the splines cut into the sockets.

I was skeptical when I saw the original post on how to do it, but it works.

[Mango808]

I've bought one of those "Made in Japan" Engineer Screw Pliers (also known as Vampliers) off of ebay after reading most of the posts by Metropolicity (Skinth maker) on what he uses to take apart his LM's. Used a Wingman and the Vampliers to tighten several used LM PST tools I bought off ebay.

I've since bought a second pair of Vampliers to do the job better since the Wingman slips a little.

[toolguy]

There are some really good ideas posted.

I would like an actual tool to accomplish this adjustment.

I'm looking into the Vampliers.

Thanks for the help.

[JAfromMn]

I used a couple of cheap and nasty 6.5mm sockets to make a couple of LM spline sockets.
You just put them in the vice with the LM in between and wind the vice up to force the bolt heads into the sockets.
Provided you're not using high quality sockets, the heads of the bolts are harder and the splines cut into the sockets.

I was skeptical when I saw the original post on how to do it, but it works.

What a Great Idea

I never thought of making a socket . 

I'm going to try make a set like these one day.

[captain spaulding]

I have been thinking and I wonder if one of these would work?  I have personally used these (friends bit) on off size bolts or real chewed up bolts and it works great, but the Leatherman pivots probably don't have enough bite to catch. Does anyone have one to try out?


http://c.shld.net/rpx/i/s/i/spin/image/spin_prod_255783201

[toolguy]

I don't see anyway that tool could grasp a round headed screw,even though the screws are splined.

That socket would only be able to grasp a bolt with flat sides using their jamming principle.

[captain spaulding]

I don't see anyway that tool could grasp a round headed screw,even though the screws are splined.

That socket would only be able to grasp a bolt with flat sides using their jamming principle.

Yea, that's what I was thinking.

[toolguy]

I was able to unscrew one of the fasteners by hand.When I screwed it back in using needle nose pliers it still wouldn't tighten.So I removed it and this time I installed a lock washer and tightened it again.This solved the major problem of the handle swinging freely.It didn't resolve everything though.When you hold one handle,as the tool is in its closed position,then shake the tool it rattles.That's because the other handle still swings freely,if even only a fraction of an inch.

[trouthunter]

Winning the war on knurled nuts

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,7167.0.html

[toolguy]

Winning the war on knurled nuts

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,7167.0.html

That is interesting.I've thought that a spline socket may be a better choice for this application.

Since I just received this tool,I think I'll send it to Leatherman and let them repair it.Althoug there have been some good ideas presented here .

Has anyone thought of contacting Leatherman and asking where they get their tools to assemble and repair their product?

[trouthunter]

Winning the war on knurled nuts

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,7167.0.html

That is interesting.I've thought that a spline socket may be a better choice for this application.

Since I just received this tool,I think I'll send it to Leatherman and let them repair it.Althoug there have been some good ideas presented here .

Has anyone thought of contacting Leatherman and asking where they get their tools to assemble and repair their product?

I am betting the wont tell you or they are custom made for Leatherman.  If they were readily available the MTO Group would know where to get them.

[captain spaulding]

Winning the war on knurled nuts

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,7167.0.html

That is interesting.I've thought that a spline socket may be a better choice for this application.

Since I just received this tool,I think I'll send it to Leatherman and let them repair it.Althoug there have been some good ideas presented here .

Has anyone thought of contacting Leatherman and asking where they get their tools to assemble and repair their product?

I am betting the wont tell you or they are custom made for Leatherman.  If they were readily available the MTO Group would know where to get them.

I believe you are correct. I think they are either made for or by Leatherman themselves. I could be wrong and would love to hear from someone more knowledgeable than me about this.

I think a e-mail to leatherman is in order just for kicks though. 

[gregozedobe]

I'm pretty sure the official Leatherman repairers use special sockets that Leatherman had made (by modifying standard sockets with a plasma cutter or similar process).  They wouldn't sell them to the public, but (IIRC) a couple of pairs escaped into MTo hands several years ago.  I can't remember who are the current custodians.  These were mentioned in a few MTo threads, so a search may find them.

The home-made version created by squeezing a soft socket over the knurled screws in a vice seem to work reasonably well for most people.

[captain spaulding]

I sent Leatherman a email asking for any and all info they could give me on this as well as if they made the tool to do this in house or had them made for them. This is what I was sent back.

Thank you for contacting us with your questions.
 
Unfortunately, the questions you are asking are not something that we are able to provide with answers.   We are not at liberty to share names of products or sources for our parts or processes.  I’m sure you can understand the reasoning behind that decision.
 
Part of that reason is we do not recommend anyone take the tools apart – or make modifications to the tool - as that may void the warranty.
 
Thank you for your understanding of the above reasons on why I am unable to provide you with the answers you are requesting.

SoOoOoOo...... Nothing really. 




I think J-Sews might have some of the ones that escaped. I could be wrong about that though.

[gregozedobe]

I think J-Sews might have some of the ones that escaped. I could be wrong about that though.

Good memory  - take a look at reply #30 in this thread:

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,6314.25.html

[captain spaulding]

I think J-Sews might have some of the ones that escaped. I could be wrong about that though.

Good memory  - take a look at reply #30 in this thread:

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,6314.25.html

I thought so. 

Do you think these are the exact same one's Leatherman uses in there factory?

[enki_ck]

I think J-Sews might have some of the ones that escaped. I could be wrong about that though.

Good memory  - take a look at reply #30 in this thread:

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,6314.25.html

I thought so. 

Do you think these are the exact same one's Leatherman uses in there factory?

Nope, they probably have a machine to do that.

Those sets were from a LM warranty repair shop in Netherlands I believe. Kwakster is still waiting for his set that is in possession of a UK member who's no longer active. One set is in Denmark and one in the US.

[captain spaulding]

I think J-Sews might have some of the ones that escaped. I could be wrong about that though.

Good memory  - take a look at reply #30 in this thread:

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,6314.25.html

I thought so. 

Do you think these are the exact same one's Leatherman uses in there factory?

Nope, they probably have a machine to do that.

Those sets were from a LM warranty repair shop in Netherlands I believe. Kwakster is still waiting for his set that is in possession of a UK member who's no longer active. One set is in Denmark and one in the US.

Thanks for the info. 

[sawman]

I'm not so sure DaveK still has those tools. I remember a post about when he was leaving that he was going to send them to someone in the U.S. so they would have them... 

[enki_ck]

I'm not so sure DaveK still has those tools. I remember a post about when he was leaving that he was going to send them to someone in the U.S. so they would have them... 

He has them. Check Kwakster's sig line.

[sawman]

I'm not so sure DaveK still has those tools. I remember a post about when he was leaving that he was going to send them to someone in the U.S. so they would have them... 

He has them. Check Kwakster's sig line.

I saw his signature but don't know why I remember what I do.

[toolguy]

Well I received my ST 300 back from repair and it's still not right.

After further examination and allowing a machinist friend look at it,we've reached a conclusion.The hole that was drilled at the base of the plier head,where it attaches to the handle,is elliptical or enlarged beyond proper specs.The only way we see Leatherman correctly fixing this problem is to replace the plier head with one that has a concentric hole drilled.

I'd like to ask the opinion of members;

Since this tool was new and only in my possession for a couple of days before I became aware of a problem,should I ask for a repair or a new tool to replace this defective one?

[sawman]

Well I received my ST 300 back from repair and it's still not right.

After further examination and allowing a machinist friend look at it,we've reached a conclusion.The hole that was drilled at the base of the plier head,where it attaches to the handle,is elliptical or enlarged beyond proper specs.The only way we see Leatherman correctly fixing this problem is to replace the plier head with one that has a concentric hole drilled.

I'd like to ask the opinion of members;

Since this tool was new and only in my possession for a couple of days before I became aware of a problem,should I ask for a repair or a new tool to replace this defective one?

It sounds to me like you need to request a new tool.

[captain spaulding]

I would politely explain to them you conclusion and request a replacement.

[toolguy]

It sounds to me like you need to request a new tool.

I would politely explain to them you conclusion and request a replacement.

Thanks for the input.I'll call them Tuesday and make my request in the nicest  manner possible.

[toolguy]

I had an opportunity to call Leatherman and speak to Kim in their customer service department.She apologized for the inconvenience and said she'll send a mailing label and envelope to my residence.All I have to do is put the tool in the package and ship it back to them.

She assured me that the problem will be remedied.

Keeping my finger crossed.LOL.