got in over my head, help me sweet baby jesus

[tinkering2much]

Soooo i decided to swap heads between my rebar and wave, holy shizznit what have i gotten myself into lol
It took several hours to line the flippin washers up and get the posts through the hole on the wave ( taking breaks to cool out). Finally i get the rebar head on the wave yay... so i start putting the wave head into the rebar and its was unbelievable how tedious it was to line the washers up with the head and handle AND slip the post in there. So i got the wave head in the rebar but the posts wont tighten down flush with the body.. lol I dont know if i have the posts in the wrong side or what but i DO NOT want to pull them out and try the other side. So anyone got advice? I tightened the the screws down pretty tight but it isnt pulling the post part tight against the handle.. should i crank on it till both sides are snug against the handle?


Also the when the handles are closed on the wave it pushes a little piece up and stops the blade from opening, but if i spread the handles a little i can open the blade. Any advice is appreciated..   

[NKlamerus]

I'm no help but your username couldn't fit any better.....

[ducttapetech]

I believe you have to snap those pieces off the handle. I have not done that mod since I use the Surge. Might want to wait til somebody who has done the mod can help.

Nate

[zoidberg]

Hey there mate, welcome to the forum. 

Wave pliers and Rebar handles.
Remove the screws so you can see what is happening.
Close the handles and use a vise grip or locking plier to clamp the end between the two posts.
This should line up the holes and let you push the posts through.
Put some loctite on the screws and tighten them up.

Blade safety tabs on Wave.
Half open the blade and then half open the pliers.
File or dremel a little off the locking tab, test and repeat until working.

[ducttapetech]

See, an expert showed up. Zman is da man when it comes to hacking LMs.

Nate

[zoidberg]

   Don't listen to Nate, clearly he has been drinking. 

[tinkering2much]

Zoidberg,

 Opening the knife then the jaws of the rebar head on the wave body makes that tab stick up enough for me to get with the dremel thank you that tip is appreciated.

As far as the wave head in the rebar body, so in the closed position use a vise or channel lock to keep the rebar body aligned so I can remove the screw and reposition the post... correct? Should the post be able to push all the way in or does it stick out a little and have to be pulled towards the handle during the tightening of the screw?


One last question, what if any tools will switch over from the rebar to the wave without altering with a dremel? Your a life saver thank you.

[zoidberg]

Yeah, the post should push all the way through.
Sometimes it can be pulled through while tightening and sometimes not.
In your case it seems not so try the clamping method.
There is another technique but it is hard to describe.
Let me know how you get on.

Regarding Rebar to Wave movement.
The shorter tools can be used in certain combinations.
The opener, large/small driver and awl are more flexible.
The plier rest has to be removed to fit the phillips.
The phillips and awl when used with the Rebar plier head can stop the handles from closing by a couple mm.
There are a couple quick hacks to the handle which allow all parts to fit and the handles close properly.
Let us know what you want to do and we'll try and help you get there.

[Breezy12]

looks like zoidberg has you well covered here.

let us know if you have any other problems. also, pics are always helpful.

good luck with the rest of your mod!

[hiraethus]

I really struggled getting the pliers head back onto my Rebar and Wave too, took bloody ages and much cursing.  Good advice chaps, thanks.

[JBW1]

Soooo i decided to swap heads between my rebar and wave, holy shizznit what have i gotten myself into lol
It took several hours to line the flippin washers up and get the posts through the hole on the wave ( taking breaks to cool out). Finally i get the rebar head on the wave yay... so i start putting the wave head into the rebar and its was unbelievable how tedious it was to line the washers up with the head and handle AND slip the post in there. So i got the wave head in the rebar but the posts wont tighten down flush with the body.. lol I dont know if i have the posts in the wrong side or what but i DO NOT want to pull them out and try the other side. So anyone got advice? I tightened the the screws down pretty tight but it isnt pulling the post part tight against the handle.. should i crank on it till both sides are snug against the handle?

Hi, welcome
So the washers you are trying to line up are copper color, right? Those do not go between the body and plier pivots. No washers there. Those four go between each blade/file and screw head. Sorry I cannot take a pic to show you at the moment, but hope it makes sense. Let us know when you got it man.
.

[zoidberg]

Soooo i decided to swap heads between my rebar and wave, holy shizznit what have i gotten myself into lol
It took several hours to line the flippin washers up and get the posts through the hole on the wave ( taking breaks to cool out). Finally i get the rebar head on the wave yay... so i start putting the wave head into the rebar and its was unbelievable how tedious it was to line the washers up with the head and handle AND slip the post in there. So i got the wave head in the rebar but the posts wont tighten down flush with the body.. lol I dont know if i have the posts in the wrong side or what but i DO NOT want to pull them out and try the other side. So anyone got advice? I tightened the the screws down pretty tight but it isnt pulling the post part tight against the handle.. should i crank on it till both sides are snug against the handle?

Hi, welcome
So the washers you are trying to line up are copper color, right? Those do not go between the body and plier pivots. No washers there. Those four go between each blade/file and screw head. Sorry I cannot take a pic to show you at the moment, but hope it makes sense. Let us know when you got it man.
.

Yes they do go between the body and plier.

[pingu]

Hi, welcome
So the washers you are trying to line up are copper color, right? Those do not go between the body and plier pivots. No washers there. Those four go between each blade/file and screw head. Sorry I cannot take a pic to show you at the moment, but hope it makes sense. Let us know when you got it man.
.

For the benefit of newbies and me I think that needs a little clarification.  There are copper washers between Rebar pliers and Rebar handles.  Doesn't look as if there are any between Wave pliers and Wave handles.

So is it the handles or the pliers which require washers when swapping?

[zoidberg]

Hi, welcome
So the washers you are trying to line up are copper color, right? Those do not go between the body and plier pivots. No washers there. Those four go between each blade/file and screw head. Sorry I cannot take a pic to show you at the moment, but hope it makes sense. Let us know when you got it man.
.

For the benefit of newbies and me I think that needs a little clarification.  There are copper washers between Rebar pliers and Rebar handles.  Doesn't look as if there are any between Wave pliers and Wave handles.

So is it the handles or the pliers which require washers when swapping?

I leave the washers with the handles.

[zoidberg]

Hi, welcome
So the washers you are trying to line up are copper color, right? Those do not go between the body and plier pivots. No washers there. Those four go between each blade/file and screw head. Sorry I cannot take a pic to show you at the moment, but hope it makes sense. Let us know when you got it man.
.

IMO the washers on the Wave go between the handle and the tool, not the tool and the screw.

[JBW1]

Thu process of elimination putting the copper washers, that came out of my wave on the plier side, at first between the pliers and body then to the the body and outside tools, then to the screw and outside tools, till it worked like original again.I had dropped it in some sand and hated the grinding sound, so i dismantled it and cleanned it up real good. Wasn't any kind of swap, but I feel your pain and frustration cus I was dealing with it last night good luck sir

[pingu]

So  no washers beween the pliers and body on a WAVE then, is what your sayn right?
When I put the washers between the body and blade, the liner lock hit the washer, maybe that's why you had to file yours down? But what got my wave back together was the washers between the tool and screw.

This must be confusing for the OP.  I'm no expert but I can see that my Rebar has a copper washer between handle and pliers and my Wave does not *appear* to have washers between the handle and pliers.  My Rebar pliers have been temporarily removed but not my Wave pliers (I tried my Rebar pliers in a Fuse).

The Wave has copper washers between body and all external tools which does not impede the liner lock.  If your Wave liner lock is hitting a washer then somehow you have ended up with an oversize washer.

Just guessing   but could it be a Rebar plier washer?  zoidberg?




 

[zoidberg]

JBW1, thanks for editing out that mess of quotes.

Lets try and clear this up some.

Rebar handles with Wave head. Has washers between the handles and head.

Wave handles with Rebar head. Has washers between the tools and handles.

I didn't file down the liner lock. It was the blade locking safety tabs. Now where is my coffee.

[pingu]

JBW1, thanks for editing out that mess of quotes.

Lets try and clear this up some.

Rebar handles with Wave head. Has washers between the handles and head.

Wave handles with Rebar head. Has washers between the tools and handles.

I didn't file down the liner lock. It was the blade locking safety tabs. Now where is my coffee.

It's OK to clarify but earlier you responded "I leave the washers with the handles".  But that would be the Rebar handles.    So I'm confused by the connection between "Rebar head" and tools.  Not wrong but confusing.

[JBW1]

JBW1, thanks for editing out that mess of quotes.

Lets try and clear this up some.

Rebar handles with Wave head. Has washers between the handles and head.

Wave handles with Rebar head. Has washers between the tools and handles.

I didn't file down the liner lock. It was the blade locking safety tabs. Now where is my coffee.

Haha yea I smurffed up that post,
Saftey locking tabs so that's what them little nubs are called
I guess we can all agree that it's easier to destroy than to create haha.

[zoidberg]

JBW1, thanks for editing out that mess of quotes.

Lets try and clear this up some.

Rebar handles with Wave head. Has washers between the handles and head.

Wave handles with Rebar head. Has washers between the tools and handles.

I didn't file down the liner lock. It was the blade locking safety tabs. Now where is my coffee.

Haha yea I smurffed up that post,
Saftey locking tabs so that's what them little nubs are called
I guess we can all agree that it's easier to destroy than to create haha.

Agreed. 

[zoidberg]

JBW1, thanks for editing out that mess of quotes.

Lets try and clear this up some.

Rebar handles with Wave head. Has washers between the handles and head.

Wave handles with Rebar head. Has washers between the tools and handles.

I didn't file down the liner lock. It was the blade locking safety tabs. Now where is my coffee.

It's OK to clarify but earlier you responded "I leave the washers with the handles".  But that would be the Rebar handles.    So I'm confused by the connection between "Rebar head" and tools.  Not wrong but confusing.

     I only swap over the plier heads. All washers and tools stay in their respective places. Still with me?

[pingu]

     I only swap over the plier heads. All washers and tools stay in their respective places. Still with me?

Yep. 

[HarleyXJGuy]

Thanks for the help with this guys, now I am more confused then before I clicked on this link. 

I bet it is something I will have to see to understand and I got a couple of months before the swap happens so no worries.

[tinkering2much]

Ok guys here's where I'm at,

I did what zoid recommended regarding the safety tab and dremeled it so it doesn't interfere with the blade. So now the rebar head is transplanted into the wave. I still have to remove some tools to allow the handles to close properly though. Currently the large flat head is grinding against the head when I try to close the handles. So I have to remove the large flat head. And probably the scissors which sucks because I really want the scissors.

The rebar body with wave head, I figured out why the posts would not snug up against the handle.. the posts were through the handle and plier head but was slightly off center and not lining up so when I tightened the screw it marred and bent the washers.. great.

[babola]

Ok guys here's where I'm at,

So now the rebar head is transplanted into the wave. I still have to remove some tools to allow the handles to close properly though. Currently the large flat head is grinding against the head when I try to close the handles. So I have to remove the large flat head. And probably the scissors which sucks because I really want the scissors.

Something doesn't sound right there. There is no need to do so on a Wave with Rebar head transplant. Are you sure you installed the tools in the bottom of the handle in the correct order as original?

Be aware the bottom Wave tools go in a specific order so they don't interfere with the pliers head when closed. Look at the pics of expanded un-modded Wave tool for reference.

[tinkering2much]

I never changed the order of the tools on the wave, its still exactly the same as from leatherman all I've done is swap heads. I'm not sure why the plier head rubs the large flat head so bad but something has to change.

[zoidberg]

I never changed the order of the tools on the wave, its still exactly the same as from leatherman all I've done is swap heads. I'm not sure why the plier head rubs the large flat head so bad but something has to change.

Try swapping the handles over. Make sure the fasteners are done up nice and firm. Normally it is the scissors and not the flat driver that makes contact. If you want to keep the scissors and have the handles close properly there are a few different ways to go about it.

With the Rebar handles and Wave head. Bent washers don't change anything. Just flatten them out as best you can, quick sanding if needed, put it together and tighten it up.

[tinkering2much]

I'll flatten the washers and rub it between fine sand paper to polish.

If i open the large flat head and close the handles it closes just about perfect. Maybe this is a good thing the flat head is the problem rather than the scissors. I'm thinking I'll put the awl in the flat head spot and dremel the back of the awl to allow closure. Will that work?

[babola]

If i open the large flat head and close the handles it closes just about perfect. Maybe this is a good thing the flat head is the problem rather than the scissors. I'm thinking I'll put the awl in the flat head spot and dremel the back of the awl to allow closure. Will that work?

One thing to check is the Rebar pliers. I ended up with another pair sometime ago on which one side was thicker than the other, as if they forgot to re-fine its final shape in the factory. It may help to turn the pliers head around and install again. Just a thought.

It would definitely help too if you could post a photo of your Rebar pliers jaws.

Cheers.