John's Shameless Discontinued Challenge Thread

[jalind]

In preparation for this near the end of the minimalist challenge I want to verify before starting that the following are considered discontinued:

• All 1961 Model Soldier (including Standard Issue and Vic special builds with signed blade)
• All with Wenger Logo
• Prince
• Watch Opener
• Apprentice
• Alox Bantam (disappeared from 2016 catalog)
• Scientist
• All with back layer slotted Can Key Phillips
• Woodsman
• Craftsman
• Champion Plus
• Pioneer X (not in 2016 catalog)
• Sentinel Plus (has back layer Phillips)
• Dual Pro X

Thanks,
John

[Barry Rowland]

Go get 'em John!!

[Thunderpants]

Nobody would seriously consider the Pioneer X to be discontinued, would they?
I mean it didn't exist before 2016!
And the Alox Bantam -- well if that's been discontinued I'll have to rush out and buy ten of them because I think that's the best Sak ever...

[jalind]

Nobody would seriously consider the Pioneer X to be discontinued, would they?
I mean it didn't exist before 2016!
And the Alox Bantam -- well if that's been discontinued I'll have to rush out and buy ten of them because I think that's the best Sak ever...

The one I wondered about most is the Pioneer X. Both the Alox and Cellidor Bantam are in the 2015 catalog, but only the Cellidor is in the 2016. The Alox Cadet is the only 84mm Alox in the 2016. There are only three 93mm Alox as well: Pioneer, Electrician and Farmer.

John

[Mizedog]

Nobody would seriously consider the Pioneer X to be discontinued, would they?
I mean it didn't exist before 2016!
And the Alox Bantam -- well if that's been discontinued I'll have to rush out and buy ten of them because I think that's the best Sak ever...

Wow.  The X only lasted a year?  So,  would this put it in collectible territory?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

[jalind]

Nobody would seriously consider the Pioneer X to be discontinued, would they?
I mean it didn't exist before 2016!
And the Alox Bantam -- well if that's been discontinued I'll have to rush out and buy ten of them because I think that's the best Sak ever...

Wow.  The X only lasted a year?  So,  would this put it in collectible territory?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

The Pioneer X may not be discontinued. I was reminded that it was introduced early this year and may not have made it into the 2016 catalog. At this point I'm not going to play it as discontinued in the challenge. I've got plenty of discontinued to use. 

John

[Oxford_Guy]

Are you sure the Alox Bantam is discontinued? It's listed in stock on many UK stores, though the current version has no keyring.

[jalind]

Are you sure the Alox Bantam is discontinued? It's listed in stock on many UK stores, though the current version has no keyring.

It was in the 2015 catalog and disappeared from the 2016 catalog (English language). The Cadet is the only 84mm Alox in the 2016 catalog. They're getting more difficult to find on this side of the pond. Amazon US doesn't have the Alox Bantam, only the Cellidor. Newegg only has the Cellidor as well (the Alox would probably be 3rd Party seller if they did). You can still get them on ePrey but the price is slowly increasing. The hyperlinks below are very long. Tried shortening them eliminating the "context" suffix but it gets 404 errors. Don't know how much longer the 2015 link will continue to work as I had to use a cached web page to get to it.

Link to 2016 catalog (in English): http://assets.victorinox....Q2MDU1YjQxMTliZmFkYWFlOTc

Link to 2015 catalog (in English): https://assets.victorinox...5OTliYWUzNmIyNzViYzlhZWY2

John

[Poncho65]

Good luck in the challenge I will be watching with gusto



 

[Barry Rowland]

+1!!! 

[jalind]

John's Discontinued SAK Rogues' Gallery:

In preparation for this challenge I did an inventory of the various models I have to identify the discontinued using the 2016 English language Victorinox catalog. Although the Pioneer X doesn't appear in that catalog, someone here reminded me that it was released this year, very likely after the catalog was created. Therefore I won't use it.

Turns out I've got nearly enough discontinued Victorinox and Wenger models to do the entire 30 days without using one twice. However, there are a couple that most likely will not be used. Without further ado I present here, my Rogues' Gallery of Wenger and Victorinox that will be used for this challenge.

Wenger:

• Swiss Clipper AT
• Esquire (a number of these; two are imprinted with corporate logos)
• Commander (a couple of these imprinted with Loctite and Permatex logos)
• Highlander
• Evolution 63
• EvoGrip 64
• Evolution S101
• EvoGrip 11 Blackout (not likely I'll use this one)
• Standard Issue (2004)
• Model 1961 Soldier (2007) - last year Wenger made these for the Swiss Army

Victorinox:

• Caddy (three of these, but not likely to use them as I don't golf)
• Alox Companion (to my knowledge these are no longer made; also has pointed file)
• Cellidor Prince
• Stainless Steel Prince
• Watch Opener (not in 2016 catalog; 2015 catalog had different fixed blade case knife)
• Apprentice (fabricated from Waiter; should have made one with a Can Key Phillips; hindsight is 20/20)
• Alox Bantam (in 2015 catalog; disappeared from 2016 catalog)
• Scientist (have two of these)
• Small Tinker with Can Key Phillips
• Tinker with Can Key Phillips
• Super Tinker with Can Key Phillips
• Deluxe Tinker with Can Key Phillips
• Woodsman circa 1978 or 1979 (only has corkscrew and awl on back layer, plus other older details)
• Woodsman 2014 special build for Mexico market (three of these; two red, one ruby)
• Craftsman
• Champion Plus
• Model 1961 Soldier (2005) special build with "Charles Elsener" signed blade
• Model 1961 Soldier (2008) - last year these were made for the Swiss Army
• Sentinel Plus
• Dual Pro X

If someone sees a model here that's not discontinued, please let me know. Put this list together so I wouldn't have to ask in the middle of the challenge 

The 30 Day Discontinued Challenge run is coming soon, very soon, very very soon, to a thread near you!

Thanks!
John

[jalind]

Discontinued Challenge Day 01:
74mm Victorinox Prince (Cellidor)

No time like the present to start this. Looked at my lists of discontinued and single layer (self imposed) and realized I could easily finish the Minimalist Challenge while starting this one now.

Today I present to you a Cellidor Prince. These were a very nice 74mm "Gentleman's" knife with  large spear point and small pen blades, plus an excellent nail file with nail cleaner tip. The nail file is unique compared to the Ambassador or Executive as it has two grooves on one side with file surface in the bottoms of the grooves, and a precision very fine cross-cut file on the other side. The cross-cut has much utility beyond filing fingernails. Can be used (very gently) to burnish electrical contacts and similar tasks.



After using the large blade to cut some zip ties (as seen in the Minimalist Challenge Thread) I used the file to touch up a thumbnail.



It really is a shame Victorinox didn't carry this style file over to the 74mm Ambassador and Executive which are still being made.

John

[jalind]

Discontinued Challenge Day 01 Update:
74mm Victorinox Prince (Cellidor)

What to do when you're committed to using a discontinued and single layer for two challenges? Requires thinking outside the box, or in this case outside the orange peel.



The Prince has no orange peeler like the 58mm MiniChamp or 74mm Executive. But it does have that magnificent file and its tip can be used with just the right depth if I choke up on it with my thumb to control it. (Clean it before using it!)



Cuts an OK spiral around the orange. Not quite as easy to control as the peeler on the MiniChamp, but it works and you can see the spiral cut into the orange peel.



And there it is, the orange properly flayed and ready to be ravenously devoured with the peel, cut at just the right depth in a spiral that can be pulled off in one piece.



The Prince comes through and delivers for this task.

John

[Barry Rowland]

  Nice way to start the journey John!

[twiliter]

Nice way to start the journey John!

+1 

[jalind]

Discontinued Challenge Day 02:
111mm Victorinox Sentinel Plus

Many if not all the boxes for the Sentinel Plus are mislabeled "One Hand Sentinel Plus", and some sellers parrot that. It's not a one-hand as there's no thumb hole. It does have a liner lock. The interesting feature that separates this one from all the other Sentinel variants is a back layer Phillips. It's the 111mm cousin of the also discontinued 84mm Apprentice, albeit without a combo opener.




It starts this morning early cleaving a mini bagel in two. The blade is just long enough to reach across its diameter. The technique, to prevent major blood loss, is to get the blade about halfway across as shown here, and then rotate knife around the center of the bagel. Designer coffee shop baristas have lost more blood trying to slice all the way across bagels with bread knives than the Red Cross gets annually in donations. This method must be as closely guarded a secret as the Coca-Cola recipe.



Next up is hooking up a PC 2.1 external audio system with sub-woofer to the 32" TV in the master bedroom. It's about chest height and I cannot see behind it to find the line level audio output phono jacks.



Not wanting to go get the mirror I normally use for tasks like this just to connect two phono plugs, I improvised with what was immediately on hand: the Sentinel Plus and a Maglite Solitaire. The mirror finish on the large spear point blade was all that I needed to find the correct jacks on the back of the TV. One plug connected and one more to go.



One of the undocumented additional tools found on a SAK, and it's great for looking behind and underneath things that are difficult or impossible to get eyes on directly . . . like finding out what kind of set screw holds the display and control panel onto this programmable heating thermostat.



My refrigerator has the freezer on the bottom, the reverse of most U.S. refrigerators which put, for some inexplicable reason, the freezer on top, making one stoop and crawl to access the lower part of the refrigerator, which is accessed far more often than the freezer. This afternoon I was putting some ice trays into the freezer and was reminded that the long strip on top of the door used to pull it open is loose on the end. Pulled out the Sentinel Plus, opened up the Phillips, and in under 30 seconds, the handle along the top of the door was tight again. Hooray for the back layer Phillips!



All in a day's work  for a single layer discontinued SAK.

John

[Barry Rowland]

 

[Poncho65]

Excellent pics buddy Can't wait to see more this month

[Green arrow]

Good topic I am enjoying this! 

[jalind]

Discontinued Challenge Day 03:
84mm Victorinox Apprentice (fabricated from a Tinker and Waiter)

Note: This is the same as was posted for the Minimalist Challenge thread as I'm overlapping both for a week

A day in the life of Apprentice #2 . . .
I've still got two of the four I made. Time for #2 to go for its maiden voyage. First step is putting a basic edge onto its blade:



First a formed edge with moderate sharpness using the Victorinox sharpening pen



Then the smooth portion of a ceramic coffee mug bottom



Ready to go! This afternoon I'm making beer bread, a type of quick bread using beer instead of water. Can't just use it out of the box though, it needs to be customized. This one will be a "pizza" beer bread with shredded mozzarella cheese, pepperoni slices, diced jalapeños and mushroom pieces



Aside from the bread mix, I also need 3 tablespoons of butter melted to drizzle over the top just before putting it into the oven. The bread pan is stoneware. With a very light coating of oil on the inside it releases the baked bread loaf without any sticking whatsoever. Not enough left of the 1/4 pound stick in the refrigerator, so I need to cut a piece off of a new stick from the freezer. I use unsalted butter for baking and salted butter for the dining table. The Apprentice is perfect for slicing through the frozen butter. It goes into the microwave to be slowly melted



This isn't the first time I've made beer bread with these kinds of additives. It's much easier to mix if the extra ingredients are laid out in small bowls beforehand already measured. From everything that was pictured I'm going to use half of each which means I can make another loaf of this bread within the next month or so. Need to open these cans of jalapeños and mushroom pieces and drain the water and juice off of them to minimize the moisture being added to the bread mix.



The jalapenos will have to be strained (been there, done that) but the juice in the mushroom pieces is thin enough it can be drained while still in the can. The Apprentice's combo opener is used to start opening the can, but after a half inch or so I go around 180 degrees and punch a hole. This provides an air hole that allows the can to be drained over the sink.



The Apprentice's spear point blade makes quick work of the bread mix pouch!



Now for the beer! What better to use in October than an Oktoberfest beer?



As with opening the cans, the combo opener makes quick work of the bottle cap and the beer is added to the bread mix.



The jalapenos have already been added to the dough, and the rest of the ingredients are staged to be put in one at a time.



Each one is mixed in and the dough folded to disperse it before adding the next one



All the ingredients have been added and a final, brief mixing is done to ensure they're dispersed throughout the dough. I use a 2-quart Pyrex measuring bowl with spout as it's easier to scoop out into the bread pan compared to a stainless steel or polyvinyl mixing bowl (e.g. Tupperware)



I keep a small part of the grated cheese out to sprinkle over the top, and then add the melted butter, which helps to create a nice crust.



Into the pre-heated oven it goes for an hour, and the Apprentice is used with the combo at 90 degrees to pull the hot rack out so the bread pan can be placed on it. It's used again fully open to push the rack back in.



While it's baking, the mailman arrives with two packages. The just sharpened Apprentice slices through the bubble pack like a hot knife in butter!



Likewise, it makes quick work of this thick envelope . . .



 
Inside are a set of 91mm "Plus" custom Titanium scales for my newly acquired Explorer Plus, and a nice Victorinox leather card case. I've needed a new card case for some time now.



The bread is out of the oven and it needs to cool for at least an hour before taking it out of the bread pan. The shredded cheese that was sprinkled across the top has browned perfectly.



While pulling it out of the oven, one of the door screws looked like it might be loose, so the Apprentice's Phillips tightens it up a tad.



After about two hours, the bread is pulled out of the pan and I start slicing it using a wood bread board with spacers to guide the bread knife for uniform slices. This is what the middle looks like. The pepperoni and jalapeños are readily visible.



Been a busy day for the single layer Apprentice which had a thorough workout. Passes its maiden voyage with ease. Time to kick back for a while and enjoy a slice of beer bread!



John
Edit P.S.
The Rogues' Gallery of Discontinued SAKs has grown by two: An 84mm Alox Solo and a 58mm?? Tomo.

[Thunderpants]

Wow! That beer bread looks deee-lish!
I gave up on ambitious cooking when my wife got me a book of Jamie Oliver's 15 minute recipes. They may have been 15 minute recipes for Jamie Oliver but for me they were 1 hour 15 minute recipes...
I might have to try that beer bread though. Especially with something meaty inside.

I tried sharpening a Cadet on the underside of my coffee cup but ended up grade 1 burns on my gonads. Next time I'll finish the coffee...

That Apprentice is a fantastically useful pocket knife. I have been hunting down the Wenger equivalent - for some reason there are millions of them around with the blunt blade which I'm not so wild about. It's a shame Victorinox doesn't make this one any more (and that Wenger made so many with the wrong blade!)

Oh well, tuck in and enjoy that bread!

[jalind]

Wow! That beer bread looks deee-lish!
I gave up on ambitious cooking when my wife got me a book of Jamie Oliver's 15 minute recipes. They may have been 15 minute recipes for Jamie Oliver but for me they were 1 hour 15 minute recipes...
I might have to try that beer bread though. Especially with something meaty inside.

I tried sharpening a Cadet on the underside of my coffee cup but ended up grade 1 burns on my gonads. Next time I'll finish the coffee...

That Apprentice is a fantastically useful pocket knife. I have been hunting down the Wenger equivalent - for some reason there are millions of them around with the blunt blade which I'm not so wild about. It's a shame Victorinox doesn't make this one any more (and that Wenger made so many with the wrong blade!)

Oh well, tuck in and enjoy that bread!

I had to make my own. Stockpiled about a half-dozen each of some dirt cheap Tinkers that had seen much better days with blades beyond redemption and some Waiters in excellent condition. Made four Apprentices from them, and converted two Tinkers that weren't thrashed as described (they were in great shape), into a pair of Spartans. The mod thread about how I did it is here. There's a posting at the end about making a simple wood fixture to hold 84mm on one side and 91mm on the other for greater precision in drilling out rivets and drifting the brass rod through.

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,65308.msg1244411.html

It's one of the easiest mods to make as the back layer rivet doesn't have a scale retention ring around it. I did benefit from having a 1/2" bench mounted radial drill press, but one can be improvised from a hand drill, and there are some inexpensive bench drill presses made to mount a hand drill (my father had one of these; bless his pinch-penny heart). Gave two of them to very good friends, one of whom mentioned in passing that the 84mm Small Tinker was the smallest SAK with both Phillips and flat-tip (other than a 58mm Rally). The other went to the surgical otolaryngologist that saved my neck; he and I have gotten to know each other very well over the past six and a half years. I've still got two and the second one is a "spare" now.

John

[jalind]

Discontinued Challenge Day 04
74mm Victorinox Prince (Stainless Steel)

A day in the adventures of the stainless steel Prince . . .

The Prince has two very nice blades, a long spear point that's nearly the length of the knife body, and a short pen blade opposite it that's not much shorter than the main blade on the 58mm Classic. On the other side is a magnificent file, with grooved tracks on one side and a very fine crosscut on the other. As compared to the Ambassador and Executive, it's much thicker and extremely sturdy, with a very nicely contoured point on its tip and it's the file I wish Victorinox would put on those. If you don't need scissors, it's a superb gentleman's pocket knife. Extremely thin with just one layer, the stainless steel scaled variant isn't much thicker than the outer liners as the space needed for tweezers and toothpick in the Cellidor variant is eliminated. It's about as slim as they get. Discontinued, they're not common, but they're not rare either. Most will show pocket wear, as this one does.



I've polished up the blades some and there's more work to be done on them as time permits, but before today's excursions I need to get a basic cutting edge on them. Out with the Victorinox pen sharpener to set an edge.



 After setting a good edge on both blades, it's refined using the long ceramic rod.



I discovered a couple of the AA cells inside one of my emergency LED lanterns had leaked and it was no longer working, presumably because the cells were dead and rotting, and alkaline electrolyte had coated the battery box terminals. The electrolyte needs to be thoroughly cleaned out before putting in new cells. The Prince's sturdy file is plenty long enough to reach the terminals at the bottom of the battery box and its point is fine enough to clean out the Crudmium in crevices, grooves and contact edges up to the plastic flanges surrounding them. Some alcohol and paper towel to wrap around the file can be used for cleanup once the electrolyte is loosened and picked off.



The bare pointed tip is able to pick the Crudmium off the (-) contact spring with ease.



It's also able to pick the dried electrolyte off of the contacts on the battery box cover. Care must be used to pick at only the electrolyte, and to avoid scratching or abrading the plated contact surface.



Wrapped in paper towel, it's used to clean everything up with denatured alcohol.



With new AA cells and a push of the power switch, the lantern passes the "Smoke Test" with a perfect score. Three years ago when a several tornadoes took down electrical power for several days I went to the store to get candles and lantern oil (Kerosene well, but has a horrible odor indoors) and some LED lanterns. Got two of these and two of a slightly larger one that can put out more light for a larger room. They'll run for upward of 50 hours on a fresh set of cells, and without the fire hazard of candles or oil lanterns. With two cats that perch on top of everything high candles and oil lanterns have to be attended. How they get up to some locations is still a mystery.



While I'm at it with the alcohol out, may as well try cleaning down between the liners of the Crudmium Clad Climber that arrived a couple days ago (with the Can Key Tinker). Of the other three knives, it's the filthiest from pocket carry with more lint than a clothes dryer screen.



There's also grime buildup in the lubricating oil in the bottom.



An alcohol soaked patch of paper towel wrapped a couple layers thick around the pointed tip of the file reaches down in between the liners with ease and gets into spots I haven't been able to before using toothpicks that invariably break or cotton swab sticks that cannot get into the corners or along edges easily.



Pulling it out to determine if it's completely clean yet shows the dirt and grime on the paper towel.



Passes inspection and it's much cleaner inside than I could have gotten it with toothpicks or cotton swab sticks.



I need to remove the nylon scales, and do a complete scrubbing with dish washing detergent, but that will be for another time on another day, and this is an excellent start with the Climber restoration.

Wasn't the two nice and freshly sharpened blades, it was the Prince's magnificent file that shone today.

John

[jalind]

Discontinued Challenge Day 05
85mm Wenger EvoGrip 64

Today the Wenger EvoGrip 64 is on duty. It was Wenger's EvoGrip version of the Vic Apprentice with a large spear point blade, combo opener and #2 Phillips on the back layer.



This morning while cooking breakfast, I noted one of the two lamps on the underside of the microwave mounted above the stove was out. These are 4 Watt LED bulbs that were supposed to last forever. The EvoGrip 64 is immediately at hand to remove the lamp cover.



I remove the lamp and want to get eyes on its socket to see if there's Crudmium plating on the center contact. Impossible for me to get my into position, and lamp box is too narrow for the mirror I'd use. Once again, the polished blade gets eyes on the lamp socket and there's nothing in that would impede the electrons on their appointed rounds.



Time to order a new bulb to replace this one. I got these on Amazon and check there shows they're not only no longer available, but they had developed a reputation in the feedback for premature failure after 6-8 months. Even if they were available, I'd be getting a different brand. Should have a new LED bulb on Tuesday.



The Wenger EvoGrip 64 earns its keep again!

John

[jalind]

Discontinued Challenge Day 06
85mm Wenger Evolution 63

In the continuing adventures of the mighty Wenger Evolution 63 . . .

This is Wenger's Evolution version of the Victorinox Waiter, armed with a large, crazy sharp spear point blade, a fearless combo opener and a dauntless corkscrew.



This episode begins at the crack of dawn slicing a bagel. Has the same carnage hazard as using a long knife as it can slice the full edge into your hand if it slips near the end. The technique compared to using a knife longer than bagel diameter is a little different but follows a similar principle. One starts only far enough in that the tip of the blade is sill showing while working around the bagel to get a clean slice partway through all the way around.




Once that's completed, the blade is worked just over halfway through and the bagel is rotated following the initial slice. It will fall in half with a complete 360 rotation (or sooner).


Medical Bill will be pleased to know that no fingers were harmed in the cleaving of this mini-bagel. No rest for the weary though as it's soon time for lunch. What could be better than a couple slices of the beer bread made a few days earlier, with just a little butter on them. Alas, the (salted) butter dish is empty. I wonder who could have allowed that to happen? Need to get a 1/4 pound stick from the freezer. A table knife is no match for frozen butter. Thank goodness for the Mighty Evolution 63 with its crazy sharp large spear point blade.



It's able to slice through the frozen butter with no problem.About 30 seconds in the microwave to warm the bread and melt the butter.



Not soon after, the mail arrives, and there's a padded envelope! The Evolution 63's large blade slices through it's flap with ease.



Inside are a couple small leather Wenger zipper pouches just the right size for carrying 74mm SAKs, and a couple large Plus Scale pens that will go into the SAK spare parts jar. One of the pouches will go to the recently arrived stainless steel Prince.



While its out, may as well try an experiment with the Wenger combo blade to see how well it works at removing scales compared to the Watch Opener's case back knife. I want to remove the nylon economy scales from this Climber that recently arrived. Slips in without much difficulty and works its way around the rivet much like the watch case knife.



Not as rigid as the case knife, but with patience, using it as a wedge in addition to gentle twisting, the second scale is down to the last rivet. Works fine for removing scales, but with less brute force and more finesse than the thick and robust case knife.



Both scales off now, and the Climber is ready for a deep cleaning and lube with very light machine oil, not 10-40 motor oil!    It's amazingly clean under the scales, not what I had expected after cleaning all the Crudmium out from between the interior liners a couple days ago.



Thus ends this episode in the adventures of the Mighty Wenger Evolution 63 with all missions accomplished by this proud single layer SAK.

John

[Barry Rowland]

  Great thread John!

[jalind]

Great thread John!

Thanks Barry!

John

[jalind]

Discontinued Challenge Day 07
84mm Victorinox Alox Bantam

The Alox Bantam steps up to answer the call to duty today!



Breakfast, and finishing it off with a Mandarin orange to go with a cup of coffee. How to peel it with the Bantam instead of a 58mm MiniChamp or 74mm Executive?



Fear not, for the opener on the Bantam can open this orange as well as cans and bottles! Medical Bill would be pleased the large spear point blade isn't being used at the risk of life and limb. Using the lower corner of the can opener at an angle, it can pierce the orange peel, and using the thumb to guide the depth, it can be drawn through it in a spiral.



A little experimentation will get the angle just right and it's nearly as quick as the MiniChamp or Executive orange peeler blades! The peel comes off in one piece and Bob's your Uncle, a nice juicy orange without the peel.



Later in the day I need to make a minor repair using some universal adhesive that has a little give to withstand the coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch between two different materials (i.e. they expand and contract with temperature changes at different rates). As often occurs with superb adhesives that can bond nearly any two materials together, the cap is firmly adhered to the tube. I wonder who forgot to clean up the cap and tube after its last use, allowing some excess to squeeze out when it was capped?    It opened an orange this morning, can it tackle opening this tube of adhesive this afternoon?



How to get the cap off now? A Brute Force and Ignorance Frontal Assault with slip-joint pliers would most likely tear the cap up beyond recognition likely making it unusable afterward. The first step is clearing out as much of the rubbery adhesive as possible around the base of the cap. Carefully slicing into the adhesive at the tube shoulder without cutting into the tube, and again just below the cap, is a start toward cleaning out as much as possible before attempting to rotate the cap.



The majority of the excess adhesive can then be cleaned out using the combo opener, carefully working around the tube under the cap edge.



After that's cleaned out as much as possible, it should take less force to rotate the cap, but it's still not possible by hand. I need a torque amplifier! One look at the top of the cap and the combo opener on the Bantam gives me an idea about how to use the wire stripper notch. This is one of the very common caps used on adhesive tubes with a bullet shaped nub set down inside the cap top for puncturing the seal on the tube. By placing the wire stripper notch over the rim surrounding it, and forcing as much of the opener down into the cap top next to the nub, I can use the Bantam as a wrench to turn the cap. The edge of the opener is also forced into the cap rim on the other side of the nub. Note which side of the nub the opener is on, as I'm going to turn it counter-clockwise (to the left). The bullet shaped nub keeps the opener from sliding across the cap top and diminishing the torque being applied. This takes some finesse to get the opener in a good position to get some purchase on the cap.



The torque being applied is slowly increased until the cap begins to turn and then it's kept steady as the adhesive slowly releases the cap from the tube. Mission successful. The cap is off the tube and we can get on with using the adhesive. I've piled up the excess adhesive that had a death grip on the cap.



Once again, the audacious Alox Bantam steps up to the challenges with ease! I rounded up the unnamed persons of interest who were suspected of involvement in recapping the tube the last time. Had them clean tube and cap this time before I recapped it.

John

Note:
No apples were harmed in the making of this forum posting.

[Barry Rowland]

 

[Poncho65]

Playing catch up on this thread and it is an awesome one John Really great pics and descriptions Fun read