School safe Powerlock

[ari6126]

I want to take a multitool to school, but I can't bring a knife. I just discovered that the Powerlocks can modified. I saw Neil's PT-510, I thought perfect. So I think I have found a good solution. Buy a Powerlock and take out the saw, knife and awl. But what happens to that empty space? Do I need spacers like the ones on the Singapore Armed Forces PowerLock? Also, could I buy a Singapore Armed Forces PowerLock (which seems to be much cheaper than a regular PowerLock), take out the saw, knife and awl and add a file, a 1/4" Socket Drive and scissors? Do you think someone would be willing to trade me those three tools? Together they would cost $27 from SOG, which is too much. Thanks, and I love this site.

[silentio]

I don't know much about changing the implements on a PowerLock, but I may be able to help you in the other aspect. PM incoming

[Benner]

Just so you know, the Leatherman Knifeless Fuse comes without everything you just mentioned.

[jzmtl]

I guess you are talking about HS? To be honest I don't recall once in high school I needed a multitool. Knife yes, but you can't bring that anyway.

[Pacu]

I could have used a multitool in horticulture, FFA, wood shop, auto tech, and agriculture classes.

[ari6126]

I guess you are talking about HS? To be honest I don't recall once in high school I needed a multitool. Knife yes, but you can't bring that anyway.

I do a lot of theatrical lighting at school. I once worked on a show where every technician had a Gerber multitool.

[jzmtl]

If it's really needed could you ask whoever in charge for permission to bring one? But like mentioned the knifeless fuse seems to fit your purpose well.

[Anthony]

I don't know the "social climate" of your school, but I'd try carrying one discreetly and use it only when needed.  If some nut rats you out for having a 1.5" blade on a multitool and you get asked about it, be curteous and don't try to explain anything away.  Let the teacher/administrator handle the tool and make a decision.  

Or on the safer side, remove any alleged contraband tool and replace it with a plastic washer...which kind of negates the usefulness of carrying a tool in the first place..

And as Benner mentioned, Leatherman has a knifeless model..the Knifeless Fuse!

[Anthony]

I guess you are talking about HS? To be honest I don't recall once in high school I needed a multitool. Knife yes, but you can't bring that anyway.

I do a lot of theatrical lighting at school. I once worked on a show where every technician had a Gerber multitool.

Just re-read this; if the other technicians were students and were carrying Gerbers (which have blades/saws) then why would you be hesitant to carry a multi with those tools yourself?

I'll say again, carry one but be discreet about it. 

[jzmtl]

I guess you are talking about HS? To be honest I don't recall once in high school I needed a multitool. Knife yes, but you can't bring that anyway.

I do a lot of theatrical lighting at school. I once worked on a show where every technician had a Gerber multitool.

Just re-read this; if the other technicians were students and were carrying Gerbers (which have blades/saws) then why would you be hesitant to carry a multi with those tools yourself?

I'll say again, carry one but be discreet about it. 

Depends on your school, don't chance it. My old HS does random searches and I almost got expelled for having a vic classic.

[Zack]

Don't chance it.  I wouldn't carry any tool knife less or not on school grounds.

[Witmen]

I don't know about your high school.  But where I went a multi tool with a knife or not would get you in trouble.  Actually my freshmen year a girl stabbed another girl in the neck with a file from a pair of nail clippers.  So those were no longer allowed either.

A power lock can be very dangerous without ever opening the tool. So many ways to use one as a weapon.  If you have a sock and a power lock you could easily beat someone to death.  That's just one example I know my principle would of used, But I'm sure there are a lot of others they could come up with.  Don't take the chance.  HS is no place for anything with SOG stamped into it several times.

[Screwtape]

For theatrical work you don't have to have a multi at your school theatre, sure it's nice and it does save a lot of time looking for tools but learn to use the right tool first.  Multis in theatres are used if you don't have a proper spanner on your belt.

For basics get a good sized chalk bag and fill it with a a barco adjustable spanner, some good electrical snips, a philips screwdriver electrical 250V VDE and a maglite not an led torch, I like to carry a quad spanner too. Carry these bits and most techies will take you more seriously than just a student with a leatherman / sog

I you really need the mult get a knife-less fuse that should work well but keep it with your other tools, clip it to the chalk bag and leave it in the theatre  and have a letter from the tutor in charge of the theatre stating that you can have it on school grounds. 

Whatever you do don't end up with it in maths class, its cheaper to buy the teacher an apple than give them a Sog as a present

[Benner]

I guess you are talking about HS? To be honest I don't recall once in high school I needed a multitool. Knife yes, but you can't bring that anyway.

I do a lot of theatrical lighting at school. I once worked on a show where every technician had a Gerber multitool.

Just re-read this; if the other technicians were students and were carrying Gerbers (which have blades/saws) then why would you be hesitant to carry a multi with those tools yourself?

I'll say again, carry one but be discreet about it. 

Depends on your school, don't chance it. My old HS does random searches and I almost got expelled for having a vic classic.

I know laws are different here, but I wouldn't chance it either.  Just not worth the risk.

If you have a genuine need for a tool, get a Knifeless Fuse.  No arguments then.

[GraysonK]

For theatrical work you don't have to have a multi at your school theatre, sure it's nice and it does save a lot of time looking for tools but learn to use the right tool first.  Multis in theatres are used if you don't have a proper spanner on your belt.

For basics get a good sized chalk bag and fill it with a a barco adjustable spanner, some good electrical snips, a philips screwdriver electrical 250V VDE and a maglite not an led torch, I like to carry a quad spanner too. Carry these bits and most techies will take you more seriously than just a student with a leatherman / sog

I you really need the mult get a knife-less fuse that should work well but keep it with your other tools, clip it to the chalk bag and leave it in the theatre  and have a letter from the tutor in charge of the theatre stating that you can have it on school grounds. 

Whatever you do don't end up with it in maths class, its cheaper to buy the teacher an apple than give them a Sog as a present

I have never done the type of work you're talking about, but I agree with Screwtape.  His idea seems very workable to me.  With everything that can and does happen in schools these days, I just wouldn't chance it.  I especially like his suggestion of carrying the other tools with the MT as a back up.  But keep it in the theater department with your teacher so he/she knows that your tools are there and what you are using them for.  I don't know if the modifications your asking about are possible, but if they are and you do it, please please talk to your teacher about where to keep it so you don't get into trouble.  Good luck.
Gray

[ari6126]

"Or on the safer side, remove any alleged contraband tool and replace it with a plastic washer...which kind of negates the usefulness of carrying a tool in the first place."
That was what I was planning on doing. Well not really replacing with washers, but replacing with other allowable tools.
"Just re-read this; if the other technicians were students and were carrying Gerbers (which have blades/saws) then why would you be hesitant to carry a multi with those tools yourself?"
I wasn't clear, it was a different theater, not school.
"Multis in theatres are used if you don't have a proper spanner on your belt."
I already carry a "spanner" when doing lighting. (I didn't know what a spanner was, so I looked it up. I've known it as a adjustable wrench. But yeah, I can't imagine hanging a plot without one.)
"HS is no place for anything with SOG stamped into it several times."
That's one reason I'm now looking at the Paladin PT-510. Another reason is that it is smaller, but has the gear covers unlike the S45. Sure the blades doesn't lock, but I have to remove the blade anyway. I could add in scissors if I took out the blade and the plastic washer. I pretty sure the school couldn't get mad about a PT-510 with a file and two screwdrivers in one handle and a wire stripper and scissors in the other. If the wire stripper doesn't function well, I will take it out and add in a large flathead.
I don't understand why a knifeless fuse would be better than a SOG/Paladin modded to be knifeless. I'm lucky because my locker is backstage, so if I get a PT-510 it would never leave the theater. Thanks for all the advice.

[Screwtape]

"Multis in theatres are used if you don't have a proper spanner on your belt."
I already carry a "spanner" when doing lighting. (I didn't know what a spanner was, so I looked it up. I've known it as a adjustable wrench. But yeah, I can't imagine hanging a plot without one.)

I don't understand why a knifeless fuse would be better than a SOG/Paladin modded to be knifeless.

Yeh things have different names across the pond, hang a plot    hang a rig mate 
Good luck with the lampy work Ari do you design too? If so I'd love to see some stuff you've done

The main reason I suggested the Fuse was that it's an off the peg model, I don't know what your schools rules on knives might be but I know that a peg bought plier tool is seen in a better light than a custom / modified tool that could have it's knife reinstated (it's also cheaper so get one and then splash out on a nice big multi for when your in the other theatre   )

[Benner]

"Or on the safer side, remove any alleged contraband tool and replace it with a plastic washer...which kind of negates the usefulness of carrying a tool in the first place."
That was what I was planning on doing. Well not really replacing with washers, but replacing with other allowable tools.
"Just re-read this; if the other technicians were students and were carrying Gerbers (which have blades/saws) then why would you be hesitant to carry a multi with those tools yourself?"
I wasn't clear, it was a different theater, not school.
"Multis in theatres are used if you don't have a proper spanner on your belt."
I already carry a "spanner" when doing lighting. (I didn't know what a spanner was, so I looked it up. I've known it as a adjustable wrench. But yeah, I can't imagine hanging a plot without one.)
"HS is no place for anything with SOG stamped into it several times."
That's one reason I'm now looking at the Paladin PT-510. Another reason is that it is smaller, but has the gear covers unlike the S45. Sure the blades doesn't lock, but I have to remove the blade anyway. I could add in scissors if I took out the blade and the plastic washer. I pretty sure the school couldn't get mad about a PT-510 with a file and two screwdrivers in one handle and a wire stripper and scissors in the other. If the wire stripper doesn't function well, I will take it out and add in a large flathead.
I don't understand why a knifeless fuse would be better than a SOG/Paladin modded to be knifeless. I'm lucky because my locker is backstage, so if I get a PT-510 it would never leave the theater. Thanks for all the advice.

One requires you to mod it, and the other comes ready made.  I know what i'd go for.

[ari6126]

I love designing shows. This is a picture from the last show I designed, Moon over Buffalo. This is from the Private Lives scene. Even including a buying scissors, the PT-510 is only about $10 more than a Fuse. Has anyone had any success putting the SOG wire strippers (http://sogknives.com/store/100-442.html) into a Pocket PowerPlier or a PT-510? I know the scissors only take a tiny bit of modification to fit, so I was wondering if the wire strippers might work too. The SOG wire strippers look like they would work much better than the Paladin wire stripper punchdown thingy.

[Anthony]

In order to put the scissors and wire stripper, you need the locking tabs on the handles to properly "set them up" when opened.  I'm not sure they would work well, or at all without a way to lock them open. 

[ari6126]

In order to put the scissors and wire stripper, you need the locking tabs on the handles to properly "set them up" when opened.  I'm not sure they would work well, or at all without a way to lock them open. 

I know the scissors work on the Pocket Power Pliers because of this thread:
http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,4433.0.html
Neil also put scissors on a PT-510:
http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,11082.0.html

[ari6126]

For basics get a good sized chalk bag and fill it with a a barco adjustable spanner, some good electrical snips, a philips screwdriver electrical 250V VDE and a maglite not an led torch, I like to carry a quad spanner too.

I was rereading this thread and I came across a question I forgot to ask. Why should I carry a Maglight not a led flashlight? Is it because of color temperature differences?

[Screwtape]

For basics get a good sized chalk bag and fill it with a a barco adjustable spanner, some good electrical snips, a philips screwdriver electrical 250V VDE and a maglite not an led torch, I like to carry a quad spanner too.

I was rereading this thread and I came across a question I forgot to ask. Why should I carry a Maglight not a led flashlight? Is it because of color temperature differences?

Yup  

(Nice pic to, loving the nose )

[Benner]

I love designing shows. This is a picture from the last show I designed, Moon over Buffalo. This is from the Private Lives scene. Even including a buying scissors, the PT-510 is only about $10 more than a Fuse. Has anyone had any success putting the SOG wire strippers (http://sogknives.com/store/100-442.html) into a Pocket PowerPlier or a PT-510? I know the scissors only take a tiny bit of modification to fit, so I was wondering if the wire strippers might work too. The SOG wire strippers look like they would work much better than the Paladin wire stripper punchdown thingy.

The way I see it, that's still $10 more and a lot of work for essentially something quite similar (in tool selection I mean).  If you are hooked on SOG then that's fine, I just wanted you to know that there is a model already out there that is suited to your needs.