And so it begins.... (My adventures into Alox!)

[Syph007]

SUMMARY OF MODS AND MODELS DONE SO FAR IN THIS THREAD

(Original first post is bellow)

2012 Highlights

First clean alox disassembly using jewelers bur
First black HAIII scales
Black 84mm cadet with scissors and 93mm awl
Cutting down 91mm scissors to fit on 84mm
First red and blue HAIII scales
Waterjet Ti liners and keyring spacers
SB bushcrafter with fire striker back
Whittler 93 with grey scales
4 layer red alox deluxe tinker with brass liners
Adding a phillips to an 84mm cadet
The first hard anodized 6061 T6 liners I made
Group shot of all 5 colors of hard anodizing
Alox hungry electrician (combo tool and eblade)
First Ti converted urban pioneer (scales, liners and keyring)
I finally got my custom 93mm scissor backsprings
The first alox mod I build using the custom scissor backspring
Old style cross red urban pioneer
First use of dual openers across a phillips, and black scale / red liners
5 layer big boy farmer
First modded marlin spike alox SAK
Alox yeoman
Custom CPM 154 93mm blades


2013 Highlights

Assembly of a 4 layer orange marlin spike mod
Orange cerakote 93mm scales
Orange cerakote custom with black liners
Cadet with scissors and pocket clip

THE ORIGINAL FIRST POST

I've been buying knives and gathering tools for some alox modding for a couple months now.  I did not even bother to post my first attempt at disassembling an alox solo, I messed it up so bad.   

Well today I bought a 3 directional vice and bolted that to my drill press so I could precisely position the SAK and get the rivets drilled dead center.







This worked PERFECTLY!! I was finally able to pop off those rivet heads with a center drill (thanks to tattoosteve for that tip).  The 3 mm pins I found I had to drill a bit further down into to weaken the pin enough to pop it out.





Once you get the center pin out, the springs fall away and getting the rest apart is easier.



Here is what I ended up with after ripping apart a solo, pioneer and farmer.  I'm very proud to say I didn't scratch or otherwise mess up a single part!



I have also tried to peen and OMG that is so hard to get it to look nice.  Mad respect to all fellow modders who have mastered that skill, as I have not.  Mr. bushidomosquito's method with the threaded pivots looks so nice I decided to try that for my first mod test.







That's all I've got for now.  This first mod is simply going to be a farmer + scissors, something I've been wanting for awhile now.  I will be making quite a few of these, in black, red and silver alox.

Cheers and thanks to everyone I pestered with questions while learning, this forum and the people that use it are the best!

[82brutus]

Very nice.  Good pictures!  Look forward to seeing more.   

[nuphoria]

Good stuff. Where did you get the little hex/torx head pins?

[Syph007]

Good stuff. Where did you get the little hex/torx head pins?

Those were from knifekits.com  All 1/8 inch so lots of drilling out of components to do still.

These are the pivots: http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/product_info.php?cPath=60_83&products_id=471

And the screws: http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/product_info.php?cPath=60_81_230&products_id=1248

[tattoosteve99]

Can't wait to see!

[MadPlumbarian]

keep it going, keep us posted!! JR

[Mr. Whippy]

That vise is pure genius!

Your first Alox mod is short a few tools...

I'm impressed AND inspired (I have a couple of bodged up 58 mm alox tools that need their rivets drilled out... )

[Syph007]

Your first Alox mod is short a few tools...

Ya but this is the ultra lite poser version... safe to take on airplanes too!

[tattoosteve99]

Your first Alox mod is short a few tools...

Ya but this is the ultra lite poser version... safe to take on airplanes too!

Good luck on getting anything on a airplane nowadays. You can't even have nail clippers I'm getting one of those cross slides myself this year. Great pics btw. Keep up the great work!

[Sparky415]

Very nice.  Good pictures!  Look forward to seeing more.   

Great job 

[bushidomosquito]

Are you drilling the back springs and center holes of the scales 1/8" too? I think it thins that bump area in the springs just a tad too much plus it's a real pain to drill compared to the blades so I'm using a floating pin (HSS drill rod) of the stock pin diameter in the center from now on. When I make scales from ti or brass I only drill center holes 2/3 of the way through from the inside of the scales. This pin is all shear, no torque so it's just there as a fulcrum for the springs. The same could be done with Alox scales if you found an attractive way to plug the center holes. Maybe drill the countersink into a counterbore and press something into it.

[Syph007]

Are you drilling the back springs and center holes of the scales 1/8" too? I think it thins that bump area in the springs just a tad too much plus it's a real pain to drill compared to the blades so I'm using a floating pin (HSS drill rod) of the stock pin diameter in the center from now on. When I make scales from ti or brass I only drill center holes 2/3 of the way through from the inside of the scales. This pin is all shear, no torque so it's just there as a fulcrum for the springs. The same could be done with Alox scales if you found an attractive way to plug the center holes. Maybe drill the countersink into a counterbore and press something into it.

Ya I was thinking something similar. Its a nicer look if the scales are all custom, but since im using the alox scales im not sure what to use in the center pin on the outside of the scale to make it look the same as the others.  I'll test it the way I have it now as I think it will be fine, there is still 1 mm of steel in the hump after I drilled it through, but ya it's tight tolerance for sure.

[Syph007]

I got some more time to work, so I kept taking pics as I went.

I ripped apart more knives.  Some red scales this time!   I can do a total teardown in about 10 minutes now that I have the technique down.



All of the springs and components have been drilled out to 1/8 inch now.   Here I show test fitting the pivot pin.



I had to countersink the scale holes a bit so the screws would sit flush.



Here is my awesome technique for hole sanding.  Roll up sandpaper, insert in drill, sand!



Test fitting the springs together with the pins.  The hump has thinned but I think there is plenty of metal left.  Time will tell.



The biggest pain for me was cutting down the pivots to the exact right length, fiddly work.  Here are the springs again with correct length pivot.



That's all for now, I got burgers on the grill, but I'm going to do a test fit together after dinner so I will post more pics of how it goes.

[Ashley]

Put me in line for a farmer with scissors in red. 

[Syph007]

Put me in line for a farmer with scissors in red. 

hehe no problem, but I have to perfect my modding first.  I'm a perfectionist and if something doesn't turn out just right it bugs me forever.  So far so good though, I'm liking the threaded pivots, since the knife can then be serviced easy, even with locktite on the threads.

[bushidomosquito]

If I may share what I've learned from playing with these pins, I think it's best for the pins to extend into the scales as far as they can. That way all the torque isn't put on those tiny screws. It also helps with assembly as the scales will snap into alignment and stay instead of you having to hold the springs compressed somehow while you get the last screw in place.

I've bought 100 of these screws,

http://www.usaknifemaker.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=30&products_id=118

and they fit the Alox scale holes perfectly sitting flush with the top of the scale so there's no need to re-sink them. If you put your pins in the collet of a Dremel tool you can spin the ends down and square with emery paper and even thread your screws into it and spin them while giving a light touch with fine emery papers to take out the machine marks. Some polishing compound after the 600 grit and,

 

they come out quite shiny.

[Syph007]

If I may share what I've learned from playing with these pins, I think it's best for the pins to extend into the scales as far as they can. That way all the torque isn't put on those tiny screws. It also helps with assembly as the scales will snap into alignment and stay instead of you having to hold the springs compressed somehow while you get the last screw in place.

I've bought 100 of these screws,

http://www.usaknifemaker.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=30&products_id=118

I'll have to try the screws you mentioned there, the ones I have a just a tiny bit on the small side, but very close.

Im just realizing with my mockup I didnt get the pins into the scales very much at all, so Id redo them and make them a tad longer and stronger that way too, good tip for sure thanks!

[Syph007]

Ok, I was excited to do a test fit together of all the parts.  Some parts still need final sand and polish, but the major nicks are sanded out of the drilled holes.

Starting from the back side scale with posts.



Plus first layer...





Plus scissors...



Plus opener layer.. no saw layer on this first test mock up, didnt want to push my luck.



Plus top scale!



And some fully assembled shots...









It's close to finished but a few details to tidy up.  I still need to grind a little on the scissors back spring as well.  I think I like the silver torx screws fine, I might try black to see how it compares.

Cheers!

[bushidomosquito]

 
Isn't it awesome to just screw them together knowing that you can pop them right apart again if something needs adjusted?

[Syph007]

Isn't it awesome to just screw them together knowing that you can pop them right apart again if something needs adjusted?

OMG yes!  I didn't have any problems drilling out the springs or parts to 1/8 inch. The tool components for alox SAKS start at 3mm anyhow, so not much material to remove.  Small price to pay for easy assembly and servicing! 

The only thing I'm wishing is for some screws that looked more like rivets.  Maybe the button heads would look better.  I could hit the alox scales with a milling bit to square the hole bottoms... hmmm

[MadPlumbarian]

Great job Syph007,, very nice on the torx part!!  JR

[Sidhartha]

are you using the 93mm saw spring for the scissors? 

[Syph007]

are you using the 93mm saw spring for the scissors? 

Nope, it's one from a 93mm alox solo.  They work almost perfect just a little tweaking needed.

[tattoosteve99]

are you using the 93mm saw spring for the scissors? 

Nope, it's one from a 93mm alox solo.  They work almost perfect just a little tweaking needed.

93mm solo spring perhaps?

[Ashley]

That looks great! 

[Sparky415]

That looks great! 

+1  That's some great work     

[Syph007]

Being able to take this apart easily has already come in handy.  The way I mounted the scissors, they were rubbing on the knife blade tip.

And of course I used my trusty SAK ratchet to remove the torx screws! 



I flipped the scissors around and this works much much better, smooth action and nothing interferes.  The nail nick is also perfectly accessible this way.



And I give you... the Urban Pioneer!





Inner parts still need polishing and screws need locktite, but otherwise finished!

[Syph007]

If I may share what I've learned from playing with these pins, I think it's best for the pins to extend into the scales as far as they can. That way all the torque isn't put on those tiny screws. It also helps with assembly as the scales will snap into alignment and stay instead of you having to hold the springs compressed somehow while you get the last screw in place.

Oh boy you were right on the money when you said to get the pivots into the scales as far as possible.  I redid my mod and drilled each scale hole with a 1/8 bit, then milled the outside down about 1 mm and used the button head screws.  Looks way better now and feels really solid, perfect snap on all tools.  The way I had it at first without the pivots actually into the scales would have been awful for the long run.

Really really happy with it now, and the urban pioneer is ready for tomorrow's EDC test run.

[MadPlumbarian]

That looks real good, came out NICE! 

[Ashley]