The Blue Nose (blunt nose LM Wave, Cerakote, Rebar plier head)

Metropolicity · **on:** July 03, 2012, 05:51:13 PM

This is the thread to document the design and build of The Blue Nose, a blunt nose, modified Leatherman Wave.

I noted during The Black Tide http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,37770.0.html build, I had been waiting anxiously for the Rebar to come out, not for the actual tool in entirety, but for the magically designed plier head with replaceable cutter head. At $41 CDN, these heads are completely worth the sacrifice of what some people believe to be the 'perfect' tool. I like the Wave, I've always liked the Wave. Thin, powerful and nearly dent proof, the Wave has everything I want.

Having had the pleasure of using ST300 plier heads on my Surge for some time now, I understood the power of 154cm cutters and a squared plier head profile, I wanted badly to have such power at a 4" tool scale. Enter the Rebar plier head.

Lets start off the pictures with some images from Jeff at 4bushweaponsrefinishingsystems, a brand new blue mix from Cerakote that has never been applied to anything but these Wave handles. So...

I haven't received them yet as I am waiting on some other stuff from Jeff (stay tuned for more build threads

)

Grant had posted a thread about preferring blunt nose pliers and that gave me a great idea, make some blunt nose Rebar plier heads! My original plan was to make a stainless steel Wave/Rebar hybrid but that seemed boring and bland, at least my Black Tide is a black as night. A slooooooow bench grind with many water cooling breaks, and a finish with some 400 and 800 wet sand, the pointy head is now a blunt head.

Since I don't have the Wave handles yet, I decided to keep the blunt heads into the SS Rebar to test their profile. If they weren't blunt enough, I would know really soon after testing it working on my car and installing some bolts around the house. After a couple of test runs, they seem to be a good profile.

I am still undecided on what kind of tool load out, but as learned from the Black Tide build, internal scissors are a no go. BUT here's what I think :

1. Upgrade the PE blade to 154cm or s30v
2. Replace saw or SE/gut hook with a pair of scissors from Gerber Flik/MP400
3. Add second bit driver for Robbie bits
4. unknown.....

So, why The Blue Nose?

The name Wave invokes..you know water..nautical..ships...

WARNING HISTORY CONTENT!

From Wikipedia:

Quote

Bluenose was a Canadian fishing and racing schooner from Nova Scotia built in 1921. She was later commemorated by a replica Bluenose II built in 1963. A celebrated racing ship and hard-working fishing vessel, Bluenose became a provincial icon for Nova Scotia as well as important Canadian symbol in the 1930s. The name "bluenose" originated as a nickname for Nova Scotians from as early as the late 18th century.

The Blue Nose can be seen on the Canadian dime and is a symbol of Canadian.

Of course, this little bit of Canadiana is applied to project in a couple of ways: the addition of the second bit driver to include a Robertson bit driver, the blue handles and the snub "nose"

Now....we wait.

So painful.

nuphoria · **Reply #1 on:** July 03, 2012, 06:03:25 PM

Cool, I like the extra lesson bit!

Gareth · **Reply #2 on:** July 03, 2012, 06:44:19 PM

Looking like a great project mate.

rdub934 · **Reply #3 on:** July 03, 2012, 06:58:45 PM

I am a huge fan of your work, and this promises to be another epic undertaking. Anxious to see how this turns out! Keep us posted...

MultiMat · **Reply #4 on:** July 04, 2012, 05:31:47 AM

Looking good mate keen to see the evolution of this project

sawman · **Reply #5 on:** July 04, 2012, 05:55:31 AM

Blunt nose! Thats too cool, nice colour too

Metropolicity · **Reply #6 on:** July 13, 2012, 01:27:19 AM

Jeff sent me a message about the blue wave handles being in the mail!

Woo!

I also bought that lot of LM parts from Bushido and I am happy to say that the Blue Nose will be adorned with s30v PE blade!

Now, I wonder if a SOG V-Cutter will fit as a OOOHO tool, in place of the SE blade.

waveman19 · **Reply #7 on:** July 13, 2012, 07:10:50 PM

Nice work on the plier head, the blunt nose would be much better for turning bolts. Sometimes there just isn't enough room for the fine tips if you're trying to turn a bolt backed in a corner.

Looking forward to seeing it all together!

Metropolicity · **Reply #8 on:** July 23, 2012, 06:37:15 PM

THE HANDLES ARE HERE!

Sadly, I am wicked busy and I am still waiting on Bushido's S30v Charge blade to come in....I may just stick in the regular 420 blade for now.

Frankctz · **Reply #9 on:** July 23, 2012, 08:18:01 PM

Very good proyect, wait to see the final results..

Metropolicity · **Reply #10 on:** July 25, 2012, 05:45:51 AM

I couldn't help myself, I couldn't wait for the S30v and some other parts to come in.

So I cobbled this together as a MKI of the Blue Nose.

I took a bunk older Wave (not the original, but it still had 5 star Torx) and stole the pivots and the bit driver from it. My original plan was to wait for the lot of parts from Bushido to replace the missing plier pivot bolt as well as the S30V PE from a Charge TTi.

I was rummaging around in my parts bin and found a SE blade and a Saw for a Wave and I installed them in their normal positions, however, I notice the grind was reversed on the liner lock. Odd, I thought to myself.

Then I remember why these had reverse grinds! They were from my Mjölnirman project when I wanted both blades on the same side and the saw/file on the opposite. I thought, why not...lets make this Blue Nose different.

The SE blade is now left hand OHO and the saw is where the SE is. I kind of like it as it slims up the overall width of the Blue Nose.

Here is The Blue Nose MKI next to it's ninja brother The Black Tide (http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,37770.0.html)

Here you can see the double blades in the single handle. I'll need to re drill a detent so the SE blade stays in place. That's what MKII's are for.

Again, the Saw will need a detent hole.

The newly transplanted blunt nose (modded) Rebar head. They've had quite a bit of traffic in the original Rebar handles, but they are even mightier in their new home in the Blue Nose.

For inside tools, things are kept spartan and simple for a simple reason, the plier heads don't allow for much more than drivers and awls....I like the load out, it's clean and purposeful. On this side a bit driver adaptor and a flat bit.

My intention is to replace the bit driver with the longer Philips driver from the Rebar. I tested the fitting on the broken donor Wave (the inside plier head standoff is broken off) and it fit really well. This means I will have to break off the plier head stand off on the Blue Nose. Again, MKII will it's proving ground. I can't go back with that mod, so I have to be sure.

Learning a lesson from the Black Tide build, both the Awl and the Bit Driver adaptor needed to be modded to fit properly. .02" needed to be shaved off the bit driver and the awls cutting profile needs a bit of grinding to nest properly. 15 mins later on a bench grinder and boom, donezo.

Here's the whole Blue Nose enchilada in all it's glory.

Now the painful wait for the other parts...the S30v PE will be perfect as well as the Philips driver.

Zed · **Reply #11 on:** July 25, 2012, 07:56:44 AM

Great work as always eric

love the blunt nose as well, i agree on the phillips as like LM's long phillips

lowtech · **Reply #12 on:** July 25, 2012, 01:00:25 PM

What Leathermans Marketing dept has not been able to do is doen here on a daily basis.

I was totally fine with my MP 600 until i found this place.
Now i´m tempted to get a LM (ok, i would probably need several and I´m happy somebody was quick in getting bushidomoskito´s parts bin) to build a nice tool with Bluntnose, exchangeable wire cutters and an outside opening blade.

But Maybe I´ll have a long look at some Vic plierheads and see what a grinder might do to them....

So, Metropolicity, please, just stop, ok?! Right now i have not ordered anything and if you would be so kind to post something along the lines of "it just doesn´t work and handles totally awkward", maybe i can rest in peace and won´t feel teh need to get even more tools...

BTW: Nice work all around!

Metropolicity · **Reply #13 on:** July 25, 2012, 05:15:02 PM

Quote from: lowtech on July 25, 2012, 01:00:25 PM

"it just doesn´t work and handles totally awkward"

It's not perfect yet...but MKII will be. So I can honestly say that MKII doesn't work properly and the handles are slightly awkward.

WWW · **Reply #14 on:** July 25, 2012, 11:57:15 PM

Great job Eric, but that is the usual!

I must say I really liked the disposition of the blades, resembles the Wenger Mike Horn Ranger, which I'm a sucker for.

I really like the two blades on the same side! And the long phillips will be a killer!!

Corso · **Reply #15 on:** July 26, 2012, 03:35:14 AM

The "blunt nose mod" is very appealing. Makes the whole thing look "tough". Very well done!

Gareth · **Reply #16 on:** July 26, 2012, 11:23:26 AM

Very very nice Eric.

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