Building a 84mm scientist - a picture guide.

[T14]

Lets build a 84mm scientist! - a Scientist Small

My inspiration for this build is scibeers awesome 84mm explorer build thread here:
http://www.swissarmyknights.com/articles/2007/361-scibeers-84mm-madness.

The main obstacle to overcome is that the grey mag glass and associated phillips layer take up more lengthwise space than there is room for in the 84mm frame.
Scibeer solved the issue by drilling a new pivot hole and forming a new tang shape around it.

I am lazy and solved the issue by using the old grey mag glass, and the new style stubby inline phillips found in explorers and swisschamps using the clear mag glass housing.

Parts list:

• Liners, bushings, blade spring, corkscrew and scales from an 84mm sportsman
• Blade, backspring and combo tool from a bantam
• grey mag glass from an old explorer
• inline phillips from a modern explorer (any "lite" model inline phillips will likely be identical iirc)

Attached pictures show the following:

• old vs new inline phillips screwdrivers
• initial mockup on a 84mm liner
• the tang portion of the 91mm tools should be reshaped to fit the 84mm bantam backspring they will be paired with.
  DO TEST FIT OFTEN as you go. Please notice that the driver will need to stick up more than the blade it will be replacing.
  Adjust the shape accordingly.

[T14]

Grind - test fit - grind -test fit - etc etc.
My grit progression was 80->240->600->1200
I dont have buffing equipment, but the mod would benefit from a tool polish before assembly.

Attached pictures show how the reground explorer tools fit on the bantam spring.

[T14]

First picture shows a cadet liner. THIS DOES NOT WORK, as it is too thin. The phillips head will rub against the blade.
Second picture shows a thicker sportsman liner in place instead. Much better
Third picture shows the sportsman blade layer installed with the bantam combo tool instead of the nail file.

[T14]

Then reinstall the outer liner, put the bushings on, saw off the pins 1.5mm proud of the bushings and its hammer time.
Lots of small taps until there is no more lateral play. Do the end pins first, and the middle pins last. If the middle rivets are too tight they will make the liners pinch the springs.

once you are happy with the assembly, press on the scales and Bob is your smurfing uncle!

[T14]

There are a couple of unresolved issues, however:

• the blade nail nick is obscured by the mag glass frame. I will solve this in my next iteration by removing 1.5mm from the diameter of the plastic frame, allowing the nested mag glass to protrude less from the top of the layer. I will then reprofile the tang of the inline phillips to also sit lower in the frame
• the pivot holes are 2.5mm while the pins are 2.2mm. This won't be an issue for light use, but my next iteration will use 2.5mm pins, and I'll enlarge the holes in liners and bushings to accomodate this change.
• my specific build suffers from unwittingly having used a crooked corkscrew, making it incompatible with the eyglass screwdriver.
  Annoying, but easily fixed by replacing the corkscrew and middle pin
• I did not bother with modding the back scale to fit a pen.
I intend to fix these issues, and will add more posts to this thread when I do.

Related projects could be:
- Alox Bantam + mag glass & inline phillips 
- 84mm yeoman
- 84mm passenger
Etc, etc.

Happy modding
-Tom

[Don Pablo]

Love this mod! 

[zoidberg]

Very cool.      

[magentus]

Brilliant workaround T  Great instructional too. 

[Poncho65]

Found it without a link That is an exceptional mod and I love how you worked around making the Phillips/mag layer work Excellent write-up and pics

[jaya_man]

Awesome mod T14...

Added this to my project list. Hmmm, maybe a Yeoman Small... Now I need to look for fodders


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SteveC]

 

[T14]

Cheers folks. 

I have parts for one more 84mm mag/PH layer.
The next version will get more tlc, so I can get the tools to sit deeper in the knife.
I reckon red alox would look decent enough. Maybe replace the corkscrew with a backspring technician screwdriver to avoid needing a backscale cutout?

I hope other will join in the 84mm fun
-Tom

[Don Pablo]

Cheers folks. 

I have parts for one more 84mm mag/PH layer.
The next version will get more tlc, so I can get the tools to sit deeper in the knife.
I reckon red alox would look decent enough. Maybe replace the corkscrew with a backspring screwdriver to avoid needing a backscale cutout?

I hope other will join in the 84mm fun
-Tom

Alox with backtools Alox with backtools Alox with backtools Alox with backtools Alox with backtools Alox with backtools 

[twiliter]

Nice work Tom! 

[kottskrapa]

Awesome work!

[It's not failure if you learn something from it]

[El Corkscrew]

 

[Simyo]

I built mine using the old mag glass and new Phillips and that particular 91mm backspring.  However I ground down the backspring to make the Philips fit and function as well as get it at a lower angle in the closed position.  I'll take a look and see if I have any build photos on my phone.  But I love the 84mm scientists its one of my favorites to carry as well.

[Simyo]

I was unable to find any of the build photos where it shows how I ground my spring, but I used the old 91mm backspring.  I didn’t think any of the 84mm backsprings were the correct thickness for the mag glass and Philips.  I’m still able to access the nail nick on the main blade and the mag glass.  Just a different way to skin a cat, imodsak suggested this technique to me.

[T14]

Great Job. 

Your version is an improvement over mine in all respects.
- Regrinding the 91mm backspring is the better approach, as this eliminates thickness mismatch issues when peening.
- Seating the tools as low as possible enables nailnick accessibility, a problem on my first version.

I will follow your example in february, when I get to muck around with mods again.

Do show off more pictures if you have them
-Tom

[El Corkscrew]

I was unable to find any of the build photos where it shows how I ground my spring, but I used the old 91mm backspring.  I didn’t think any of the 84mm backsprings were the correct thickness for the mag glass and Philips.  I’m still able to access the nail nick on the main blade and the mag glass.  Just a different way to skin a cat, imodsak suggested this technique to me.