2 For 1: A 58mm Scale Mod

[lichan]

Years ago I carried a first-generation MiniChamp with T&T in the scales. In the winter of 2014 I was doing some woodwork using it and idly put it in the pocket of my coat. In the next day or so, I took the coat to a Laundromat to wash it since it was too big to fit in our washing machine. Later I couldn’t find my MiniChamp. Yes, it had still been in the coat pocket, fell out during the wash cycle and stayed in the machine. I can only hope its next owner was converted to SAK appreciation. In looking for a replacement on Amazon, I came across the newest Midnite MiniChamp which I ordered excited to have a pen and flashlight on my new pocket knife. However, I missed the old T&T. I started looking on the internet for ways to add the T&T to the MiniChamp and one of the first things I found was a post by someone called Syph0007 on a forum called MultiTool.org. I joined and began to do searches and read everything I could find here and on other knife forums about “modding”58mm SAKs. I soon determined to build my own giant MiniChamp and include a middle layer with T&T similar to the one Syph007 had done based on this SAAM’s post (http://victorinox.metodi.me/monster58.php).
I’ve taken some apart and done some donor gathering but hadn’t done anything concrete until I saw this thread (https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,75226.msg1243834.html#new) by member George S about putting the short tweezer along the side of 58mm pen scale. I started thinking about adding scale tools to existing scales and an idea was born in the laboratory. The result of which is seen below.

[lichan]

Disclaimer: While this was a new idea to me and I had never seen anything like it before, while I was searching for some of the reference links to include here I found a reference to this idea in the following thread https://forum.multitool.org/index.php?topic=49891.0 by whom else but the  god of SAK mods, Syph0007.

I tend to try things out on cheap Chinese knock-off copies first so I don’t needlessly ruin a good SAK, which is what I did here. The plastic seemed comparable to Victorinox Cellidor. Below you’ll see the three tools I used, a comparison of the scales to show the material to be removed and a comparison of the scale tools. The Chinese versions are not as long or as good as the Vic ones and you can see that one Vic toothpick is actually shorter than the other, whether by design or use is unknown.

[lichan]

The procedure is to use the small utility knife to extend the linear cutout in the middle of the scale to the blocked end and cut out the extra material. Using the head of the T&T mark the dimension of the cutout needed in the top of the scale and use the serrated blade on the LM Clutch to start the cuts. Once the cuts are well defined and the material thin enough the Clutch pliers can be used to break out the opening. The file is used to smooth out the edges.

There’s not enough room in the horizontal cutout in the underside of the scale for the overlapping tweezer and toothpick to fit on a flat liner but two things come into play. By serendipity the cutouts in the outer liners of the Victorinox 58mm knifes gives a little bit of added room. It’s not perfectly centered and I found the toothpick needs to go in the end with the cutout closest. There’s still not enough room so the end of the small, square-shafted file is used as a scraper to remove some more of the scale material. The space does not have to be even across the scale as more needs to be removed nearer the toothpick end as that’s where the open end of the tweezers go. This is an iterative process trying to judge how much space is needed by putting the overlapping T&T on the scale and judge if it will fit in the space on the liner. In my prototype I need to remove a little more material because the scale doesn’t lie perfectly flat. A little glue would also remedy this. I heated the knife in a cup of hot water to soften the scale for both removal and installation but you don’t want to do this too many times or the plastic won’t hold onto the bushings.

The toothpick and tweezers are held quite securely in the scale when both are inserted. The tweezers are are pretty safe when the toothpick is removed but the toothpick is very loose by itself as one would expect, so be careful not to lose the toothpick in this situation.

In a regular 58mm like the Classic SD you now have an extra space on the shield side to store another scale tool like the firefly (https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,74044.0.html) or other fire steel insert of your own making (https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,66883.msg1286168.html#msg1286168) or a pen insert as in this thread (https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,47574.msg781699.html#msg781699). Note that the pen refill used in the 58mm pen scale is too big to fit into the slot but some of the refills in the thread might work especially with some material removed from the scale as done here.

[Fortytwo]

Nicely done! I really miss having the toothpick on my MiniChamp.

[pfrsantos]

Nicely done! I really miss having the toothpick on my MiniChamp.

Miss Having!

[Wspeed]

I would like to see that mod with a ballpoint pen included 

[Wspeed]

Only I can't see the photos on the link

The procedure is to use the small utility knife to extend the linear cutout in the middle of the scale to the blocked end and cut out the extra material. Using the head of the T&T mark the dimension of the cutout needed in the top of the scale and use the serrated blade on the LM Clutch to start the cuts. Once the cuts are well defined and the material thin enough the Clutch pliers can be used to break out the opening. The file is used to smooth out the edges.

There’s not enough room in the horizontal cutout in the underside of the scale for the overlapping tweezer and toothpick to fit on a flat liner but two things come into play. By serendipity the cutouts in the outer liners of the Victorinox 58mm knifes gives a little bit of added room. It’s not perfectly centered and I found the toothpick needs to go in the end with the cutout closest. There’s still not enough room so the end of the small, square-shafted file is used as a scraper to remove some more of the scale material. The space does not have to be even across the scale as more needs to be removed nearer the toothpick end as that’s where the open end of the tweezers go. This is an iterative process trying to judge how much space is needed by putting the overlapping T&T on the scale and judge if it will fit in the space on the liner. In my prototype I need to remove a little more material because the scale doesn’t lie perfectly flat. A little glue would also remedy this. I heated the knife in a cup of hot water to soften the scale for both removal and installation but you don’t want to do this too many times or the plastic won’t hold onto the bushings.

The toothpick and tweezers are held quite securely in the scale when both are inserted. The tweezers are are pretty safe when the toothpick is removed but the toothpick is very loose by itself as one would expect, so be careful not to lose the toothpick in this situation.

In a regular 58mm like the Classic SD you now have an extra space on the shield side to store another scale tool like the firefly (https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,74044.0.html) or other fire steel insert of your own making (https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,66883.msg1286168.html#msg1286168) or a pen insert as in this thread (https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,47574.msg781699.html#msg781699). Note that the pen refill used in the 58mm pen scale is too big to fit into the slot but some of the refills in the thread might work especially with some material removed from the scale as done here.

[lichan]

Only I can't see the photos on the link

Try the PhotoBucket fixes mentioned in https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,73945.msg1555215.html#msg1555215.

[zoidberg]

Awarded.   

[ThePeacent]

Disclaimer: While this was a new idea to me and I had never seen anything like it before, while I was searching for some of the reference links to include here I found a reference to this idea in the following thread https://forum.multitool.org/index.php?topic=49891.0 by whom else but the  god of SAK mods, Syph0007.

I tend to try things out on cheap Chinese knock-off copies first so I don’t needlessly ruin a good SAK, which is what I did here. The plastic seemed comparable to Victorinox Cellidor. Below you’ll see the three tools I used, a comparison of the scales to show the material to be removed and a comparison of the scale tools. The Chinese versions are not as long or as good as the Vic ones and you can see that one Vic toothpick is actually shorter than the other, whether by design or use is unknown.

well that is a proudly made in Spain Aitor multi-purpose knife   
But I agree on all other points.

oh and on your (nice) mod I guess you used a Gerber Clutch, not a Leatherman Clutch.
LM wouldn't be able to make such a puny, flimsy tool I bet   

[lichan]

well that is a proudly made in Spain Aitor multi-purpose knife   
But I agree on all other points.

oh and on your (nice) mod I guess you used a Gerber Clutch, not a Leatherman Clutch.
LM wouldn't be able to make such a puny, flimsy tool I bet   

You might be correct on it being Aitor, according to the logo, but the tang stamp on the blade is "Stainless China" so it could be a Chinese knockoff of Aitor or Aitor is using Chinese suppliers. And, of course, you are correct about it being a Gerber Clutch. It's not very comfortable to use much force on the pliers because the sharp corners on the handles dig into your palm but it's one of the few small multi-tools (besides other Gerbers) that I have with a serrated blade.

[lichan]

On the way home from work tonight it popped into my head that it wasn't a Gerber Clutch, it's a Gerber Vise. The clutch does not have a serrated blade.

[ThePeacent]

Dime, Splice, Vise, Clutch...too many mini Gerbers!!!   
and all with few letters in their name