A Long Tale of a Modded Rebar

[Max Stone]

A Long Tale of a Modded Rebar...grab a coffee if you plan to read this 

I’ve now had some time with my modded Rebar, so I though it would be worthwhile to give some feedback. As I’m no expert modder (this was my first effort), I thought it would be valuable to share my experience. It may be of interest to others that are also new to this or may be considering modifying their Rebar.

I welcome feedback from the experts, as I’m sure there are things that I could have done differently or better. A lot of what I did was based on what I read in this forum with a healthy dose of caution thrown into the mix. I’m going to break down my story into 4 sections, released as I get time to write them:

Rebar recap…why it’s a good base for modifications.

Level 1 – Fit & Finish…fixing the basics.

Level 2 – Non-destructive Mods…some simple changes.

Level 3 – Permanent Mods…no going back after these.

A Word of Caution

Before I get started, a couple of disclaimers. Firstly, what I did to my Rebar invalidated my 25-year warranty instantly and is unlikely to impress anyone at Leatherman. While it is possible to undo the mods right up to and including Level 2, you will leave a trace of your naughtiness the moment you crack the thread lock. Secondly, working with razor-sharp tools that rotate at 35,000 RPM can be dangerous. A Dremel may be small, but a wayward cutting disk will slice you up worse than a rabid hedgehog.

Level 3 requires a steady hand and some skilled work with a Dremel, so give this some thought before diving in. Wear the right safety gear and accept that you could destroy your Rebar. These mods take time and patience, and the results may largely be only appreciated by yourself and a few other crazy (enthusiastic) individuals. Certainly not your wife or girlfriend unless they’re the prepper type. You may never be 100% satisfied with your results if you are a perfectionist or cannot accept the best compromised solution. But you will end up with a unique Leatherman that you can be proud of, even with its faults and flaws.

So enough with the scare-tactics. I found the effort most rewarding, especially the problem-solving aspects, and getting a result that exceeds the usefulness of the original product. I was not looking to create the ultimate MacGyver tool, just a few useful additions while keeping the overall aesthetics of the Rebar intact.

Rebar Recap

If you know Leatherman products, you’ll know the Rebar. However, if you’ve been on a Tibetan pilgrimage for the last seven years, or found this thread thanks to some clever search engine analytics, you may not know what the Rebar is, or where it fits into the broader Leatherman family. So here’s the crash course, with a few of my opinions.

Leatherman launched the Rebar in 2012. It follows the same design trend of its larger brother, the Super Tool 300, launched a few years earlier. The Rebar can be considered the modern incarnation of the original multitool Tim Leatherman (yes, a real guy) brought to market back in 1983, the PST (Personal Survival Tool). I think the name “personal survival” is more a tongue-in-cheek reference to Tim’s struggle to get his first deal (a story by itself), but regardless, the Rebar shares the same DNA; two stamped metal handles and a folding plier head attached by rivets at one end and several folding tools attached with more rivets at the other – yes, that simple. The Rebar adds a few enhancements with the benefit of 35+ years of development, such as stronger pliers, locking tools, easier access and more comfort – but side by side, they are remarkably similar.

The Rebar falls into what I call the ‘’classic” style of Leathermans. These are the multitools that follow the original design of inside-folding tools, and are more the working-man’s preference. A little basic, but honest. Only the Micra, Crunch, Super Tool 300 and Rebar remain to represent this hardworking side of the range, possibly due to the lack of “glitz & gadgets” that sells better on the retail shelf? Increasing competition and the need to escape the boundaries of the inside opening design led to the launch of the Wave in 1998, the first Leatherman with outside-opening tools. Tool count per design began to swell, but as this side of the Leatherman portfolio grew in numbers, so did their weight and bulk. The full-sized Leathermans are no longer so pocketable. Sure, the Wave added a few more tools into the same 4” closed length of the PST, but the weight rocketed by over 50%.

No points for my preferences, but there’s something fundamentally attractive about the simplicity of the original Leatherman designs. I guess the “form follows function” rule is less relevant when market share and business profitability take priority? Oops, I hope I’m not offending anyone? Remember, these are multi tools designed for a hard life…even Lamborghini once made tractors.

So whether you share my sentiments or not, the Rebar represents a classic design that is highly functional and easily adaptable. Indeed, Leatherman has already released a knifeless Rebar that adds scissors, ditching both the plain edge (PE) and serrated edge (SE) knives. Want scissors and a knife in a full-sized model, no worries…in the Classic range you have the PST II, Flair, Kick, Fuse, Blast and Pulse…oh, sorry, these are all now discontinued models. I guess our working man doesn’t need namby-pamby scissors on the construction site? If you want scissors and a blade, buy a Wave. Now there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with the Wave. It is, after all, Leatherman’s top seller. It’s just that I prefer the design of the Rebar, and maybe Leatherman are smart enough (or I’m cynical enough), to know that they would lose some sales of their $100 best seller to the $60 Rebar if it had a knife and scissors?

So this was probably the longest-winded justification of why the Rebar is a good base for modding. But there is some method to the madness that drives some of us to obsessively tinker with these products, especially the classic designs.

Beyond the inside-folding design and simple locking lever system, the Rebar features 4 generous full-length slots to stow longer tools alongside the pliers (blades, saws, files), and the 12mm (0.5in) tool capacity per handle can support 5 or even 6 folding tools each. This opens-up many options for the modder to add or change the tools tucked away inside the Rebar. To create more comfort when using the pliers, the Rebar features rolled-edges on the handle stampings. However, to prevent these rolled edges from trapping the tools (they are rolled to the inside), the sides of the handles are shaped with a wider opening further from the spine. This compound, ramping shape means that the tool rivets sit inside a small ‘pocket’. Something to consider when it comes to disassembly and fitting a pocket clip…more on this later.

So let’s dive in and get modding!

…more to follow in the coming days…

[ReamerPunch]

 

[Wspeed]

+1

[Sam Lim]

 

[Poncho65]

Great read and I can't wait for the rest

[Aloha]

The Rebar does seem to be a great platform for modding.  Its almost like LM wants us to mod their tools    .

 

[Poncho65]

The Rebar does seem to be a great platform for modding.  Its almost like LM wants us to mod their tools    .

 

 

[Max Stone]

…continuing from where I left off yesterday.

Level 1 – Fit & Finish

If your Rebar is new (like mine was), or possibly a used one that’s been collecting dust (hopefully not rust), there’s a high likelihood that it’s stiff like an old man. It’s a common complaint that the pivots are over-tight. Understanding the geometry and design of your Rebar will help to address this problem, and you’ll probably want to fix these fit and finish issues before you start taking it apart, right?

There are 2 ‘actions’ that need to be addressed separately if your Rebar is suffering from a case of the stiffness. The first is the head (pliers), and the second is the tail (tools). The head action has 3 pivot points made up of the plier’s pivot and the 2 pivots where the pliers join the handles. All 3 can be unpleasantly factory stiff. The plier’s pivot is a press fit that cannot be adjusted unless you have a hydraulic press and the right dies, but will generally loosen-up with time and use. The pivots in the handles can be over-tightened, making the pliers stiff to open and close…however the main culprit is the shaped cam on the back edge of the pliers that interfaces with the flat spring rivetted inside each handle. It’s easy to see that the cams increase in width around their circumference, increasing the friction (and stiffness) as you open the handles, with a flattened section and detent right at the end of the cam that creates the distinctive locking action. The cam and spring have not had a chance to bed in to each other out of the factory, so the friction (stiffness) is high.

I do not recommend lubricating immediately, or using grinding paste (or toothpaste). I found that the best way to break-in the friction surface is to pick a good movie and work the Leatheman dry by repeated opening-closing cycles – literally hundreds of cycles. Monitor the heat build-up in the pivots – this indicates the friction of the parts in contact. You want them warm as this means the metal will be expanding a little to help increase the friction action, but I don’t recommend working the pivots so that they’re hot, as it may become unpleasantly stiff if the metal expands too much, and you’ll be wearing contact surfaces that may not be the same when the parts are cool. You want to see a dark grey residue coming off the cams (yes, ground metal) as the surfaces bed in. It may not seem to loosen up while it’s warm, but let it cool (take a comfort break) and you may find it’s a little looser. Only once I felt some improvement did I add some light oil to the pivots to draw out the residue. You’ll literally see the metal ooze out the plier’s central pivot once you add some oil and work it. I repeated this cycle a few times over a few days, and eventually had a butter-smooth rotation on the cams, a free-swinging central pivot, and a reassuring ‘snap’ when opening or closing the handles. I did not need to loosen the pivots at all. Oh, there are also 4 thin brass washer bearings that ride at each side of the 4 points where the handles capture the pliers, and these will also bed in as you work your magic moves.

The tail is a little more problematic, as you may need a special tool to loosen the pivots that capture the tools inside each handle. But before doing this, I recommend a little dry working on every tool individually, to help bed in the tools that rub against one another around the pivot, and where they rub against the locking lever tab.

Leatherman introduced the controversial tool ‘clumping’ feature some years ago to make it easier to select the desired tool. Clumping is nothing more than a result of friction, dragging adjacent tools as you pull out one in the group. It’s easy to prevent (reduce) clumping by adding washers, as Leatherman did on earlier designs, and something you can do in your own modding. The Rebar does isolate the PE and SE blades from the rest of the tools with two thin, non-rotating washers, so that you can flip out the blades independently. Of course, you don’t want the tools to be loose, or they may swing out when the handles are open. For safety, the blades have a rising cam towards the end of the closing cycle that creates a positive stowed position, and also the pleasant ‘snap’ when closing – very much like a Victorinox penknife. If you are not getting the ‘snap’, you’ll need to loosen up the blades by working the tool, adding some lube, and possibly loosening the pivots (proceed in that order).

Leatherman uses its tried-and-tested proprietary knurled rivets on the Rebar (technically, one half is an ultra-low head cap screw). There are no off-the-shelf tools available that fit these rivets, and Leatherman is understandably not about to ship you one (“you want to do what!?”). So you have a few options. If you are really desperate, you can try to grab the tiny edge of the rivet with some pliers – but regardless of your care, you will certainly damage the rivet’s edge and the surrounding handle, and there’s no guarantee this will even work, so scratch this option. You can buy a pair of custom wrenches from a respected fellow enthusiast known as Loki-Mobile on the bay. Loki probably has the best solution, but if you don’t have time to wait, you can make your own improvised wrenches…which is what I did.

There are a number of suggestions on the web, mostly based on tapping or pressing a close-fit socket over the rivet-head, to create an imprint on the inside edge of the socket, sufficient to grip the edge of the rivet. I was not wild about this idea as it would certainly damage the rivet when creating the imprint, and the clearance around the tail rivets on the Rebar is too small for a socket. You also need to build 3 wrenches, as the rivets on the head and tail are different sizes, and you need to attach to both sides of the head pivot to undo it…more about these differences later.

So instead of a banging on sockets and damaging my Rebar, I decided to find a tube of softer metal (brass or aluminum) of suitable diameter, that would deform easily over the rivet to take the knurled shape, and thin-walled enough to not snag on the handle. Looking around, I found the perfect solution; a large termination connector, typically used on welding cables. These are soft enough to take up the shape of the knurled edge and not cause damage (brass-coated aluminum), yet hard enough to hold their shape and grip the rivet. I found two suitable sizes to fit the different sized rivets on the Rebar. The smaller needed a little reaming out to press over the rivet, which was easy to do with some careful drilling. The larger was good to press over the rivet head with no rework.

So here’s the crucial info that’s not obvious from the outside…the larger rivets on the head end (pliers) need to be griped on both ends to undo, otherwise they will just rotate in the handle. So you will need a pair of tools for this end. If you look carefully, the rivet with the lower-profile head is actually the screw, with the other side the female end that creates the pivot surface (make sense?). It’s a good idea to use a hairdryer to loosen the thread-lock before you have a go at cracking the seal. However, the termination connectors gripped so well that I had success unscrewing the pivots without heating. At this stage we’re only using the wrenches to loosen/tighten the pivots and not remove them…that comes in Stage 2. (if you can’t wait, just watch for the washers and I suggest marking the head, pliers and rivets with a Sharpie so you can reassemble in the correct place. You don’t want to miss-match your friction surfaces after all your breaking-in efforts).

Even more important to know is that the smaller rivets on the tail-end are different, not just in size. It’s vital to understand this difference to avoid damaging your Rebar or the wrench. The female part of the rivet is ‘shaved’ along two sides, and sits in a matching slotted hole in the handle. This means it cannot rotate, so you will frustrate yourself immensely if you try to unwind this side of the pivot. Which side is it on the Rebar? It’s easy to determine as it’s the side with the thumb cut-out in the handle, which is also the SE/PE blade side. So you must never try to undo this side…you only need one wrench on the opposite side, which is the cap screw. As this sits in a slight recess you’ll see why you need a custom wrench that fits over the head without snagging the handle.

So armed with your wrenches and this knowledge, you can now twiddle and fiddle to your heart’s content. I did not need to add thread-lock again as I found the screws stayed put even after several reassembly cycles, but you will need thread-lock when you add the pocket-clip. More on this in Level 3.

The final fit & finish tweak that I did was fix the poor alignment of the Rebar’s handles when closed. The stamping of the Rebar’s handles follows a complex shape, so it’s not surprising that Leatherman cannot get a perfectly flush ‘facing’ once they have stamped and rolled each handle’s edge. My sample had high-points on the corners of the thumb cut-outs causing the Rebar to rock front-to-back when closed, a bit like a see-saw. To fix, I (gently) rubbed down these high points on a fine Arkansas polishing stone, at the same time creating a slightly truer surface along the edges of the handles where they meet when closed (a bit like skimming a head gasket). I’m talking about the slightest of rubbing, creating a flatness on the rolled edge maybe 0.2-0.3mm (1/100 inch) wide. No more see-saw and the Rebar closes more securely, with a loud ‘snap’. Nice.

So now your Rebar’s pivots are as smooth as butter, the blades and handles snap closed like a trap and you’ve got some wrenches to loosen and tighten the pivots. This concludes Level 1, which is a great primer on getting to know your Rebar a little better, and being ready to strip it in Level 2.

…next chapter to follow in the coming days…

[Poncho65]

Nice job in making your own Wrenches I bought a set from loki-mobile and they work great as well but I may use this trick on any of the knurled screws I find that aren't a perfect fit for them (some of the older LM seem to be off a bit sometimes)

Great part 2 and can't wait for the next one 

[LoopCutter]

   great write up!  So far.

Just to let you know my stance on the REBAR _ I luv my 3 REBARs just as they were received.  Scissors I have covered with a small SAK or my Micra.   The diamond file handled by tucking a Surge removable file blade in my pocket if I suspect the need.

The pliers, 3-D Phillips and small/medium flat blade, and blades are primary tools utilized.

[Obi1shinobee]

 

[Max Stone]

…continuing from where I left off:

Level 2 – Non-destructive Mods…

Non-destructive modifications mean you can, if you want, return your Rebar to its original state by undoing the changes you make in this level. So you can consider these mods as non-permanent, depending how interested you are in being able to return your Rebar to factory spec.

However, a good point made in a reply to my last post, is that you can be completely satisfied with the Rebar as it is, unmodified. It already has a great tool set, and it’s quite common to see people carrying a second tool like a SAK or Micra, if they need scissors. The point is that the decision to mod is very personal, and many people will see it as unnecessary or not even worth the effort.

In my case, I must admit that the curiosity to modify my Rebar came directly from this forum. I was drawn to the idea that I could add scissors and swap out other tools, creating something unique and a little more useful. It’s probably wasteful, but I also had a spare Wave+ that I was prepared to donate for parts (sorry Wave lovers), as I had decided there were 5 things I wanted to do; swap-out the pliers, add scissors, add a diamond file and fit the small and large bit-adaptors. These would all come from the donor patient.

Like anything in life, some research and planning is sure to improve results, and I spent a good few days wading through the many posts describing what’s possible, and what’s not. One post I came across showed that it was possible to relocate the saw directly next to the PE blade without interfering with the pliers. This triggered a cascade of ideas, including freeing up a slot for another long tool, in my case, a diamond file.

Here are a few considerations when planning to swap or move tools around on a Rebar:

-   It’s really essential to get a digital calliper to measure things.
-   A pivot load (tool stack) between 12.00-12.20mm (0.47-0.78in) works best. No more or less.
-   Find a screwdriver with a suitable shank diameter to simulate a pivot and help test tool stack sizes.
-   Tool widths are typically 1.80/2.40/5.00mm (0.07/0.09/0.2in) with some variations. I drew up a simple spreadsheet to record my tools’ exact widths, and to test stack combinations.
-   Long tools (PE/SE knives, file, saw) must be on the very outside ends of the pivots.
-   If you like the Vic scissors from their 91mm SAKs, these will go into a slot for a long tool, but I did not have one to test, so I cannot comment further on this mod.
-   Some shorter tools, if placed in the middle, will still snag on the pliers when closed. These need to be kept next to the blades to clear the plier tips, or modified.
-   Rebar uses 2 non-rotating washers 0.13mm (0.005in) next to each blade to stop clumping. I found that one is sufficient if the pivot tightness is set correctly and the tools are bedded in.
-   The 1.25mm (0.05in) spacer washer and 1.60mm (0.06in) lanyard can be ground thinner to get an ideal tool stack, but then you cannot return the Rebar to its original state.
-   Some tools from other LMs will work in the Rebar without modification, such as the Wave’s inside-opening tools.
-   Some tools will need major reshaping to fit the Rebar, such as the Wave’s diamond file.

This was the original tool load of my Rebar:

Handle A
PE Knife                    1.79
Narrow washer               0.13
Narrow washer               0.13
Medium Screwdriver          2.39
Awl                         2.38
Small Screwdriver           1.80
Lanyard                     1.60
File                        1.78
TOTAL                      12.00

Handle B
SE Knife                    1.80
Narrow washer               0.13
Narrow washer               0.13
Tin Opener                  1.88
Phillips Screwdriver        5.02
Washer                      1.25
Saw                         1.82
TOTAL                      12.03

My first new arrangement moved the saw from Handle B to A, replaced the Phillips with the large bit adapter, remove both flat screwdrivers, added the small bit adapter and added a diamond file (resized from the Wave), but I was ultimately not happy with the bit adapters. I could not see a frequent need for the small one, and the larger seemed just too much of a compromise. And if I was to carry spare bits, I may as well have the standard Phillips and use the 1/4in adapter…a combination that’s stronger, provides more reach and ultimately, provides more options.

Another issue I picked up was that the rounded tips of the Wave pliers would occasionally push sideway and get trapped against the bit in the large bit adapter, interfering with the closing of the Rebar. Try as I may, I could not find a configuration that placed the bit adapter dead central. It’s no issue with the flat tips of the original Rebar pliers, but I really wanted the Wave’s rounded pliers. So back went the standard Phillips and medium screwdriver. Nice wide area on the Phillips for the plier’s tip to slide on, so no more trapping. Of interest, have a look inside a Signal. LM must have had a similar issue, as they have added a fixed ‘pin’ that pokes up inside the handle, that the pliers ride against when closing. Oh well, you live and learn!

So this was my final tool load, and I’m very satisfied with this (for the moment at least):

Handle A
PE Knife                    1.79
Narrow washer               0.13
Saw                         1.82
Tin Opener                  1.88
Medium Screwdriver          2.39
Scissors (from Wave)        2.40
File                        1.78
TOTAL                      12.19

Handle B
SE Knife                    1.80
Narrow washer               0.13
Narrow washer               0.13
Awl                         2.38
Phillips Screwdriver        5.02
Lanyard                     1.00
Diamond File(modified Wave) 1.77
TOTAL                      12.23

You’ll note that my totals ended up a little wider than stock – something I could not avoid if I wanted all the tools. But it’s OK as the inside handle gap (between the rolled edges) is almost identical at the tool pivot side, compared to the gap closer to the pliers, and I’ve had no issues with tool deployments.

Some people reported having to shave the thumb tab of the scissors, or snagging on other tools when they are deployed. My config was a simple drop-in without any mods needed. There’s no snagging or catching on other tools.

Before this final config, I also had the tin opener central, so I had to grind it down a little on the top to give the pliers enough clearance, and thin down the lanyard to 1.00mm (0.04in) to keep it in the load. However, I was already committed to a Level 3 mod, so I was no longer interested in being able to return the Rebar to factory spec. I’m sure it would be possible to find an alternative load that does not require modifying the individual tools, but possibly not keeping all the tools I ended up with.

By far the biggest challenge I had was drilling a new pivot hole in the Wave’s diamond file. I don’t have the benefit of a machine shop, and all my drilling efforts did little more than create a tiny indent in the surface, and blunted half a dozen bits. Eventually I tried a different approach. I used a small conical grinding stone on my Dremel to create a small hole, and then I shaped the grinding stone on an old file into a small, cylindrical shape, sized for the Rebar’s pivot. I could then grind the new pivot hole to be a perfect fit. Once the new hole was in, I could reprofile the file using a Dremel and diamond cutting disk. I have to say that I am pleased with the final result and the diamond file is a great compliment to the super-aggressive Rebar file that’s still there.

So that concludes the non-destructive mods. At least for the Rebar, and only if you hold back on altering any of the existing tools. I hope that I’ve provided a few ideas for anyone looking to swap out tools on their Rebar, and some of the planning and work that needs to go into the exercise.

So now we’re fully committed with our Rebar mod, so my last instalment will cover what I needed to do to add a pocket clip, and how I fixed the play on my Rebar’s tools when locked.

…final chapter to follow in the coming days…

[SteveC]

 

[Wspeed]

Excellent work 

[Poncho65]

Excellent pics Max I like the write up and the tables you made of the tools in each handles

And I am ready for the next chapter

 

[Max Stone]

Thanks Steve, WS, Poncho. 

Got a bit technical...but I had lots of fun doing the mods and writing it up.

[Max Stone]

…continuing from where I left off. The (almost) final chapter.

Level 3 – Permanent Mods.

Multitools are many things to many people, but what unites them all is their ability to be carried on your person. This ‘portability’ is one of the many compromises woven into these remarkable tools, restricting them to around 4 inches long and 6-7oz in weight (10cm, 170-200g). Anything more, and they can become a little of a burden. Anything less, and they fall into the ‘pocket’ or ‘keychain’ category, blending in with the other carry-items that you may have on your person.

Carry options for a full-sized multitool are typically limited to using a lanyard or pocket clip attached directly to the multitool, or dropping the multitool into a sheath or holster attached to the belt. While a belt sheath is a great carry option, it’s sometimes not convenient to wear a sheath, and sometimes even impossible if you’re wearing pants that don’t take a belt.

The Leatherman PST and PST II never had clip options. This feature first appeared on the Sideclip in 1998, with Leatherman saying that “…the tool can be clipped almost anywhere for instant access.” Since then, Leatherman has included the pocket clip as standard equipment on most of their full-sized multitools, or at least offering it as an accessory.

The Rebar is the only full-size tools out of Leatherman’s current range (with normal pliers), without a clip option. Maybe because it’s seen as a ’mini’ Supertool (also clipless, but a little heavy for one), but for whatever reason, the lack of a clip limits the Rebar’s carry options significantly. This is a real shame as the Rebar is one of Leatherman’s most popular models.

So it’s no surprize that adding a pocket clip to the Rebar is without doubt the most popular mod for this model. But to do a good job, you need to accept permanently modifying your Rebar without the option of returning it to an original state, short of replacing the handle. I will cover what I did to fit a pocket clip to my Rebar. I’m calling this a level-3 mod, as there’s no going back once you commit to this modification.

First requirement is sourcing a pocket clip that will work on the Rebar. Leatherman list a few pocket clip options for current models, but none of these match the rectangular shape of the Rebar, and they would need modification before attachment, so are not really suitable. Fortunately Leatherman offered a pocket clip as an accessory on the now discontinued Kick, a near copy of the pocket clip on the Sideclip going back 20+ years…just with the “Leatherman” wording stamped in a different orientation. The Kick pocket clip accessory is long discontinued, but still available if you hunt around, although they are beginning to thin out as retailers run down their stock or dump EOL products. The pocket clip accessory is supplied with a torx cap screw so that you can install the clip directly over one of the pivots of the Kick, which is already tapped for this very purpose. We have to take a different approach with the Rebar.

Now it is possible to simply trim off the tab on the side of the pocket clip that stops it rotating on the handle on the Kick or Sideclip, and fit the  clip “as is” below one of the Rebar’s knurled rivets…but it will just twist around on you, as it’s impossible to torque down the rivet sufficiently to stop this without locking up the tools.

So it’s necessary to disassemble your Rebar, and cut a slot in the handle’s edge next to the pivot. I chose the pivot on the handle side without the thumb cut-out, so the clip would not interfere with the access to the blade. I also chose the pivot that is the cap-screw side, so that I could use the supplied torx cap screw to thread into the existing longer pivot rivet, effectively replacing the Rebar’s knurled rivet cap screw, which went into my spares bin.

So out came my trusty Dremel with diamond cutter. But I soon realized there was a problem. I could not get a secure fit with the clip, even with the slot cut to match the tab. The problem was the shaped handles of the Rebar that form a partial pocket around the pivot hole. This shaping makes it impossible to get the head of the pocket clip flush with the handle.

The only effective option is to grind down a circular area around the pivot hole that matches the shape of the clip, to get a flush surface. But extreme care is needed, otherwise you could grind through to the other side, weakening the handle and pivot hole area. Using a small cylindrical grinding stone on my Dremel, I was able to grind just enough of the handle away to get a flat ‘landing’ for the clip. It was still at a slight angle to keep some integrity of the metal around the pivot hole, but I got a good fit. It was very slow going as I had to grind, check and test the fit repeatedly, removing metal in very small incremental amounts.

As a side note, I consider one of those adjustable ring-light magnifying lamps essential for this delicate work. I guess some head-mounted magnifying glasses like watch-makers or surgeons use could also work. I very much doubt I would have been able to get this mod done unaided, as I was trimming metal away in tiny increments, sometimes 1/100in at a time.

I found it essential in the grinding-testing phase that the mounting hole of the clip was centred on the pivot hole. Otherwise I could not get the match expected when I eventually screwed down the clip. I just eyeballed it, as the pivot hole is smaller than the hole in the clip, so it was easy to ensure it was centred while I worked away at trimming metal.

And this brings me to the last element of the mod. The mounting hole in the clip is bigger than the pivot hole, because the clip was originally designed to fit over the existing rivet, and then secured with the slightly oversized diameter torx cap screw supplied. However, as we cannot follow this option, the clip will have a lot of play underneath the cap screw, as the rivet is missing. And no, drilling and tapping the existing rivet was not at option. People have tried this and failed.

I looked around and found some thin aluminium plate that was the right thickness, and I simply fashioned a washer of the right diameter with the correct sized pivot hole. I press-fitted this inside the clip’s mounting hole using a hammer and drift. Not difficult, as the aluminium is soft, and there’s some knurling on the inside of the clip’s hole. If your custom washer’s diameter is right, it will tap in gently and stay there. With this method, I effectively resized the pocket clip’s mounting hole to match the torx cap screw, preventing any play once the clip was mounted. The aluminium is not going to go anywhere once assembled, and it’s not a load-bearing washer, so I’m comfortable with this choice of material as it was easy to machine and fit.

At last the job was done and I’m satisfied with a result. It’s tidy, functional and does not interfere with any of the tools. The clip does rotate maybe 1mm (0.04in), which is less than my Sideclip. But only because with this type of clip, you cannot torque down the cap screw without jamming up the tools. I did find it necessary to apply thread lock, as the cap screw would slowly undo over several days of carry, but the thread lock sorted this, and this is no different to what Leatherman use to secure the pivots in the factory. I’ve ordered a few more Kick pocket clips as I’m sure this won’t be the last Leatherman I add one to.

So this concludes the Level 3 modification to my Rebar, but this is not the last post in this series. I’ve not covered the brass bushings I added to the locking lever pins, something that can technically be undone, but is really a permanent mod as it fixes the unpleasant tool wobble I had on my sample. I’m going to leave this for the next, and final chapter.

…final, final chapter to follow in the coming days…

[Poncho65]

Another excellent write up and I love the pics as well that is on e again for taking the time to do these and can't wait for the final chapter

[Juan el Boricua]

This got to be one of the most comprehensive, detailed and easily understandable mod write up! Kudos to you, Max,  for your mods and write up; really liking a lot your 'bar. Thank you for "encouraging" me to look for a Rebar to work on it.

[Max Stone]

Thanks Poncho and Juan. 

[Raoul Octav]

I knew that the Flair was the first Leatherman with outside-opening tool, the corckscrew

[zoidberg]

I knew that the Flair was the first Leatherman with outside-opening tool, the corckscrew

Huh, I thought it was the Wave.   

[Raoul Octav]

Well, Flair 1999, Wave 1998..so Wave wins

[Vin2116]

I'm new to this site and do not really know my way around.  Can anyone tell me if the final chapter of A Long Tale of a Modded Rebar has been posted and if so, where can I find it?  Thank you.

[Poncho65]

Welcome to Vin

I don't believe there was ever a next part

Plenty of stuff here to read about the Rebar though

A lot of the mod stuff is over in the Mod Squad sub forum just search Rebar and a lot of the Rebar mod threads will show up

If you need anymore help just let me or one of the other moderators know

[Vin2116]

Thank you for answering.  There is certainly a lot to read.

[Vin2116]

Poncho, thanks for the info.  I am an old man without much computer knowledge.  Can you tell me how to get to the Mod Squad sub forum?

[m47mu74nt]

Poncho, thanks for the info.  I am an old man without much computer knowledge.  Can you tell me how to get to the Mod Squad sub forum?

Here it is :
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/board,16.0.html

 

[Poncho65]

Thanks m47 for the link

After getting there click on the magnifying glass icon towards the top and that will bring search up

[Vin2116]

Poncho, Thank you again.