Multitool.org Forum
Tool Talk => The Mod Squad => Topic started by: J-sews on May 20, 2008, 05:30:33 AM
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(DaveK came up with this mod for getting rid of the annoying "wibble-wobble" from the Kick Pocket Clip. The posts were buried in another thread, so I split them off and gave the topic its own thread)
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Interesting review Spoon robot - cheers.
Slightly off topic, but seeing the pocket clip there reminded me....
Does anyone else find that the Kick pocket clip is irritatingly loose? I have a regular kick and a BO model and on both of them there is an annoying amount of play in the clips - enough to make me remove the clips and confine the tools to my toolbox. (At least I'll never have rust problems I guess).
I just wondered if I'd been unlucky or whether it was normal.
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Yeah, they are all like that.. But, you could bend the tab a little or even put a dab of super glue on it.
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Yeah, they are all like that.. But, you could bend the tab a little or even put a dab of super glue on it.
Believe it or not I tried both of those things and they both worked a bit - for a while.......
I've an idea though - I'll report back later (if it works).
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Please report back. The loose clip is one of those things that hasn't ever affected me functionally but it is annoying to interact with. Things on multis should be pleasantly tight, not wibbly/wobbly.
Sorted! Well sort of.
I started looking at this ages ago, but having a short attention span must have found something more interesting to do.
The problem is, basically that the thickness of the clip is less than the depth of the head of the threaded rivet that the clip screw attaches to, if you see what I mean. So even if you tighten the clip screw up very firmly, the clip itself still rattles about. Like Spoonrobot says wibbly/wobbly.
So, the solution is to pad the clip with a washer so that the clip screw meets it properly. It works!
I've taken a couple of pics of what I just did, but irritatingly, the batteries just died on my camera :-[
When I can power the camera back up - I'll post 'em up so you can see what I'm banging on about.
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OK, I managed to get enough juice into the camera to download the pictures.
1) In the first picture you can see what I used, and if you look closely, I made a very rough and ready cardboard 'washer'.
2) Put the washer over the collar of the pin that the clip screw fits into.
3) Attach the clip in the normal way.
Now obviously this is a bit crude, but it works really well. The clip still moves, but needs some force exerted to do it. It is no longer wibbly/wobbly!
I'm betting that a small O ring or similar would make for a better (certainly tidier) solution - so I'll look out for one at the hardware store at the weekend.
If you're reading Mr Leatherman - include a washer or O ring with the clips in the future!
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:D
Stellar captioning job and good mod! Let us know what size o-ring works if you find one. I don't have anything suitable in my house to use but I'll look this weekend.
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Great idea DaveK. Macgyver would be proud.
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Great idea DaveK. Macgyver would be proud.
lol
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Good post and pic's DaveK,a nylon washer works real good.
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Kudos on the washer idea DaveK! :multi:
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Topic given its own thread and moved to the Mod Forum. 8)
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Nice fix!
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Update!
Well, I was in the local hardware store at the weekend (a brief moment of respite whilst decorating our front room) and couldn't find an O-ring or nylon washer that fitted the bill.
So, the quest is on. I'll try a few more places next weekend and let you know what transpires.
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How about getting a rod of nylon the right diameter, drill a hole in it, cut a bit off, sand down to the right thickness....."instant" home made washer? It's a thought if you can find a nylon rod that is :)
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How bout some plastic tubing? the kind of water line for a fridge. You can buy it rather cheap by the foot and can get pretty close to the desired size ;)
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I must have been lucky. My Kick's pocket clip was tight.
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Well I found some O-rings that fit the bill, and they work perfectly!
I found that if I tighten the clips too much, then that does reduce the wobble, but there is a trade off as the bottle-opener and crosspoint driver become too tight to open comfortably, so by simply adjusting the tension on the pocket-clip screw, I eventually found a nice balance.
The elasticity in the rubber O-ring means that although the clip can be moved left to right if you force it, it will actually snap back to where you positioned it when released. You could think of the lateral movement as similar to the vertical movement of the clip - i.e. if you get your nail under the end of the clip, pull and release, it snaps back down.
Yup - that'll do for me.
I have used a slightly larger O ring on the BO Kick in the pictures, that's why the clip appears a bit more raised - I'm not sure which I prefer just yet.....
I've added some pics, but they're not very exciting :D
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Where did you find them and what size, about?
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Sorry - should have said....
I found a selection of assorted orings in a branch of Maplins (don't know if you have them over there - a bit like radio shack really). Cost me £2.99 ($6) for 225 assorted rings!
Sorry for all you imperialists (?) out there but the measurements in the pictures are all in metric......
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So thickness-wise, do you prefer the thin paper or the thick o-ring underneath the clip?
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So thickness-wise, do you prefer the thin paper or the thick o-ring underneath the clip?
The O-ring - definitely. The flex it gives by far outweighs the extra width IMO.
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Nothing anyway... :D
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I tried the paper and the o-ring the o-ring worked better me also good mod thanks for searing.
Mike
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I tried the O ring mod on my Kick the other day. It worked great, but my o-ring was a little too large so I tried experimenting with other materials.
I think I found another simple way to dewobble the Kick clip.
All I did was place a small metal washer between the clip and screw. Seems to work just as well as the O ring on my Kick at least.
If the action becomes too tight and it is hard to access the phillips, you can loosen the knurled screw on the other side a tad with another clip or some pliers.
The clip has an extremely small amount of side-to-side motion afterward, similar to the O ring version.
You can tighten it until there is no motion, but it makes the tools very hard to get out of that handle.
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Sorted! Well sort of.
I started looking at this ages ago, but having a short attention span must have found something more interesting to do.
The problem is, basically that the thickness of the clip is less than the depth of the head of the threaded rivet that the clip screw attaches to, if you see what I mean. So even if you tighten the clip screw up very firmly, the clip itself still rattles about. Like Spoonrobot says wibbly/wobbly.
So, the solution is to pad the clip with a washer so that the clip screw meets it properly. It works!
I've taken a couple of pics of what I just did, but irritatingly, the batteries just died on my camera :-[
When I can power the camera back up - I'll post 'em up so you can see what I'm banging on about.
Hi DaveK,
I don't have a Leatherman Kick (yet), but if I may offer a suggestion... use a lock washer instead of a standard flat washer or even a nylon one. The lock washer will have the 'bite' to prevent the clip from moving.
Caution! May scratch surfaces. (But the scratch surface is only around the washer area, which won't be visible anyway)
Well I found some O-rings that fit the bill, and they work perfectly!
I found that if I tighten the clips too much, then that does reduce the wobble, but there is a trade off as the bottle-opener and crosspoint driver become too tight to open comfortably, so by simply adjusting the tension on the pocket-clip screw, I eventually found a nice balance.
The elasticity in the rubber O-ring means that although the clip can be moved left to right if you force it, it will actually snap back to where you positioned it when released. You could think of the lateral movement as similar to the vertical movement of the clip - i.e. if you get your nail under the end of the clip, pull and release, it snaps back down.
Yup - that'll do for me.
I have used a slightly larger O ring on the BO Kick in the pictures, that's why the clip appears a bit more raised - I'm not sure which I prefer just yet.....
I've added some pics, but they're not very exciting :D
If you prefer using an o-ring instead, why not get those rubber gaskets that are used in water taps/shower heads? They are also rubber, but they are flat on both sides. It will look better (subjective) than an o-ring which looks like it is bulging out of the clip/screw when flattened.
k
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Whoah, thread necro. :ahhh
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Just thought of another idea but I will try it out to see if it works first.
Whoah, thread necro. :ahhh
Sorry what does this mean? Something like bringing back a buried thread? :think:
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Just thought of another idea but I will try it out to see if it works first.
Whoah, thread necro. :ahhh
Sorry what does this mean? Something like bringing back a buried thread? :think:
Yes, but that's not a problem around here.. :tu:
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Just thought of another idea but I will try it out to see if it works first.
Whoah, thread necro. :ahhh
Sorry what does this mean? Something like bringing back a buried thread? :think:
:pok: We need to see this other idea (with pictures please)
Belting it with a hammer was my idea :angel:
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Just thought of another idea but I will try it out to see if it works first.
Whoah, thread necro. :ahhh
Sorry what does this mean? Something like bringing back a buried thread? :think:
Yes, but that's not a problem around here.. :tu:
Thanks man. :tu:
I always run a search to avoid starting duplicate threads. Allows me to see what has been done and how to improve. So I often find myself reading buried threads. The best thing about them is that they are already filled with inputs from members. I learnt alot from here, and I intend to share some of my ideas too, so you will see more unearthing of threads... :D
:pok: We need to see this other idea (with pictures please)
Belting it with a hammer was my idea :angel:
Yes you will :) I have a couple of clips and a kick on order right now. Need to see how much is the clearance first. Wasn't my intention to do this actually but it appears that this is an issue that needs to be addressed. OTOH, it seems like many people are having fun with those mods! So I thought I'd join in.
In the meantime, maybe others can try out my suggestions above and see if it works... or chip in with better ideas! :salute:
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Well this is taking longer than expected. Items still in the mail, but in the meantime, I thought of other ways to fill the gap.
One is to get gasket sheets that are used in engines, some come in a sheet where you can cut out to your desired shape/size. It has varying thickness and materials, some have steel content and some are more like paper.
Another alternative is to get paper hole reinforcement stickers, these can be found in stationery stores. They are adhesive so it's easy to stick. Want it thick, just stick another one on top of the existing layer. If you can't find large ones, just get a larger paper punch to punch out the right size for the screw.
Hope this can help someone! If you use any of these methods please reply to let us know its effectiveness! :)
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Sorry - should have said....
I found a selection of assorted orings in a branch of Maplins (don't know if you have them over there - a bit like radio shack really). Cost me £2.99 ($6) for 225 assorted rings!
Sorry for all you imperialists (?) out there but the measurements in the pictures are all in metric......
DaveK do you have any of these o rings left that I could purchase a dozen or so for use on my kick pocket clip issue as I won't use 225 and I am sure you won't have used them either.
Ray
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The best solution imo is beating the clip gently around the side of the Kick with a small hammer.. :)
My clip can't move as much as a milimeter.. :tu:
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_XvT00BbIRk/TjGG3ecX4cI/AAAAAAAAHKg/4Y6ElAbo7Xw/s400/DSC08441.JPG) (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Bg7ZShdyxW4/TjGG5IbsHoI/AAAAAAAAHKk/UUgS7vd-1VQ/s400/DSC08442.JPG)
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Good show Allan! :salute: Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones. :)
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I just received my Kick Clip and when I did a direct install it was loose as could be and I was not going to leave it like that. I remembered I had some tubing that I was hoping would work for my needs. I had two different sizes and it turns out the bigger one fit perfectly. I first tried to cut a piece off with scissors but I could not get a thin enough piece so I used the Kick's blade to slice off a piece. The piece I ended up using was thinner than the one pictured.
(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad112/ChadV_2010/DSC01894.jpg)
Next up was the thread lock.
(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad112/ChadV_2010/DSC01895.jpg)
(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad112/ChadV_2010/DSC01896.jpg)
I then had to get out the trust Wave and the Torx Bit Kit to tighten the screw.
(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad112/ChadV_2010/DSC01897.jpg)
(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad112/ChadV_2010/DSC01899.jpg)
I tightened the screw and we are good to go. Well not quite. I tightened it so much that I could not get the Phillips or the Can Opener to deploy. I think I found a good median between how tight the screw is and how hard the tools are to deploy. I am going to let the lock tight dry and we are good to go. :tu:
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(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad112/ChadV_2010/DSC01900.jpg)
(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad112/ChadV_2010/DSC01901.jpg)
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That is cool! :tu: Let us know how it works out for you. :salute:
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Did you use fish tank breather plastic hose and approx what was the dia in mm please as this loose pocket clip issue has been driving me nuts so I would value your advice as your mod seems to be the best out of the lot imo could not get hold of any small silcone washers.
regards
Ray
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Did you use fish tank breather plastic hose and approx what was the dia in mm please as this loose pocket clip issue has been driving me nuts so I would value your advice as your mod seems to be the best out of the lot imo could not get hold of any small silcone washers.
regards
Ray
The clip on the BO Kick is "Pre-Beaten" by Leatherman and doing the same yourself is the best permanent solution imo.. Have you tried it?
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(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n184/sparky_415/hammerc.gif)
:tu:
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Did you use fish tank breather plastic hose and approx what was the dia in mm please as this loose pocket clip issue has been driving me nuts so I would value your advice as your mod seems to be the best out of the lot imo could not get hold of any small silcone washers.
regards
Ray
It is 1/4"ID X 3/8"OD (166) I have no idea if it was for a fish tank. I bought it by the foot at my local hardware store. It has worked perfectly and I am very happy with how it is holding up. I will also add before I screwed it on I bent the actual clip to give it better retention in my pocket. Hope this could help. If you have any other questions please ask.
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Vise Grip works great. Allen must be a finish carpenter because i would destroy the poor little LM with a hammer. Thanks to Multimat again for steering me in the right direction,and Pics posted by AHB made the light bulb flicker im my head.
I used 8" Vise Grips for better leverage. The teeth on the plier head grip well on the clip and clip only. No more play in the clip. :tu:
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Nicely executed Bens... :tu: :tu:
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Oh AHB,I had a 22oz hammer and a worn cold chisele on deck to do some damage. I was wishing i had a vise to do the mod with and then it hit me. Vise grips.
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Nicely done sir :salute:
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Nicely done sir :salute:
Im no Sir.
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Nicely done! sir :salute:
Im no Sir.
Oop! :-[
Fixed! :D
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I finally broken down and got the hammer out tonight. One gentle rap and it is now tight as can be.
:multi:
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I finally broken down and got the hammer out tonight. One gentle rap and it is now tight as can be.
:multi:
Good man.. :D :D
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Amici,
Sorry to necropost, but I have solved the Kick clip wobble issue. The fix is easy, all you need is a number 10 washer that can be found for literally nothing at Home Depot and place the washer through the screw BEFORE inserting through the clip. Add a few drops of Loctite and insert into the female pin and tighten. Allow to cure for about 24 hours and no more wobble or anything else.
Although the KICK is discontinued, I find it to be superior to the JUICE for several reasons, the CLIP being reason one, and the weight number two. As for scissors, beside doing a mod, one of the Victorinox money clip models are easily pocket able and fits the need for scissors more than adequate..
Cheers,
Serge