And so it begins.... (My adventures into Alox!)

[Syph007]

Why is orange so popular? Never mind I know now.

Well my wife is Dutch, so orange is popular in my house. 

Orange and black look nice together.  I think black tools and hard anodized scales in orange would be sweet.

Well, that explains it for you, me (my much prettier half is also from the Netherlands) and everybody from down there but not for everybody else. Though I sense a global conspiracy in this...

I think I have a thread around here ... something along the lines "I hate orange!"

 

To be fair males have less color receptors in the eye, so maybe what you see isnt real orange!

[sawman]

Just my 2 USD cents but orange and yellow are my favorite colours. 

[Reinier]

Cool, my wife is Dutch too

[Syph007]

Cool, my wife is Dutch too

Probably lots to pick from where you live.   Less common here but they can be found!   Her family name is Vens.  Know any over there?

[enki_ck]

Cool, my wife is Dutch too

Probably lots to pick from where you live.   Less common here but they can be found!   Her family name is Vens.  Know any over there?

Maybe I should try to find one of those Dutch wives too. Maybe my views would change then.

You guys with personal experience with those models, do you recommend it?

[papercut]

We have a song in the US:

I am a pretty little Dutch girl
As pretty as pretty can be
All the boys on MTO are crazy after me, me, me!

[Syph007]

My springs are done heat treat!

Just got back with them and the hardness is perfect, and they should be just right.



Now to speed up the finishing process this time Im going to invest in a tumbling machine.

I could just get the small bowl vibratory tumbler that would be fine for small parts, OR, go nuts and get the big daddy that would do any tumbling I ever need including larger blades.   This one comes highly recommended by the other blade makers I chat with.



Oh, I chatted up the local heat treat guy about DLC some more.  He thinks he can do a lower temp DLC application (to not damage the temper) so Im going to drop off some of the 91mm spare parts I have as a test run.  If that works I'll do a massive batch.  The normal temp he runs is 400C and that would damage the temper of the SAK parts.

Teletin is also kind enough to run some DLC parts for me as well for a trade and I'll have those to compare my experimental ones too. 

I want a Ti urban pioneer with DLC tools and springs so bad...

[papercut]

Once you get the sauce correct, sounds like you need to hire a couple of assistants from the local VoTech, scout troop, church youth group or art school. Time to get rockin!

[MadPlumbarian]

Could always put them in a dryer! looking good Syph JR

[Glofindel]

wow!! its getting serious now. awesome.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk

[Serena]

Since your wife is Dutch, do you also ship to the Netherlands?

[Syph007]

Since your wife is Dutch, do you also ship to the Netherlands?

Ive sent many there!

I've shipped to countries all over the world, even the ones people say not to ship to, and so far no problems. 

[Reinier]

Many? I always thought I owned the only two Syph007 custom SAKs in the country

[Syph007]

Many? I always thought I owned the only two Syph007 custom SAKs in the country

Nope!  By my reckoning there are at least 10 in your country. 

For overseas orders Germany is close to number 1 for me, then Britain, and The Netherlands.   

Its about an even split for orders going the US and the rest of the world.  Maybe 5 or so in my own country. 

[Serena]

Hmmmmm, that's interesting… Maybe gonna think it over. Interested in the one with usb you're making right now.

[Syph007]

Finally a custom with orange!

This one also has one of the Ver 2.0 backsprings and Im very please to saw that they work excellent, and most importanly the tweaks I made to the inner profile made finishing them much easier.

Ive also got a new sanding / buffing machine white made finishing the back springs much faster.  I think I should be able to pump out the standard mod configurations faster now.

Oh and this configuration I love.  For me the ultimate urban carry.  Metal saw instead of wood saw, scissors and phillips added to a farmer.   

[Glofindel]

Finally a custom with orange!

This one also has one of the Ver 2.0 backsprings and Im very please to saw that they work excellent, and most importanly the tweaks I made to the inner profile made finishing them much easier.

Ive also got a new sanding / buffing machine white made finishing the back springs much faster.  I think I should be able to pump out the standard mod configurations faster now.

Oh and this configuration I love.  For me the ultimate urban carry.  Metal saw instead of wood saw, scissors and phillips added to a farmer.   

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That's nice and thick.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk

[875fps]

Hey man ... had to register so I could post on your thread.  Man you do some absolutely gorgeous work!

I'm extremely interested in modding a few SAKs of my own and there is a TON of useful information here.  I'm only on page 23 and can't wait to have time to finish the rest of it.

From what I'm seeing, it would be cheaper in the long run for me to source some brass liners instead of using the stock ones so that I can make tools of different widths without having to spend a ton to rob liners out of other knives.

For your scissor backsprings, what steel are you using?  Did I read correctly that you use 440?  Is that A, B, or C?  I think I found a company that will waterjet them for me, I just need to come up with a template for them.  I'm still looking for an anodizer so I can put some color in my work!

From what I can tell, the best way to put scissors in a 93mm is to get a Solo and do some modding to the blade's backspring?  I haven't seen exactly what needs to be done to it yet.  Can anyone provide a little help on that?  I would love to be able to put my Farmer back in my pocket with scissors instead of a saw.  It's in a million pieces right now waiting to be put back together.    I have a very limited amount of pivots so I want it to be perfect before I start cutting on them!

I have almost everything I need from knifekits.  I forgot to add washers to my cart, but after going back and looking it doesn't look like they have any 1/8th ones anyway.  I've already taken apart 4 Pioneers and drilled 1/8" pivot holes in them along with a Farmer, and an Explorer (only to find out the Explorer with the gray mag has the longer inline Phillips!!).  From what I'm reading you guys extend the pivot barrels into the actual scales.  I need to look into doing that.  Right now all I've done to my practice SAK is to countersink the middle hole so the torx screw sits flush.

The final part is just acquiring the Alox knives.  I can get Farmers on Amazon for $30.  Is there a local MT guy that sells them cheaper?  I would love to support a local guy if I can.

I love getting my hands dirty and for whatever reason working with these SAKs is very soothing.

Thanks for all the crazy information you're laying on us Syph!!

[MadPlumbarian]

Another Syph! Great job! JR

[Monrogue]

That's a really good one Syph   Love the metal saw instead of the wood saw.

[Etherealicer]

gorgeous

Nice work.

[bmot]

Many? I always thought I owned the only two Syph007 custom SAKs in the country

   

[nj2656]

Nice. If I'm not mistaken that's just the cap lifter and Phillips, no can opener. Don't think I've seen pics of that mod before.

[Syph007]

Nice. If I'm not mistaken that's just the cap lifter and Phillips, no can opener. Don't think I've seen pics of that mod before.

Yup Ive done a couple like that and its a nice option to keep it as slim as possible, but to keep a phillips.

[bmot]

Nice. If I'm not mistaken that's just the cap lifter and Phillips, no can opener. Don't think I've seen pics of that mod before.

Yup Ive done a couple like that and its a nice option to keep it as slim as possible, but to keep a phillips.

That, and it makes it possible for the screwdrivers to be in the middle

[Syph007]

Nice. If I'm not mistaken that's just the cap lifter and Phillips, no can opener. Don't think I've seen pics of that mod before.

Yup Ive done a couple like that and its a nice option to keep it as slim as possible, but to keep a phillips.

That, and it makes it possible for the screwdrivers to be in the middle

Right! That was a benefit, and also the phillips driver doesnt hit the scale and chip it!

[Reinier]

Many? I always thought I owned the only two Syph007 custom SAKs in the country

   


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Cool! I wasn't serious by the way.

Did you leave your SAK stuck in that tree? If so, tell me where it is so I can pick it up

[Syph007]

Hey man ... had to register so I could post on your thread.  Man you do some absolutely gorgeous work!

I'm extremely interested in modding a few SAKs of my own and there is a TON of useful information here.  I'm only on page 23 and can't wait to have time to finish the rest of it.

From what I'm seeing, it would be cheaper in the long run for me to source some brass liners instead of using the stock ones so that I can make tools of different widths without having to spend a ton to rob liners out of other knives.

For your scissor backsprings, what steel are you using?  Did I read correctly that you use 440?  Is that A, B, or C?  I think I found a company that will waterjet them for me, I just need to come up with a template for them.  I'm still looking for an anodizer so I can put some color in my work!

From what I can tell, the best way to put scissors in a 93mm is to get a Solo and do some modding to the blade's backspring?  I haven't seen exactly what needs to be done to it yet.  Can anyone provide a little help on that?  I would love to be able to put my Farmer back in my pocket with scissors instead of a saw.  It's in a million pieces right now waiting to be put back together.    I have a very limited amount of pivots so I want it to be perfect before I start cutting on them!

I have almost everything I need from knifekits.  I forgot to add washers to my cart, but after going back and looking it doesn't look like they have any 1/8th ones anyway.  I've already taken apart 4 Pioneers and drilled 1/8" pivot holes in them along with a Farmer, and an Explorer (only to find out the Explorer with the gray mag has the longer inline Phillips!!).  From what I'm reading you guys extend the pivot barrels into the actual scales.  I need to look into doing that.  Right now all I've done to my practice SAK is to countersink the middle hole so the torx screw sits flush.

The final part is just acquiring the Alox knives.  I can get Farmers on Amazon for $30.  Is there a local MT guy that sells them cheaper?  I would love to support a local guy if I can.

I love getting my hands dirty and for whatever reason working with these SAKs is very soothing.

Thanks for all the crazy information you're laying on us Syph!!

Hey there.    Well you did have to register on THE best forum for SAK enthusiasts if you are that interested in SAKs and modding this is the place to be!

If you need a few extra stock alox liners to avoid cannibalizing new alox for liners I can help you out there.  I have quite a few spares and I probably only use stock liners for half my builds.

I dont think knifekits carries 1/8" washers, but usaknifemaker does.  Ive also bought msc things from texasknife and knifemaking.com (jantz) 

I make my own washers now from shim stock since I need smaller OD ones then any place sells anyhow. 

[Syph007]

I'm stripping 90 scales today, so I set out to test that new anodize remover (the commercial grade stuff) I got in last week.  Its a chromic and phosphoric acid blend.  Well Im glad I only tested it on one scale.  It did a garbage job, took forever and didnt even take off all the anodize. 

Soooo forget that and $60 wasted.  Im going back to Straight 30% NaOH solution with my secret catalyst.  I can strip scales in about 30 seconds if I keep the solution hot.  Yes sure its more dangerous.. but results are more important!

[Toolslinger]

Finally a custom with orange!

This one also has one of the Ver 2.0 backsprings and Im very please to saw that they work excellent, and most importanly the tweaks I made to the inner profile made finishing them much easier.

Ive also got a new sanding / buffing machine white made finishing the back springs much faster.  I think I should be able to pump out the standard mod configurations faster now.

Oh and this configuration I love.  For me the ultimate urban carry.  Metal saw instead of wood saw, scissors and phillips added to a farmer.   

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That is my perfect tool load out and that colour is .
I want one bad now. PM incoming!