Past the Point of No Return.

PTRSAK · **on:** July 14, 2012, 07:40:18 AM

Committed to the rebuild now..

My companion of 40 years goes in for reconstructive surgery.

magentus · **Reply #1 on:** July 14, 2012, 11:14:07 AM

Best of luck! Post pics when you've finished.

Pacu · **Reply #2 on:** July 14, 2012, 11:17:36 AM

good luck

make sure the cat doesn't jump up there and scatter your parts!

kreisler · **Reply #3 on:** July 14, 2012, 08:18:28 PM

you have lifetime free warranty on SAK's, i would send the parts in. they'd probably send out a brand-new item

Gareth · **Reply #4 on:** July 14, 2012, 08:29:49 PM

Best of luck mate, pics when it comes back together.

PTRSAK · **Reply #5 on:** July 15, 2012, 02:03:27 AM

Quote from: kreisler on July 14, 2012, 08:18:28 PM

you have lifetime free warranty on SAK's, i would send the parts in. they'd probably send out a brand-new item

I had even thought of the "advertising value" to Wenger of a knife that has over 40 years of use and abuse on it and is still used on a regular basis. Perhaps they would "reward" me with a new replacement...

BUT... either way I wouldn't have my old knife any more. There is a lot of history in this old tool. e.g. I still have the scar on my finger where I slipped cutting a piece of rope when I was 13 years old.

For me it's more about restoring and perhaps a little modding of an old friend than replacing.
In fact I just bought a newer version of the same SAK on eBay as a "replacement".

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #6 on:** July 15, 2012, 09:48:51 AM

There's a lot of history there!

Good luck matey

Craig · **Reply #7 on:** July 15, 2012, 12:12:05 PM

Looking forward to seeing it when it's finished

bushidomosquito · **Reply #8 on:** July 16, 2012, 06:41:00 AM

Wow! 40 years? I thought that the 14 year run I had with the first SAK my uncle gave me was good. I retired it because I was afraid I'd eventually sharpen the blade down to nothing.

PTRSAK · **Reply #9 on:** July 26, 2012, 01:14:52 PM

Progress report...
new liners (between layers) from 0.025" brass sheet and outer liners from 0.032" brass.

temporary pins from 2.2mm Silversolder rod. I have some 2.4mm brass rod for the final assembly pins.

Playing around with some red coloured resin and carbon fibre layup for scale material. Might even try weaving the cross into the carbon cloth with some kevlar thread.

Next I need to replace that broken nail file... Might custom make a small blade to go in there, can always use the big file on my claws. While I'm at it I think I will get rid of the corkscrew and go with a philips screwdriver. 90% of wine is screw cap now anyway.

Anyway, a Pic to actually see the progress rather than having to imagine it.

magentus · **Reply #10 on:** July 26, 2012, 01:24:54 PM

Grand job so far - looking forward to the end result. Great work.

Gareth · **Reply #11 on:** July 26, 2012, 02:27:57 PM

looking very nice mate.

MultiMat · **Reply #12 on:** July 26, 2012, 04:33:59 PM

Looking good so far mate

. Love the brass liners

bushidomosquito · **Reply #13 on:** July 26, 2012, 05:10:00 PM

Those liners look great. Can you tell us how you made them?

nuphoria · **Reply #14 on:** July 26, 2012, 05:11:24 PM

Wow, that's coming along beautifully

Ashley · **Reply #15 on:** July 26, 2012, 07:06:26 PM

Sent from Ash forum mobile

Craig · **Reply #16 on:** July 26, 2012, 08:11:00 PM

Looks good

ducttapetech · **Reply #17 on:** July 26, 2012, 10:33:02 PM

oh wow, that is looking nice.

ICanFixThat · **Reply #18 on:** July 26, 2012, 11:45:46 PM

That's looking great!

....any tips and how you cut and shaped the liners or was it just lots of manual work?

I think you're really going to love your old-friend/new-knife.

MARIOS7319 · **Reply #19 on:** July 27, 2012, 12:12:36 AM

The liners are perfect. I really want to see the final result.

Sparky415 · **Reply #20 on:** July 27, 2012, 12:36:47 AM

Quote from: MultiMat on July 26, 2012, 04:33:59 PM

Looking good so far mate . Love the brass liners

+1 Nice job so far

PTRSAK · **Reply #21 on:** July 27, 2012, 05:33:02 AM

Something between a How-to and a How-I-do...

First thing to make is an assembly jig by drilling holes into a metal or hardwood block through the pin holes of an old liner or side plate in good condition to get the hole spacing correct. Drill one hole then pin, drill a second, then pin, drill, pin, drill, pin. These holes MUST be at right angles to the plane of the surface of your jig block and not go all the way through the block. Install brass rods at least 10mm longer than the thickness of 2 original liners plus the number of 0.025" brass sheets for new liners.

The side plates are made by drilling the holes using the old side plate as a template and then with the plate pinned to 0.032" brass sheet, trace the outline of the original side plate with a sharp scriber. Saw and file the new side plate to size. Awl and Corkscrew side plates are different shapes and are made separately.

In this old Wenger SAK all the middle liners are the same shape so I can make them in a stack. If you have liners that are all different shapes you will have to make them one at a time. (You may be able to shape the back and ends by the stack method and just do the internal shapes individually.)

Stacked liners are shaped by drilling pin holes in as many brass sheet pieces as required using an original liner as a template and then stacking one original liner, the brass sheets and then another original liner on the pins in your assembly jig...

Remove the stack from the jig...

This stack needs to be held tightly together.

The pins can be left loose if you plan to use toolmakers clamps (or similar) or may be trimmed to length and lightly peened to hold the stack together...

Now it is a "simple" matter of removing any brass sheet that is not between the two original liners...

Any number of methods may be employed here. Chain drilling, saw, file, Dremmel, belt sander etc etc. The main thing is to remember YOU CAN'T PUT MATERIAL BACK ON.
There is some amount of hand skills required to get good results here, but I believe it is not beyond the capability of most people if they work slowly and carefully. Once your stack of new liners are shaped, unclamp or (carefully) drill out the pins, separate the stack and using a very fine file or 400+ grit paper, de-burr the edges of the liners. BE CAREFUL, the edges can be razor sharp.

I used chain drilling, Needle files and fine sandpaper. The 6 inner liners I made here have taken over three hours to get to this stage and they aren't finished yet, still final fitting and polishing to be done. The side plates should take at least an hour each to get right. But hey, we aren't doing this as a production exercise are we?

Polish with Brasso before final assembly.

*edit*
Oh and sorry about the huge size of the Pic.. something went spak in converting it to jpg and now I can't seem to change it.

PTRSAK · **Reply #22 on:** August 03, 2012, 04:37:12 AM

Pretty much finished... Had a change of direction after I picked up a "son" of this SAK on eBay (maybe grandson). I decided not to replace or repair any of the tools, even kept the Aluminium scales that I made 20 years ago, just gave them the full polishing treatment.
This knife has served me for nearly 40 years, I think it deserves a dignified retirement. Especially as I now have a successor to it.

Pics... Before, During (with newie) and After