Help with my LM Style CS

Gabriel80 · **on:** July 29, 2012, 06:31:08 AM

Good evening everyone!

I'm noob as noon gets. I watched a youtube video and was inspired to try adding a house key to my LM Style. Well I grinded the key perfect, drilled nice, and now... for the life of me... i cannot get the pin and screw back in!!!

I have literally spent the last FOUR hours trying to get the thing back together!!

I know for a fact I didn't mess the threading up, it just seems like the holes never quite line up all the way to put the pin back in. I can but a smaller drillbit through everything or a toothpick, but the pin will not friggin fit!!

Any help or suggestions?? I'm assuming this model is more a pain in the a** because of the scissors and the fact the pin and screw and microscoptic.

Any body got a tip or trick to help before I lose my mind??

Thanks so much!

Gabriel80 · **Reply #1 on:** July 29, 2012, 08:45:03 AM

OMFG I got the screw back on, buy the grace of God!

But now the key is kind of flopping in and out, it's not sitting super tight, which is strange because it's thicker than the original blade I removed.

tattoosteve99 · **Reply #2 on:** July 29, 2012, 08:45:42 AM

First make sure the key is the same width as the tool you removed. Next make sure that the pivot fits when it's not installed on the tool. Also check the threads to make sure you removed the loctite as this will actually stop you from putting the screw back in. Let us know so we can help you and welcome to MTO!

Metropolicity · **Reply #3 on:** July 29, 2012, 05:37:11 PM

Quote from: Gabriel80 on July 29, 2012, 08:45:03 AM

OMFG I got the screw back on, buy the grace of God!

But now the key is kind of flopping in and out, it's not sitting super tight, which is strange because it's thicker than the original blade I removed.

Did you engage the backspring correctly?! I've only ever taken apart a PS4 and I agree, what a pain in the butt! There are so many back springs etc...that it's all under tension.

Even tho you THINK it's a perfect grind, sometimes it's just off enough to not engage the backspring, ending up in floppy key

Gabriel80 · **Reply #4 on:** July 29, 2012, 10:25:38 PM

Thanks guys!

You're right, i might have shaved the key a little too thin around hole I drilled. I wanted to make sure it would it had the right geometry to open and close normally and appeared to be the same match as the blade I took out.

But upon closer inspection it DOES look like the back spring isn't quite pushing it enough to stay tight in and out. If there was more metal it would probably be tighter.

Ugh! Props to everyone on here, I was totally inspired by everything I've seen but it's definitely not easy on the first go around!

Does anyone thing I might be able to bend the metal backspring in down a little to get it closer to the key? Or do I just need to cut the key again?

Hhaha my biggest fear is taking it apart again! LoL!

Never had a problem with any lock tite or stripping the threads, just getting that damn peg thru all the holes!

Thanks again everyone!

tattoosteve99 · **Reply #5 on:** July 29, 2012, 11:05:32 PM

I wouldn't try bending the spring. It's hardened and it might snap or be mis-shapen so bad it wont work at all. Best solution is to get another key and try again. This time take a little off at a time until you get the right snap. Oh and pics please

clickstop · **Reply #6 on:** July 30, 2012, 01:40:31 AM

After trying my hand at SAK mods, these tiny Leathermans don't seem as hard anymore. If you're having a hard time getting those pegs through you can always use a small flat screwdriver to guide the pivot through. I remember trying to get the phillips head from the Utilikey into a Style CS, and I had the same problem. I wouldn't bend the metal, like tattoosteve said, because it will snap. You can make some sort of spacer from metal and JB weld it to the spring, allowing it to make contact with the key. That or getting a new key, which is probably easier

Gabriel80 · **Reply #7 on:** July 30, 2012, 04:45:04 AM

UPDATE WITH PICS:

I was brave enough to unscrew the whole thing again and re-cut another key.

I did try slightly bending the spring with a needle nose pliers and it didn't break but when it's even slightly bent in, it throws off getting the pin back through all the holes, so I bent it back to original shape.

I grinded down a new key, this time constantly checking it back into the LM and making sure it was tighter. I was much more generous with the amount of metal I left on the key.

To my surprise I was fairly EASILY able to put it back together and screw it in. This time the new key is tight as all heck. It doesn't sit as flush inside the LM like the previous key but it has zero wiggle. It sits tight open and closed.

HERE IS A MAJOR TIP TO REASSEMBLE THE LEATHERMAN STYLE CS:
1.) Have the scissors open all the way, don't even bother trying to screw it back together with it closed or half open.
2.) There are TWO parts to the scissors (the 2nd being a tiny loose piece that acts as the spring
Line up all your tools and get the pin through them and get the main part of the scissors (the handle of the whole leatherman) into the pin too, leaving the pin almost closed
3.) ever so carefully slide the 2nd part of the scissors spring into the line up and get the pin through it.
4.) very gently squeeze the whole end of the LM together with a pliers pushing all the tools as close to each other and the top pin as close to the bottom GENTLY!
5.) screw the tiny screw into the pin! DONE!

Sounds like common sense, but I hope this helps somebody. I spent 4 hours figuring this out the first time and took me only a couple minutes the second time. Amazing I never damaged anything on my first go around.

Here are some pics:

THE BAD KEY:

Looked good to my eye and fit sweet into the LM but it was wiggly and flopped around.

This photo shows the key sitting on top of the blade. The arrow points to the tiny piece of metal that is vital to keeping the key tight. If anything, leave MORE on there than the original tool. Keeps it VERY secure especially when open.

THE FINAL RE-KEY
Looks great, I even got a key that is painted with a three-dimensional stainless diamond pattern like you see on trucks.

Thanks again everyone for the inspiration, time for me to enjoy my new keychain!

enki_ck · **Reply #8 on:** July 30, 2012, 05:13:00 AM

Sorry, I'm a bit late to the party, but it seems you figured it out by yourself.

I did that one some time ago, and could have been of some help

Actually I did two, first with a PS4 and then the Style CS. It's a great mod if you want to carry it into areas that have zero tolerance to knives of any length.