I disassembled my multi-tool to clean it and I cannot assemble it again.

[Good-Sir-Knight]

I disassembled this multi-tool I have to clean it up a bit and I've been desperately trying to put it back together ever since. I've been searching everywhere for a solution and I just found this forum and decided to make an account to see if I can get help (and yes I don't have another multi-tool to help me with this)

The main problem is the washers: first thing is that I don't really know how the washers were assembled like in the pliers head and how many of them were in, second is that they're incredibly hard to hold still when I'm putting the pliers back in and they keep falling out and I'm unable to put the pliers in and screw them in

I managed to look for the multi-tool online for help but this is all I found: https://www.amazon.com/Winchester-22-01346-Wood-Nylon-Sheath/dp/B0006G4QWG/ref=pd_sbs_469_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0006G4QWG&pd_rd_r=X9CDQZFH6SE4H5JEFWPJ&pd_rd_w=9ePVM&pd_rd_wg=XbUUy&psc=1&refRID=X9CDQZFH6SE4H5JEFWPJ

I could post pictures of how it looks like disassembled but for now I'll use this newbie description: when I disassembled the pliers there were 13 washers, 4 of them are thicker and the rest of them are thin though it seems it only fits 2 thick ones on each end of the pliers bolt and 2 thinner ones in between?


Sorry in advance if any of this sounds wrong lol, not knowing all that much is the reason I came here.

[magentus]

Hello and welcome Good Sir Knight. 

Pictures would be really helpful. The link to the WInchester - is that your actual model of multitool?

Give us as much info as possible about the model and make and I'm sure someone here will be able to help you.

In the mean time, have you checked the Youtubes?

[Lynn LeFey]

I reassembled a Gerber  MP600 in the following thread. It might give you some insight into reassembly. HOPEFULLY the embedded pics in the thread still work, otherwise follow the pic's URL to Photobucket to see them.

https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,49504.0.html

[Good-Sir-Knight]

@magnetus
Thank you! The multitool I linked is the exact model I'm pretty sure of it, even the tools look the exact same save for the name on the blade as its scratched out due to use, it's a bit old.
I grabbed these pics: https://imgur.com/a/olRRw

@Lynn LeFey

Thank you but the picture unfortunately doesn't seem to be working for me (upgrade your account to allow third party hosting thing that photobucket has, even when I follow the URL)

[Lynn LeFey]

Well, crap.

Okay, here's the gist of it.

Set the pin on a flat surface, pointing up. lower the body of the tool over the pin. You might need something to hold the tool steady, like setting it on a successive stack of magazines, or cards, or books, or something. Place in the washer, lower the tool body, then the next washer or tool, and lower the tool body again. Every time, the top of the pin should be level with the top of the stack of tools and washers. You may also have to use items to prop the loose tools up, so they don't tip the stack of tools/washers over as you assemble.It can be finicky, but it's the only way I found.

I'm sorry to say that i have no idea how to help you with the order of the tools and washers. I took pictures of my tool before I began. You may just have to go by product pictures, like the one you posted. Most likely, there will be a washer on the top and bottom of the stack. So, for each side, you probably have 1 washer more than the number of tools you have. If you have even more than that, they might have used washers to get bigger gaps between tools. But MOST likely, when you make these 'stacks', you start with a washer, then alternate tool/washer for the rest, finishing with a washer. Most likely. I'm not 100% sure with that tool, but that's the way it's been in most I've seen.

Hope this helps.

[Poncho65]

Welcome to

Hope that we can help you out

I know it is frustrating not being able to put something back together and I hope you get this back together

[Syncop8r]

Thank you but the picture unfortunately doesn't seem to be working for me (upgrade your account to allow third party hosting thing that photobucket has, even when I follow the URL)

Try this if you have one of the following browsers:

Chrome users can download this extension to see old threads with PB photos. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/photobucket-embed-fix/naolkcpnnlofnnghnmfegnfnflicjjgj/related?hl=en

Opera users can use above extension, after install an Opera extension named "install chrome extension"

Firefox users has a port available https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/photobucket-embedded-fix/

https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,72692.msg1555156.html#msg1555156

[Dutch_Tooler]

@magnetus
Thank you! The multitool I linked is the exact model I'm pretty sure of it, even the tools look the exact same save for the name on the blade as its scratched out due to use, it's a bit old.
I grabbed these pics: https://imgur.com/a/olRRw

@Lynn LeFey

Thank you but the picture unfortunately doesn't seem to be working for me (upgrade your account to allow third party hosting thing that photobucket has, even when I follow the URL)

Hi,

Don't know the specific tool... but it looks from that pic as if you have only detached the pliers head from the handles, right? Can you confirm the washers were not in the free end of the handles?
If that is correct then you basically just need to reassemble the pliers head with the handles. If all these washers were used to fill up the slack in the handles alone then I'm guessing that it should be OK to divide the washers in 4 groups of roughly the same total thickness. A caliper would help...

Sent on my SM-G930F with Tapatalk

[Syncop8r]

Look closely at each tool - often you can see an imprint if there has been a washer against it.

I wonder if anyone here has this tool (Chako?) and could supply pics that could show where which washers are. 

[Dutch_Tooler]

All, looks to me from the imgurl pic posted and Sir's tale in the OP that the only disassembly was of the pliers head from the handles (13 washers both mentioned in the OP and shown in the imgurl link further down). I may be wrong but I think that means that all the 13 washers go into the space between the plier heads and the handle lugs. 4 wide washers, I'm prepared to guesstimate, should go against the plier heads, the remaining 9 thin ones to fill up the remaining space as needed (?).

Sent on my SM-G930F with Tapatalk

[Syncop8r]

I was wondering if there may be one to the OUTSIDE of each pivot. 

[Dutch_Tooler]

Good Sir Knight,

See above as to my guess on the order of the washers. In any case this is probably not critical. Lynn has described above how to go about it, that should work. Tweezers may help, and a bit of oil will help things stick together as well (and lubricate to boot). Good luck and welcome

Sent on my SM-G930F with Tapatalk

[Dutch_Tooler]

I was wondering if there may be one to the OUTSIDE of each pivot. 

Possible, true, thanks... should be self evident upon reassembly though, or by prior measurement with a caliper....

Sent on my SM-G930F with Tapatalk

[Blackbeard]

well at least its a winchester, not a leatherman, Sog, Victorinox etc, so even if you cant get it right, there are a lot better options out there, that brand is not the greatest, you are better off heading to home depot and plunking $25 on a Leatherman rev(not their greatest model, but not too pricey) then killing your self trying to reassemble it. you can even get a similar cheapo ozark trail copy of that at walmart for $4

[Good-Sir-Knight]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions, all.

 

@Dutch_Tooler

Your guesses are correct, it's only the pliers head that I took off and I've been trying to go off of the marks and estimating how many washers should go in myself. I honestly considered using something to stick it temporarily also


@Blackbeard

Not American so these things are a bit harder to find. I'm mainly bothering in the first place because it's a hand-me-down sort of thing, Winchester may not be the best brand indeed but this tool's pretty dear to me

@Lynn LeFey

I'll try that and I might use some calipers as mentioned


Thanks again for the help everyone, I'm going to spend some time trying to assemble it again and I'll update if successful.

[ironraven]

If you can't get it back together, photos. Lay everything out, with labels. Mic the washers. And show us what you've got.

[Good-Sir-Knight]

I got the first side of the head assembled and I feel incredibly giddy. Turns out the max amount of washers I can put in each end is 3, 1 thick and the 2 remaining ones being a bit thinner.

All I used this time was a toothpick and some tweezers and extra precaution. I guess the tactic for this is to arrange the washers separately, one set on the pliers head itself and the other on the body/frame then holding the one in the frame with the bolt and twisting it all together with your fingers so they don't fall off, and when the washers went a bit off track I just adjusted them with the pick and tweezers, all of the advice and suggestions really helped and I hope this helps anyone else who comes across it.

Thanks

Here's a pic: https://i.imgur.com/Lk0NFfnr.jpg

[Lynn LeFey]

Great to hear! I know this kind of work can be excruciatingly finicky. It's great that you improvised the tools needed (toothpick) to get it done. When i was reassembling the MP600, it felt like playing Jenga, or something similar, and I started to understand that it was just going to take a bunch of trial and error to get it.

Hope you stick around for all the insanity on the boards here.

[Good-Sir-Knight]

Long while since I posted here and I'm not sure if I'm not supposed to, but I was busy with stuff. I was going to assemble the other part back but I noticed that some of the thinner washers are missing, and by some I mean 2 of them. So this begs the question how the hell do I find a thin ~5mm washer. Any hardware store or do I have to buy a cheap tool that has similar washers or is there any place that sells replacement washers specifically for something like this? Winchester doesn't seem to offer them any

I also took the chance to polish the frame, clean up everything, sharpen the tools etc before I store it and look for these washers

[Alan K.]

The simple answer is you might have used too many reassembling the other side but that's probably the last thing you want to hear because it means taking it apart again.  Small parts do have a way of disappearing if not secured so it's possible they're close by and everyone here has a similar story about crawling around on the floor with a magnet trying to find something.  We feel your pain. If you can't find them you can try to make replacement washers out of sheet metal such as an aluminum pie pan but that may not be a permanent solution.

[Good-Sir-Knight]

The simple answer is you might have used too many reassembling the other side but that's probably the last thing you want to hear because it means taking it apart again.  Small parts do have a way of disappearing if not secured so it's possible they're close by and everyone here has a similar story about crawling around on the floor with a magnet trying to find something.  We feel your pain. If you can't find them you can try to make replacement washers out of sheet metal such as an aluminum pie pan but that may not be a permanent solution.

No I'm sure they're lost. So that means the only way to get replacements is buying a new one and taking the washers out which is.. not ideal. Or making your own?

I reckon I can make some copies of them using a grinder or sandpaper/file

Another thing I thought of is well, using 2 or 1 thicker washers instead of the 2 thin 2 thick washers. I'll look for some copies in hardware stories and building supply stores though, it would be unlikely there's nothing similar to such a basic looking washer