jlwatso1's Surge Badge Request

[jlwatso1]

A few more things!

[jlwatso1]

Just sliced open a Surge handle. Trying to decide if I want to lengthen the frame and keep the Surge bolsters or cut them off and keep the frame the same length. I have to alter the frame either way for my tool locks to work and if I want 6 slots for tools. Any thoughts?

[zoidberg]

Here's a couple pics for Zoidberg of my wire cutters and strippers.

 

[zoidberg]

Just sliced open a Surge handle. Trying to decide if I want to lengthen the frame and keep the Surge bolsters or cut them off and keep the frame the same length. I have to alter the frame either way for my tool locks to work and if I want 6 slots for tools. Any thoughts?

I think cut them off unless you need the extra length.

[jlwatso1]

Just sliced open a Surge handle. Trying to decide if I want to lengthen the frame and keep the Surge bolsters or cut them off and keep the frame the same length. I have to alter the frame either way for my tool locks to work and if I want 6 slots for tools. Any thoughts?

I think cut them off unless you need the extra length.

Thanks for the input. They do seem a little long with them on. This hardened stainless on the Surge is just hard to drill through. Even with cutting oil and cobalt bits.

[zoidberg]

Just sliced open a Surge handle. Trying to decide if I want to lengthen the frame and keep the Surge bolsters or cut them off and keep the frame the same length. I have to alter the frame either way for my tool locks to work and if I want 6 slots for tools. Any thoughts?

I think cut them off unless you need the extra length.

Thanks for the input. They do seem a little long with them on. This hardened stainless on the Surge is just hard to drill through. Even with cutting oil and cobalt bits.

Anneal it with a gas torch maybe.

[jlwatso1]

Just sliced open a Surge handle. Trying to decide if I want to lengthen the frame and keep the Surge bolsters or cut them off and keep the frame the same length. I have to alter the frame either way for my tool locks to work and if I want 6 slots for tools. Any thoughts?

I think cut them off unless you need the extra length.

Thanks for the input. They do seem a little long with them on. This hardened stainless on the Surge is just hard to drill through. Even with cutting oil and cobalt bits.

Anneal it with a gas torch maybe.

Haven't heard of that before. I will have to look into it. Thanks!

[Theo]

I reckon leave the handles the same length.

After we discussed this in PM, I had a quick Google and I'm thinking maybe carbide tipped drill bits or diamond coated bits might serve you better. Carbide apparently only works with a drill press, but you've got that covered.

Like Zoidberg, I also thought of annealing, but I'd rather avoid it. Even if you're able to harden it again afterwards it's unlikely to end up quite right.

[jlwatso1]

I reckon leave the handles the same length.

After we discussed this in PM, I had a quick Google and I'm thinking maybe carbide tipped drill bits or diamond coated bits might serve you better. Carbide apparently only works with a drill press, but you've got that covered.

Like Zoidberg, I also thought of annealing, but I'd rather avoid it. Even if you're able to harden it again afterwards it's unlikely to end up quite right.

Cobalt was the hardest they carry at Home Depot and Lowes. I may check with ACE Hardware as they had everything else. Granger is always an option- just expensive. May check Amazon too.

[jlwatso1]

DAY 28

Just pocket carried Gen. 1 Surge today. Didn't get a chance to use my Surge today. We celebrated February birthdays for my wife's family. Ate outside on the patio at a Mexican restaurant in Fort Worth. It was nice out. Stayed up pretty late last night working on my mod. Thought I would post a few pics of how the Surge Knife will look with some #8 beauty washers and the tubing I plan to make bushings out of.

[jlwatso1]

DAY 29

Started setting up an Air to Water ducted VRF. Used Gen. 1 Surge to cut electrical tape off of fittings where TCs were mounted previously. Tightened sanitary fittings. Also used the pliers to crush the ends of some copper fittings so I could remove them from the flare fittings. Cut some zip ties with the wire cutters since they were already deployed. Normally, I would use the scissors.

[jlwatso1]

DAY 30

Last day of my Surge Badge Request! It was my off day today, so I just pocket carried my Surge. Didn't really get a chance to use it, but I did get to work a little on my Power Surge PT-540. Went to Grainger and tried to get a carbide bit to fit the rivets I bought the other day. They wanted $64 for it! I opted for a cobalt bit in a different brand than the Ridged Cobalt- Cold Fire bits I got for Christmas. The guy at Grainger said Ridged is known for breaking. I was able to drill about 3 holes today. Granted, it did take a while and I cooled it with water often. I may drill one more hole through the Surge skin and rivet it to the PT-540 frame right after the thumb notch is cut out in the Paladin frame, because I plan to cut the frame before the notch to add the Surge frame with the tool lock I made. Not sure if the other side will house SOG tools as I had originally planned, or build another double tool lock like this side.

[jlwatso1]

Took a few measurements. It's gonna be a beast!

[zoidberg]

Congrats on the badge mate.      Keep the mod pics coming.      

[jlwatso1]

Congrats on the badge mate.      Keep the mod pics coming.      

Thanks Zoidster! Will do! 

[sLaughterMed]

Congrats on the badge

[rishardh]

Congrats! I really enjoyed following your thread even through I did not know what was being done 

[jlwatso1]

Congrats! I really enjoyed following your thread even through I did not know what was being done 

Congrats on the badge

Thanks fellas!

[jlwatso1]

Made some progress on the Power Surge PT-540 today! Got 1/2 of a handle attached! Found a Dremel bit to make drilling my holes a lot faster. Yes I did break a couple... But it beats $64 that Grainger wanted for their carbide bit. Thought I would share some pics.

[jlwatso1]

One more pic.

[Theo]

Looking very flash indeed, mate. Going to be a beast. Did you use that bit in your drill press as normal?

Do those rivets in the middle of the Surge handles touch the blades when they're folded in?

[jlwatso1]

Looking very flash indeed, mate. Going to be a beast. Did you use that bit in your drill press as normal?

Do those rivets in the middle of the Surge handles touch the blades when they're folded in?

Yes, slow and steady. I need to remember to take my time and not get in a hurry the bit really does a good job. Be careful when going through one hole to the next one that the first hole is fully done. I had one bit seem to almost come un-bonded if you will. There was a cone/tip on the shaft and a hole in the head, but sadly I was unable to remove it unscathed from the holes in the handle where it was wedged. When I tried the PE knife blade, it looked like it might have been sitting on the middle one a bit, but not enough to make the tip of the blade stick out. With just the end one it did not hit at all, but I needed the middle one due to hacking off the ends of the PT-540 handle. The rivet near the base of the blade may need to be shaved down a bit so the blade doesn't ride on it and rub the edge of the cover.

[Theo]

I've got some tool locks from an absolutely thrashed Supertool 300 I bought for parts:

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,52642.msg899864.html#msg899864

I thought these might work better for you than trying to stick two Surge locks together.

As far as I can tell, all you would have to do would be enlarge the hole they pivot in ever so slightly and they would fit, but I don't know if they would be the right width so I put a ruler in the picture for you. They're 16mm wide in the middle.

I would have sent this as a PM except you can't attach pictures to PMs, as far as I can see.

Let me know if you'd like me to post them to you. Or even the ST300 handles as well if you like, although I don't imagine you relish re drilling all those holes (I wouldn't expect any payment for this).

[jlwatso1]

I've got some tool locks from an absolutely thrashed Supertool 300 I bought for parts:

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,52642.msg899864.html#msg899864

I thought these might work better for you than trying to stick two Surge locks together.

As far as I can tell, all you would have to do would be enlarge the hole they pivot in ever so slightly and they would fit, but I don't know if they would be the right width so I put a ruler in the picture for you. They're 16mm wide in the middle.

I would have sent this as a PM except you can't attach pictures to PMs, as far as I can see.

Let me know if you'd like me to post them to you. Or even the ST300 handles as well if you like, although I don't imagine you relish re drilling all those holes (I wouldn't expect any payment for this).

Thanks Bud! I took some measurements and it looks like the inside of the frame is 14mm. I had considered buying a used ST 300 for the same purpose, but was unsure of the width of the tool locks. Thinking about it now, I may try measuring from the inside of the Surge handles tomorrow. Maybe without the frame I could gain 2mm of width and just drill holes in the Surge handles for the tool locks. I think they look much cleaner. I had also considered just slicing off the PT-540 handles and riveting the top portion to some ST 300 handles then using the Surge skin on top of the ST 300 frame. Decisions, decisions....  I may go ahead and have you send them. Surely I can make it work. How badly are the handles mangled/twisted. Also, have you found a use for the blade exchanger from the ST 300? I have considered adding one to the tool selection along with some other ST 300 Tools I bought from Loki. I will PM you with the shipping details.

[Theo]

They're both crushed inwards along the whole length but they're somewhat retrievable towards the side with the tool locks . They're both worse on the plier end. One has a big dent on one side there and the other is twisted and cracked on that end.

There's no blade exchanger in the regular Supertool 300 (which this was), only in the EOD version.

[jlwatso1]

They're both crushed inwards along the whole length but they're somewhat retrievable towards the side with the tool locks . They're both worse on the plier end. One has a big dent on one side there and the other is twisted and cracked on that end.

There's no blade exchanger in the regular Supertool 300 (which this was), only in the EOD version.

Oh ok, I was wondering which model it was. I have seen a few ST 300s but haven't seen a blade exchanger, thought maybe perhaps it was a manufactured date thing.

May still try to use the part of the frame for the springs. I hope I can mak something happen. Thanks again I haven't been real fond of the fact that the tool lock I made has Epoxy on it and those tool locks look so much cleaner.