Screw Together Slip-joint tutorial

[Chuck Gedraitis Knives]

So this is the first slip-joint that I have made this year. I started cutting out pieces and decided to document the process and share it with you guys. This will show how I build a screw together slip-joint. It will also share a few tips and trick that I have picked up along the way. I have 57 pictures so I should be able to cover most everything that I do.
Please feel free to ask questions along the way.
Enjoy,
Chuck

Here are the raw materials, titanium for the liners, bronze for the bolsters. Mammoth ivory for the scales and W-1 for the blade and spring

Blade and liners profiled.

Pivot holes marked.

Pivot holes drilled 1/16 for now.

Blade and handles checked for pivot placement.

Spring cut to length and rough fitted

Measure length of liners to mark placement of spring center pin.

Place mark in the center.

Spring center pin holes drilled.

Spring fit-up

Line traced on spring for pre-loading

Spring moved up 1/16 for pre-loading. Another line is drawn to mark this position.

The holes for the screws marked.

all the holes drilled for scales, bolsters and spring screws.

Holes from the liners transferred to the spring. I use the red line drawn for pre-loading as a guide as to where to hold the spring for drilling.

The roughly assembled knife.

To be continued.

 

[Mark Behnke]

This is great, wondering the reason for 3 screws in the spring?

 

[Chuck Gedraitis Knives]

Mark,
The 3 screws really help hold the knife together at the rear thus having no gaps. They also help evenly distribute the tension that the spring exerts.

 

[Stew]

I'll follow this with interest.

My first slipjoint was made at the end of last year. I'm more apprehensive about starting the second than I was about the first!

 

[Chuck Gedraitis Knives]

So here is more progress. Next I cut the "V" cutout at the base of the kick.

Then I dis-assemble the knife and cut the long pull.

My next step is to grind the blade.

Ready for heat treat.

If you notice I coated the blade and spring with white out(liquid paper)
See how cleanly the blade came out.

I also tempered the spring. I so this by hand with a torch. I heat it till it is a nice blue to light blue. Then I quench in oil. I clean up the spring and do this again for a total of 3 times.

Now it is time to start building the handles.
Here is the bronze bolster material

Rough cut.

Stuck to the liners for drilling.

Screw holes drilled and countersunk

The back of the bolsters relieved for the screw heads.

Bolsters attached and the handle material laid out.

I use some quick clamps to hold the handle material in place while I drill the holes.

Holes drilled.

Handle scales screwed on. I used 0-80 slotted screws.

Bolsters and scales profiled to liners.

Now I take everything apart and relieve the liners so the tang does not rub. Here they are laid out.

Relived .010

Here are the heat treated parts and milled liners

Time to assemble the knife. I put the blade and pivot in and the last spring screw. Then I squeeze the spring in my vise and insert in the center pin.

Roughly assembled knife

And closed.

Here is the assembled knife, there is still hand sanding to be done.

Bolsters and scales buffed.

All he finished parts

Finished knife.

 

[Chuck Gedraitis Knives]

Finished knife, better pic.

 

[Stew]

Chuck, that's a fantastic tutorial.

Thankyou!

I'll be buying some tippex later!

 

[Pieter]

Great tutorial thanks for posting

 

[Keith Willis]

Looks great.Thanks for letting us watch the progress.

God bless,Keith

 

[Stew]

hi chuck,

Just to drag this back up, I have a couple of questions.

First, how do you determine the location of your pivot hole in the knife?

Second, can you explain the preloading line for the spring please. I don't understand why you drew it on and what it's significance to the build is.