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FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)
- Question : On my kit, my bolster does not sit flush. How do I fix this?
Answer: From time to time, the counter bore on the liner side of the bolster will not be deep enough. This is a tolerance situation that is just part of the casting process. The fix for this situation is to grind a little off the pivot screw head, allowing the bolster to go all the way down to the liner. A bit of modification here, if you find this to be true, will allow it to fit flush.
Kits are just that. We want you to have to think a little and make some changes to raise your level of knife making ability. We feel that the hidden pivot screw is worth the a little extra effort.
- Question: My Screws are protruding to the inside of the knife. What do I do?
Answer: This FAQ covers a situation when the screws are too long after applying the handle material. If the screws are too long and protrude into the inside of the knife, they must be flushed off. Disassemble the knife. Apply the handle material. If the screws are protruding into the liners, they will need cut off. There are several ways to do this operation.
1. Use the cut off wheel on a Dremmel tool. Carefully cut the excess screw length even with the liners.
2. If you have a disk grinder, carefully lay the liners parallel to the disk and grind off the screws flush with the liner. Be careful not to tilt the liner and touch the disk on the edge of the liner. This will leave a mark on the OD of the knife.
3. Mark the screws with a fine marker. Disassemble. Cut each screw to length, holding them with pliers, etc.
- Question: I want to make my own handles and backspine, what do I need to know?
Answer: The thickness you need for the backspine material is .156 or 5/32 precision ground stock.
The bolsters are the same thickness on all of our current folder kits.
1. After grinding the scales to the bolster curve you may have to counter sink the bolster deeper to accommodate the head of the screw sticking up a little. Just use a 5/32 drill and make the counter bore a little deeper. This will be fine.
2. For making your handles, use a drill the same size as the tapped hole to pilot the hole from the backside of the liner (be careful not to wobble the hole out, drill it straight) then use a 3/32 drill for the clearance hole. Then, use a 5/32 for the counter bore to accommodate the screw head. The counter bore should be about .075 from the top of the handle material. This will let the screw head sit just below the surface of the handle.
- What are your Skill Ratings all about?
Answer: KnifeKits.com identifies different Skill Levels to assist the builder in finding the kit, or kits that are right for them.
We are committed to ending the frustration a beginning knifemaker might feel toward a project they are not ready for, as well as combating the boredom a more experienced builder would feel toward a project that does not challenge them.
Correspondingly, the Skill Level I & II kits offer substantial challenges to even the most skilled makers; as the ability to customize these kits are limited only to the builder's imagination.
This guide will provide you with an idea of what each Skill Level asks of you, the builder. It is important however to read each individual kit's description carefully to understand that kit's requirements.
Skill Level I:
Skill Level I is for the knife enthusiast who wants to bring their hobby to the next level, yet does not presuppose any familiarity with knife making.
Skill Level I kits allow you to get used to working with small parts, seeing how different types of knives work from a builder's perspective. This level encourages you to make a knife that is uniquely yours; without the need for specialized tools or significant investments of time or materials.
Skill Level II:
Skill Level II kits offer many of the same advantages as the Skill level I knives. The knife goes together in a straightforward fashion; however, the Level II builder faces the added challenges of shaping the handles from rough pre-drilled scales (a KnifeKits.com option) or from any handle material the maker desires.
Skill Level III:
Here is where the KnifeKits.com builder enters the "graduate level" of knife building. These kits use the skills you have developed building the earlier kits, while teaching you new ones.
The same quality and dedication to making KnifeKits.com a fun experience remains in the Skill Level III kits, yet the builder faces challenges such as semi finished bevels; or a lock that requires tuning & fitting. Skill Level III kits challenge the advanced builder, yet all of the benefits of a kit remain.
Skill Level IV:
Level IV kits are very similar to Level III, usually requiring a greater investment of time, and an increase in the number of parts necessary to complete the kit. Additionally, Skill Level IV kits may require the builder to drill and tap holes for clip placement, additional bolsters etc. All tap bits, wrenches etc. necessary are available from KnifeKits.com.
- Question: Where do you make your kits?
Answer: Our kits are designed by knifekits.com employees and associated collaborators. Depending on the specific model, we have isolated and found manufacturers throughout the world who work closely with us to produce, and in some cases, package our finished kits. Currently, we manufacture and import from qualified producers in South America, Europe and the Far East, including component producers from the United States. Many of our parts we manufacture right here, at our Galena Ohio knife making facility. Because of our high-precision requirements and our focus on the market pricing, we are continually searching out new and more efficient ways to produce our product lines. Rest assured that no matter where we have our models built, our focus is purely on overall precision and product performance ... at a reasonable price.
- Question: How do I align the blade in the center of the folder when installing it?
Answer: To put the blade in the center of the locking liner knife, make sure the pivot is snug to the washers. Then, tune the blade, so it has no wobble with the lock disengaged, but free enough to open and close .
Once this is achieved, loosen the screws that hold the bushings in place a small amount. Then, torque the liner with your hand in the forward or reverse direction to adjust the blade into the center of the liners. Tighten the screws to hold the liners in place, once you have it where it's correctly positioned. This should do it.
- Question: I've adjusted my blade to the center of the liner, but need to adjust the lock engagement, how?
Answer: If the liner does not have enough engagement on the back of the blade after you line the blade up to the center of the liner. You can: 1. Take a little of the back of the liner. This can be done in several ways. A file (or dremmel tool with a cut off wheel)... or another type tool of your choice can be used. Be careful to only take a very little amount off the liner at a time before re-testing If you take too much off at one time, the knife will not be repairable. Or, 2. remove a slight amount off of the edge of the blade rear. (This is not the recommended method, as this can lead to lock failure if not performed properly.
- Question: I want to remove the pre-installed thumbstuds. How?
Answer: To remove your thumbstuds, take a piece of metal (approx. 1/4 round or square), then use a torch to heat the rod up to a dull red glow. After heating the rod, hold it on the thumbstuds (you may have to do this a few times on each side) to release the Loctite adhesive. Take two sets of pliers with tape on their jaws (this is so the jaws do not scratch the thumbstuds!). Grab the thumbstuds with the pliers and try to loosen them carefully. This process may have to be repeated several times to get the thumbstuds loose, but will work with patience.
- Question: What do I need to know about heat coloring my bolsters?
Answer: Heat coloring can be done to the bolster on the kits if you wish. The best way to do it is to use a propane torch to achieve the color that you want. Satin finished or mirror polished bolsters work best for this operation. Just lay the bolsters on something heat proof (a piece of steel or the like) and wave the flame over them back and forth. The color will come fast, so try not to overheat them. If you do heat them past the color range you want, just buff or satin them again and start over. Note:The blades cannot be heat colored. This will remove the temper from them. Blades can be gun blued (for stainless steel only) or coated with boron carbide.
- Question: How do I drill my own handle materials for these kits?
Answer: Get a 1/16, 3/32, and a 5/32 drill. Use the 1/16 drill to drill your pilot hole through the liners as a template, with the handle material butted up against the bolster and clamped to the liner. Then, remove the handle material. Drill it through with the 3/32 drill. Lay the handles out right and left. Then, drill with the 5/32 drill x 1/16 deep. Your screw will then fit and be counter bored for the screw head.
- Question: How do I achieve the best finish using your horizontal attachment setup?
Answer: We start with a rough grit (120) and complete the frame of the knife. Then we move to finer and finer grits, until the knife frame has a hand satin finish look. The finer grit (400-600) may be harder to achieve, but with practice you will be able to achieve the ultimate finish on your frames with the minimum amount of hand work. The amount of pressure you use will make a difference. Feathering the spots that are not quite finished with the finer grits will help also . Please note that when you get you Kalamazoo grinder the assembly instructions are right in the grinder. Our attachment assembles just like there arm does in the drawings.
- Question: My Typhoon handle is too hard to close and lock, or when in the closed position, the blade edge is close to the edge of the pocked. How do I fix this?
Answer: Carefully remove (sand) where the pins touch the handles to adjust the lock tightness, or in the closed position, to adjust the blade so that it's sits lower in the pocked when closed. Be careful, when the blade is not adjusted correctly in the closed position, the edge can be felt with your finger tip when pressing down hard.
- Question: My handles are bowed when I insert my Typhoon inlays. How do I fix this?
Answer: You're forcing them into the pockets. Remove them and sand a bit from the edge of the inlays (individually) and hand fit them, so that they are not tight, nor too loose, but precisely fit to the pockets and semi-easy to set in place.
- Question: MyTyphoon handles had small rust spots on them when I received my kit?
Answer: That's nothing to worry about. The handles are shipped in a raw, unfinished state and are designed to be surface sanded prior to completion. A light sanding of the metal handle surfaces will smooth them as well as removing any production oxidation.
- Question: Do you offer a drill and tap chart?
Answer: Absolutely. Click here for the Drill & Tap reference
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CUSTOMER GALLERY #2 |
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Customer Parts Gallery |
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Over time, we'll be putting together an extensive archive of how-to projects and past newsletter editions.
Please check back often to see what's new. If you would like to submit an article describing a particularly useful technique you have or how you've applied our products in the past, send it to the e-mail address that follows.
(Be sure to include pictures of yourself and the process or application, if possible!) Send them to info@knifekits.com
Knife Making (Kit Instructions & Projects)
1) DDR-I Liner Lock Folder Assembly Instructions
2) DDR-II Liner Lock Folder Assembly Instructions
3) GPC-1000 Liner Lock Folder Assembly Instructions
4) GX6 Liner Lock Folder Assembly Instructions
5) MOUNTING A CLIP IN THE BOLSTER Assembly Instructions
More Coming soon ...
Knife Making Tutorials and Training Online
Need more help? Look no further! Visit the CKD's online custom knife resource and rub elbows with the world of custom knife making enthusiast's on the web. From amateur to professional, if it's about custom knives ... it's at the CKD! We are proud to be founding members of this important internet community development. We support the future and integrity of the custom knife art form. Join us on the web today!
1. Knife Making Tutorials- Knife Making Tutorial Database
2. Kit Makers Online Forum - Knife Making Discussion Forum
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