Trouble with hinge pin

[Chief RID]

I am repairing a Schrade G.D.O.T. stockman for a friend. I have got the two bolsters drilled out and everything fits very well but I can't get the springs compressed to get the hinge pin in. I have a c-clamp, a table vise, and a Skill clamping table. I was trying with the clamping table and all the blades open and was getting no where. Any suggestions would be appreciated. This is the 4th knife I have put back together and this one seems unusually hard to compress. I think I compressed the others with the blades closed.

[Elvis]

Try putting the hinge pin in while the center pin is out. Then, with the blades open, compress the spring at the center of the knife and insert the center pin. Slightly over-sizing the hole in the handle material at the center pin will help avoid the chances of cracking.

[gringo]

what elvis said:

orvet had posted a tool he made for this stage of the assembly...somewhere...

here it is...scroll down

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... &start=195

[Chief RID]

Thanks so much guys. I miss posted. I was having trouble with the center pin, not the hinge pin. My terminology is still a little off. The center pin stock I have is soft. I do not know how long it will last. I used a Irwin Quickgrip to compress the springs and I drove in the center pin. I had to wrap the knife at the bolsters with tape to keep things tight. I had to sharpen the pin to make it easier to drive through. I probably will have some gaps from the bending I did but it will be serviceable, and it was not before. I sure envy you professionals.

Still having fun and hopefully my buddies are getting some pocket knife service from some old knifes.

I will shot some doves this afternoon and next week I will be in the deer woods. Ain't South Carolina a great state for the sportsman?

[Chief RID]

I finished this Schrade up for my friend at work. It came out OK but I did get the thing too tight. I think I will have to use more space in the future. The pins are OK also but I need lots more practice. It should be a fine EDC for him and now he does have a knife that is not broken.

[orvet]

One way to loosen blades is to take a strip of thin brass, like an extra liner, and place it between the two blade tangs or between the blade tang and liner (depending on which end is too tight).
Then slowly move the blade toward the closed position so that the brass is pinched between the blades.
Do this slowly, stopping frequently to check the blades to see if they have loosened.
This will give just a hair more room for the blades to move by applying outward pressure on the bolsters, against the pin in the bolster.

Ben Kelly mentions this in his book on Pocketknife Repair, though he uses a slackner.
I prefer using brass so it doesn't mar a blade tang.

Properly used, a slackner will prevent tight blades in the first place, but inevitably a guy gets an over tightened blade from time to time.

[Chief RID]

It worked orvet. Thanks.

[orvet]