sodbuster question

[coffeecup]

Sometime in the next week or two, I should have a "new" (ok, "old and rusty") Case sodbuster headed my way. Knife looks OK as a starting point for a work knife. Other than addition of a lanyard hole, none of the necessary mods will be a problem.

Ah, but the lanyard hole. . . . . Can I just chuck a carbide bit in the drill press and bore a hole through the butt of the knife? I figure a 3/32"-1/8" hole would be big enough for a wire ring to attach a usable lanyard to.

Thanks,
Jim

[muskrat man]

why not just install a bail instead of adding a tube with a wire ring? That would eliminate all need to make a bigger hole in the end of the knife as you can just pin the bail on using the butt pin. If you want to install a useable sized lanyard tube that you can run your lanyard through without any extra hardware (3/16-1/4") you can just drill a hole in the handle in a place where the blade will not contact when closed. If this position is the position of the butt pin, drill that hole out bigger and re-fit the backspring accordingly.

[coffeecup]

Thanks for the reply, MM.

This knife is for work, I don't expect it to survive the current project (a couple others haven't). I'm clearing a badly-overgrown fence-line, so the fence can be repaired and a friend's widow can sell the old place. Before I can get in with a chainsaw to take out the bigger stuff, I'm having to cut back the various locust, red cedar, and occasional hedge saplings and branches.

I figure the fastest way to get a lanyard on it is to drill a hole and run a split-ring through it, then I can get it out of my pocket when needed without having to take my gloves off. A conventional bail or lanyard would be arguably "better," but it would take more time than I'm willing to spend on the project.

[muskrat man]

sounds like you need a 12-14" machete, not a sodbuster

[terdl76]

MM is right. The way I've done it is drill the hole in the butt end of the liners big enough for your tube, insert the middle pin (not sure what its called) and tube. The backsping should pivot freely, assuming you've removed the blade, and then file away at the little squared off area until the spring seats flush with the liners between the butt end and middle pin. Hope that made sense.

[coffeecup]

MM, a machete won't work well: too much "hard" wood, and too dang many sprouts from stumps cut in past years. Imagine a thicket of willows that was hit with a brush hog about 2-3 years earlier, only in cedar and locust and a mishmash of everything from hedge to ash to oak and walnut saplings. I got the bright idea of using a khukri, which wasn't as bad until I did a long swing with my weight behind it, only to catch the tip on a steel fencepost. . . you know you hit hard when your khukri has a bend near the tip! So far, the fastest, least-injury-producing method has been to clear the small stuff with a knife, then go back with a chainsaw for the big stuff.

Terdl76, I know that in theory I could do it "right," but right isn't what I'm after. There is a sign often seen in mechanics' garages, and even more often in speed shops: "Cheap, fast, good--pick 2." I need the knife up and running fast, and economical of my time--I'm looking for "cheap" and "fast" options. I don't want to be out there in hip-deep snow trying to finish up. . . .

[coffeecup]

Well, I now have a 1974-vintage Case sodbuster in hand. Once I got the gunk cleaned off it, it seems OK.

I now understand what was said about installing a lanyard hole: I didn't realize the spring didn't wrap around the entire butt of the knife. My thoughts of quickly drilling a hole through the covers and spring for a lanyard have been set aside. I may have to go with MM's bail idea.

I'd planned to put an E-O notch in the knife, but after clean-up and lubing, I find that I can open the knife one-handed as-is. Blade is slightly loose, at some point I may give the rivet a tap. It sharpened up nicely.

It gets it's first workout tomorrow, we'll see how it goes.

[Joe Dirt]

Jim, use a piece of .007 shim stock or a feeler gauge (stack a couple of the feeler shims together to get as close to .007 as you can) between the tang and liner - then hammer that rivet down tight (it doesn't matter what side you hammer) then pull the shims out and check the blade play.
It's pretty easy to do. Good luck with it!

..... Joe

[trm@2013]

I use a nice sharp pair of 30" compound loppers on my fence rows . Everything from match-stem to 2" diameter falls with a swish. They also work well for handeling thorny/sticker brush whitch we have in abundance here (West Texas). as the young folks say "just saying". More on topic , a plastic handle sodbuster (kissing crane) is on e-bay right now with no openers at $13 : has three errant "lanyard holes" started in the handles. Be plumb simple to rig a wire through one of those holes.
IMHO.