MT maniacs please gather 'round here

Stone Knife · Post by **Stone Knife** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 4:25 pm

Thank you.

Now, fellas, I have a mission: I must take apart a MT Vector (coil spring job, pretty much like the UMC and that type) and need to know everything you can tell me about:

Things to watch out for on disassembly

Any difficulties common to the breed when re-assembling & useful techniques/good tools to have on hand.

I don't care about the warranty and will not send it back to the dealer because it took an insane 3 weeks to just get it here and I've had it with that particular scene.

I have to polish the plunge-lock and blade lock notch/cutout where the plunge lock holds the blade shut. The action is impossibly bad. I mean, it's like opening uncle Fester's coffin, only more grim.

Thanks in advance-

SK

Vagrant · Post by **Vagrant** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 4:42 pm

[I think we just had a thread about this, but it's worth repeating].
Step one, heat a soldering iron. When hot, hold it to a screw-head for a few seconds [to loosen the loc-tite MT uses] then quickly remove the screw. Repeat on all the screws. This is the only really unusual thing I can think of. A pencil type soldering iron is best since it is small enough to put all the heat into the screw, not the surrounding knife.

Razor_54 · Post by **Razor_54** » Fri Aug 29, 2003 5:48 pm

Weren't some MT assembled with special screws requiring a special tool to remove them. They looked like a flat head with 3 small dimples in it. Didn't Gerber also use something similar.

Stone Knife · Post by **Stone Knife** » Sat Aug 30, 2003 3:03 am

Hi guys... thanks for your replies!

It's not the screws that I am concerned with (I have a jig for holding round-head bolts and have all the proper wrenches for this Vector, etc.)

It's the disassembly and especially the re-assembly of this coil-powered model that I'm seeking information about. Anyone who's actually done a UMS will also have the info... or probably the Boker Magnum series- heck, ANY coil-powered auto experience may apply!

Looking for tips like, (for example on the Colt 16-K) 'when you're putting the lockback bar in place, use a c-clamp, placing a small shint like a fat toothpick on top of the bar to push it below the frame line. Once it's there, adjust the hole in the bar with the c-clamp so the screw can pass through it without binding..."

Stone Knife · Post by **Stone Knife** » Mon Sep 01, 2003 12:11 pm

With a little help from my friends...

Note mirror polish I put on blade sear (notch) and plunge lock base...

Also- found that crocus cloth at McClendon's sure enough!

ratstuph · Post by **ratstuph** » Mon Sep 01, 2003 4:49 pm

Hey SK-
Did you take any "before" pics.
The little plunge lock assembly always looks pretty fragile to me, on a decent sized/powered knife. Even the crappy "Rare Big Wood Linder's" seems kind of small. Wish I had the expertise to take it apart and repair the blade pivot washer/screw assembly. It has a grind to it as well.
Rat... (no trap on my ass) ...stuph

BennytheBlade · Post by **BennytheBlade** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 12:25 am

cant be of any help cept to say it looks like a cool project to put back together and it looks basic enought to do... good luck... maybe Jman knows...

Stone Knife · Post by **Stone Knife** » Tue Sep 02, 2003 3:43 am

I did take pics all the way through it- here's the damage on the lower plunge lock:

Now bear in mind this was sold to me as a NEW knife! It came like this.

Here is how the plunge lock was oriented when I first opened the piece. You can see a bit of the damage right at the blade notch:

(the camera is a Minolta 7Hi in case anybody was wondering)

The Falcon · Post by **The Falcon** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 10:12 am

The reassembly of ANYTHING with a compressed spring always makes me wish I had a third hand.

The Falcon

Stone Knife · Post by **Stone Knife** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 11:27 am

That's why I made the little holder-jig-thingie (as they are probably known in the trade) before starting. You can see a couple of the little red-shrink-tubing coverings on the hold-down pins.

I sure wonder how my "new" knife got so screwed up before it arrived here!

Thanks to the photo now I see that the lower lock part of the plunger looks out-of-round. Something for next weekend's Sunday festivities, which gives you an idea of how festive it actually gets at the S/K palace.

sammy da blade · Post by **sammy da blade** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 1:01 pm

just wondering if the spring on that MT is in the handel or blade?

BennytheBlade · Post by **BennytheBlade** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 1:51 pm

my guess is that if you get in touch w/ bartone over at microholics.org you could probably get a brand new plunger... or he could get you in touch w/ someone who could do it... MT has a pretty decent customer service once you know the right people.

Vagrant · Post by **Vagrant** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 5:29 pm

sammy da blade wrote:just wondering if the spring on that MT is in the handel or blade?

The top picture shows the spring reccess in the blade.

Claudester · Post by **Claudester** » Wed Sep 03, 2003 9:36 pm

Mr. Stone knife,
If I were you I'd go to BA and pick up a Boker top lock clone and take those apart for practice, you might even find that the plunger could be the same size the one you need. The coil spring fired blade are pretty easy to take apart and put back together and you will only be out a couple of bucks.

Stone Knife · Post by **Stone Knife** » Thu Sep 04, 2003 8:41 am

Guys, I have now had this thing apart and back together several times so reassembly pretty much is not an issue anymore, thanks for the suggestions though!

I WILL get ahold of the B-1- that's a great idea!

And yes, it's a coil spring on the 'bottom side' of the blade- in the first picture in this series (the 'blue' picture) you can see the cut-out in the frame where the coil goes...

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