Chris I make all my slip joints and lock back integral. I had problems with pits and being able to see the joint when spot welding. Soldering worked until I let one get hot shaping the bolster and the joint showed. It takes a little more time and materials but milling out integral liners takes away all the other problems.

I use thick 416 and shape the handles drill the holes and cut the relief at the pivot. I set the knife up using the thick handles and get the spring height close to final dimensions and then mill the liners. I mark the area with dykem and pin the liners together. Use a file guide and a scribe to mark the bolsters.

Then I set them up on a tooling plate and use a square to line up the scribe lines mill them out.

When done they should look something like this.

It takes longer to make the tooling plate than to mill out a set of liners. I will check and see if I have any other photos, it's about time for a tutorial anyway.

Thanks for the prompt reply. You not only answered my questions but showed me I was on the right track. I was discussing a tooling plate or jig with Lin yesterday morning. Yours is similar to what I had in mind. Time to hunt down the materials I need for the tooling table.

Thanks Craig.

Chris

I have this book:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Folding-Knives-Step-By-Step/dp/0873413903

and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in making folders. Wane Clay shows how to make the integral bolster in a step-by-step.

I picked up the materials for a prototype tooling table today. I say prototype because I am not sure this will be the one that I continue to use and I may have to make revisions as I become more familiar with what I need and how to use my mill. I have really just used my machine to mill the slots in guards so far, so this is venturing into uncharted waters for me. I am sure I will have some failures as I go, but that's how it goes.

Chris

You learn twice as much from a failure as you do from a success.

Craig,

I'd almost be more interested in the tutorial on making that tooling plate! Nice hold-down devices. I gotta have one of those.

The clamps shown in the photo of Craig's tooling plate above can be purchased from the Little Machine Shop.com.

The sizes and parts numbers for the clamps are listed below. The clamps are sold in sets of two.

Joshua, after ICCE I will put something together on making the plate and using it to mill the liners. It is not that difficult just taping a lot of holes. You can make the clamps but the clamps from Little Machine shop make it not worth the time.

Some photos of the plate.