[FIXED] LARGE ball lock issues. How to fix it being stuck? NEW IMAGES

MyLegsAreOk

MyLegsAreOk

Joined
Aug 31, 2017
Messages
607
So, dllara, q-ball, dodo, poliwog, and pegasus owners I have a question for you all. I have a dodo with a ceramic ball and one with the metal ball. Sometimes when I flick the blade out of either really fast the ball won't go back. I need to rotate the ball or push the piston aside. How does one fix this? Lube up the ball or the tang on the blade?

As far as I know the piston down't come out of the slot it fits in so it's not like the piston comes out and doesn't go back in the slot. I was thinking that I need to sand down the opening so it's curved but it must be the ball getting stuck.

Does anyone need pictures? I'm not sure what to even show you all. Also I want to buy a stainless poliwog. Should I?
 
I don't have any Dodo experience. But, since the lock is similar, maybe this helps: with the Manix 2, lockstick happens when the backspacer screws are tightened while the backspacer is too close to the lock/ball/blade.

The way I fix this normally, is tightening the backspacer screws while the blade is under pressure (pushing the backspacer back - pls be very careful when you do this). Might work for Dodo too ?
 
I had major ball stick problems w/the current version of the D'Allara, which uses a ceramic ball. Hated it and sold it because of that. Bought an original Gen 1 version of the D'Allara, which uses a stainless steel ball, and it's smooth as butter. Love it!

Without knowing anything about the inner workings of the knife, my guess is that one way to "fix" this problem would be to lightly relieve the edge(s) of the slot that holds the ball in place so that it will be easier to release from the slot holding it in place. Of course, doing this would void the knife warranty.

Otherwise, if I decided to keep the knife (rather than sell it as I did), I'd send it back to Spyderco and ask them to "fix" the problem in whatever way they think is best.
 
Last edited:
I have not had the issue you are describing. I own a poliwog and a Manix. The poliwogs are hard to track down, but it is a great knife. So weird and mechanical looking.
 
sgt1372 said:
I had major ball stick problems w/the current version of the D'Allara, which uses a ceramic ball. Hated it and sold it because of that. Bought an original Gen 1 version of the D'Allara, which uses a stainless steel ball, and it's smooth as butter. Love it!

Without knowing anything about the inner workings of the knife, my guess is that one way to "fix" this problem would be to lightly relieve the edge(s) of the slot that holds the ball in places so that it will be easier to release from the slot holding it in place. Of course, doing this would void the knife warranty.

Otherwise, if I decided to keep the knife (rather than sell it as I did), I'd send it back to Spyderco and ask them to "fix" the problem in whatever way they think is best.
Click to expand...
I take about and clean all these things so the warranty is so far gone on my dodos it isn't even funny. Gave them a sharpening choil, sanded and polished the washers, like all spring locks I nipped of some coil, sharpened the point by using a fishhook sharpening in the sharp-keeper. Anyway, I guess I'll move the screws in and out of the lock assembly instead of greasing up the ball or tang.

BilboBaggins said:
I have not had the issue you are describing. I own a poliwog and a Manix. The poliwogs are hard to track down, but it is a great knife. So weird and mechanical looking.
Click to expand...
The manix isn't the same as it's the small ball. The two aren't similair but thanks for the info on the poliwog. It just looks so unique as the ball floats there, like it can fall out and time. That and it's Vg-10 and skeletonized. They're around 300, same price as the dodos.
 
UPDATE: Nothing worked. On the ceramic ball it gets stuck every other deploy, on the steel one every 5th or so. They get so stuck it is impossible to move the ball with all my might, so I have to toggle the piston back and forth.

I tried a bout 50 deploys with the steel one and no dice but sure enough got it stuck on the 3rd try with the ceramic. Notice what's happening:
Wf4K6To.jpg

It seems like the piston is falling below the slot. This is more clear in the 2nd photo.
iySvmPD.jpg

Nothing is apparent near the ball itself. Here is it.
XfMcusY.jpg

So should I sand down the bottom of the slot for the lock assembly? I was thinking I might be able to taper the piston or put a straw on the end too. I mean I can sorta live with the orange g10 one being wonky sometimes but the CF one is f*cked.
 
Wow, I've never seen one disassembled...but I wonder why Eric didn't design it to leave more length on the end of the plunger to ensure proper tracking back into that channel. o_O
 
Yeah it needs to be a hair longer. 1mm or something just so it can sit in the channel. What it is is that the piton is slammed up against the ball with the pressure of the spring so if you don't have maximum pressure it will sag. I have no idea how to remedy this. Maybe cut a nail, shave it down, and glue it to the end?
 
UPDATE: It's fixed. I sanded down the opening of the slot and it's as smooth as butter. Better than factory on any of my piston or ball lock knives. Smoother than benchmade's axis. Here's the images:

THIS IS BEFORE: You can tell how squared the slot is

XorKWtn.jpg

THIS IS AFTER: Look how smooth I was able to get it.
nBuN50N.jpg


So now I'm thinking of doing this on my other dodo and will do it on the poliwog, the dodo coming out, and my manix 2s
 
Good for you :thumbsup: You stuck to it and unstuck it. :cool: Nice catch and fix.
Still the plunger could have been just a tad longer. Happy ending, anyway!

Ray
 
Would you run into the same problem if open & close your knife upside-down-- that is, with the blade edge facing upwards?

I totally agree with Ray! :thumbsup: nothing better than figuring out a fix or work around on your own...it gives you more pride of ownership too, imho. :D
 
Last edited:
MyLegsAreOk said:
What it is is that the piton is slammed up against the ball with the pressure of the spring so if you don't have maximum pressure it will sag.
Click to expand...

MyLegsAreOk said:
UPDATE: It's fixed. I sanded down the opening of the slot and it's as smooth as butter. Better than factory on any of my piston or ball lock knives.
Click to expand...

Congrats!

Looks like I had the right idea (there's was a "hangup" somewhere preventing the ball from being depressed) but the problem wasn't at the ball end but at the end of the spring rod (piton?). Doesn't look like you needed to relieve the front edges of the channel much to make it work right. Glad you were able to figure it out.

Your "fix" should be posted as a sticky somewhere for others to read if they are as frustrated w/the problem as you were.

My fix was just to sell the knife that was causing the problem, but you shouldn't "have" to do that.
 
Yeah thanks. About the issue about how Eric didn't put larger pistons "pitons" I am hoping they do CQI on the new BHQ M4 Natural G10 Dodo because 3 things need to change since I've been in there.
1. Piston needs to be ~1.5mm longer
2. The piston should be tapered slightly at the end
3. The opening for the channel should be rounded or perhaps slanted
4. The support pin that's sticking through the lock assembly that is not screwed in should not be cemented in the scale. I see why it is though because you can loose that stupid little pin. Does it even need a pin?
5. The screw for the pivot and pocket clip should be the same hex size.
(maybe)6. The pocket clip could be the solid cap on one side of the tube and a screw on the other. I have a much easier time using the cap that two screw drivers.

Pics related are what I myself did do the clip part to fix the last too issues. I took the hardware from a LW Manix 2 that I gutted for the blade.
auolYD9.jpg


0bDymXJ.jpg
 
Hey MyLegsAreOk, what did you use to sand down the opening of the channel? I just picked up a CF dodo and I noticed it was having this problem almost immediately. Was hoping to recreate it.
 
I used the black wet/dry sandpaper from 3M 1000, 1500, and 2000 grits I put the paper around a screwdriver and just kept sanding away until it looked good then upped to the next grits to get it smoother. For the piston I rotated it around until all the sides were more even. Again the channel must be more rounded not squares and the piston should also be more tapered BUT DON'T OVER DUE IT. You only need to do a little bit like I did so the piston rounds around the corner and not so much that it feeds in to the channel like a ramp.
 
Thanks for the speedy reply and advice. I'll definitely take a stab at it in the next couple of days and report back with my results. Looking forward to buttery smoothness.

Something I find interesting is the blue g-10 dodo I have is nice and smooth, wish I'd paid more attention to the channel on it when I had it opened up.
 
So after a few days of tinkering, I think I've got it to a point I'm happy with it.

I first sanded down the channel like yours, got pretty good results and man that sanding is a pain in the ass. That corner was very rough but I got it almost mirror smooth. Tried to sand the edges of the piston to some success. Put the knife back together and I would say it's 100 times smoother than it was before. Sadly it was still sticking hard when I would close it with just my right thumb. Figured I would let it be for a few days and if it bugged me I'd go back in.

Well it bugged me, so I went back in and sanded down the channel even more, got it even smoother and just a LITTLE more angled. Also sanded down the end of the piston so that it is rounded and smooth, it seemed like there would be no way for it to catch this time. Put the knife back together and it is somehow even smoother, but still sticking hard when I close it with just my right thumb.

Took it apart and looked closer at the action, the piston isn't catching, it looks like when I press on the ball with my right thumb the ceramic ball moves out just slightly and catches on the scale? the side of the metal slide? I'm not sure. I could take a video to demonstrate. Regardless the action is nice if I have a finger on the other side of the ball even just slightly supporting it when I press on it with my thumb. Not sure if I can fix that issue but otherwise its 100 times better than when I started, so I am happy about that. No more permanently sticking and having to wiggle the ball/piston to get it unstuck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top