Perhaps a dumb question

V

Vlade

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Feb 8, 2020
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Good afternoon fellows, I had a pivot screw that kept coming loose and I was out of Loctite blue, it was on a Sunday so I went to Pep Boys. They had Loctite Adhesive Loctite glue Loctite sealer, but no Loctite thread Locker. Down the aisle there was Permatex thread Locker I've never seen this because one tube last me years. I got a little confused with the colors. I ended up with green light duty. The only thing that bothers me is it says penetrating. Is it okay to use this? What I did was let it dry a little bit then turn the pivot let it dry and then put it perfect. I've read that it's a permanent thread Locker. But the packaging said light duty. Since when did this happen. Loctite is no longer a thread Locker but Permatex is? I don't get it or I've been asleep too long. Thank you in advance for your knowledge
 
You should have found blue somewhere and used that. The green permatex is like red loctite but “penetrating”, meaning it is applied AFTER assembly (wicks into the threads), and requires heating to loosen. I don’t recommend using it unless you want to risk stripping your screws.
 
91bravo said:
Permatex blue is perfectly fine to use.
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That's what I was thinking but I made a mistake and bought the green I just checked the screw and it's came right out you can feel resistance but it came out. I'll throw it out and buy the blue stuff. What threw me off as it said light duty however it's apparently not light duty. Thanks guys blue it is
 
I think I have a green that I've used and got the knife apart easily. It might be a loctite though. I haven't seen it in a while I'm working on finding stuff like that and getting it altogether. Whatever it is was made specifically for tiny screws. I also think I have a purple one. The color alone doesn't always fully identify them. I think I used some off the shelf stuff on a buck marksman lock adjusters n messed it up. To get it to lock again I had to heat the screws with a soldering iron to get them out. After that I found, ordered, and had stuff that was made for super tiny and medium tiny screws. The tiny one was cut off right under the size of pivot screws so I needed two to follow their specs.

I've switched to wrapping a single string out of the core of paracord around the threads of pivot screws. It's thin enough that it doesn't mess anything up. It seems to recreate what a nylock nut does. It never dries out so you can adjust it for years without pulling the screw out to reapply. I don't think you're supposed to do that with most thread lockers. With balisongs it's a bad idea at least. The string gives you control over how much is in the threads. Make sure you don't over do it and the string doesn't get pushed off when you start. There's a certain way to wrap it but I'd have to have it in front of me. I think there are vids on the tube about this. It is more of a balisong technique but I use it in other folders. Haven't tried it on smaller screws like scales clips or the marksman lock. If I find the stuff I got for them I'll use that again. Not trying to heat another knife apart. I would have melted g10 to get that one apart without stripping screws.
 
stonemedusa6264 said:
I think I have a green that I've used and got the knife apart easily. It might be a loctite though. I haven't seen it in a while I'm working on finding stuff like that and getting it altogether. Whatever it is was made specifically for tiny screws. I also think I have a purple one. The color alone doesn't always fully identify them. I think I used some off the shelf stuff on a buck marksman lock adjusters n messed it up. To get it to lock again I had to heat the screws with a soldering iron to get them out. After that I found, ordered, and had stuff that was made for super tiny and medium tiny screws. The tiny one was cut off right under the size of pivot screws so I needed two to follow their specs.

I've switched to wrapping a single string out of the core of paracord around the threads of pivot screws. It's thin enough that it doesn't mess anything up. It seems to recreate what a nylock nut does. It never dries out so you can adjust it for years without pulling the screw out to reapply. I don't think you're supposed to do that with most thread lockers. With balisongs it's a bad idea at least. The string gives you control over how much is in the threads. Make sure you don't over do it and the string doesn't get pushed off when you start. There's a certain way to wrap it but I'd have to have it in front of me. I think there are vids on the tube about this. It is more of a balisong technique but I use it in other folders. Haven't tried it on smaller screws like scales clips or the marksman lock. If I find the stuff I got for them I'll use that again. Not trying to heat another knife apart. I would have melted g10 to get that one apart without stripping screws.
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I was actually going to try Teflon tape
 
mrfields said:
that’s what i use, the white teflon plumbers tape. really like it because you can adjust the pivot without having to reapply thread locker. just don’t overdo it, all it takes is maybe a wrap & a half or two wraps around the screw, any more & it'll strip off when you tighten it down
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I'll be dipped I learned two new things today
 
Try Super Glue! Sounds insane, but it actually works, and it cures in a couple of minutes, as opposed to 24-48 hrs. Got the idea from Youtube's LeftyEDC (half of Divo Knives). He says that Asher Knives also uses it. You might imagine that it would be impossible to remove the pivot screw once glued, but that's not the case. Super Glue is very strong resisting pull force, but not so much against torsional forces.
 
Blue Loctite 243 not 242. 243 is more resistant to oil (242 is not oil resistant) and although still a blue category (medium) loctite it binds significantly more strong but not to the point of it being permanent. Unfortunately it seems every yodel hardware store (almost) likes to sell the weaker 242 blue, a loctite I have used in the past with more unsatisfactory results than I like. You will also hear the clueless opinion that all blue (medium class) thread locker is generally the same, don't kid yourself, they aren't. Vibratite has an equivalent but you have to read the small print. I also use a primer.
 
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Blade Lab said:
Try Super Glue! Sounds insane, but it actually works, and it cures in a couple of minutes, as opposed to 24-48 hrs. Got the idea from Youtube's LeftyEDC (half of Divo Knives). He says that Asher Knives also uses it. You might imagine that it would be impossible to remove the pivot screw once glued, but that's not the case. Super Glue is very strong resisting pull force, but not so much against torsional forces.
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I would not use super glue. I would not chance it. You likely won't even have enough time to adjust the pivots before it dries. It dries and binds in seconds. i am not so sure about being able to take it apart again. It might depend on the metal and type of surface it's applied to.
 
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