Stanley 65 Question

[Tim Nylander]

Hey all,
I have a Knuckle Joint 65 that has been excellent, but it seems like the cap doesn't have as much "snap" as it used to. Today I was trimming a door and it released on me, sending the cap and the blade flying.
Now it is pretty sloppy and I am hesitant to use it because the cap it so loose.
Do I need to fiddle with screw adjustments or is there a way I can tighten up the cap?
Any help would be great
Tim

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Tim, you should be able to tighten the action up by tightening the screw which holds the cap down.

[Bill Houghton]

The old style cap, which is a two-part cap - one part's kind of a part-circle of springy steel, hinged to the upper part that engages the screw - is prone to this, in my limited experience. I think the rearward pressure on the iron transfers somehow to the cap. If that's what you've got, look around for the newer style cap, which uses an over-center linkage (like Vise Grips pliers or DeStaCo clamps).

[Tim Nylander]

Thanks Dennis, that did the trick, I am trying to get the tension right so I don't crack the mouth open as is warned by some.
But thanks for advice
Tim