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freebullet
Guest
I'm sure anything you do will be a vast improvement over how it came.
Taurus Thunderbolt, .45 ACP!
- Thread starter Ian
- Start date
fiver
Well-Known Member
standard usage?
if you mean bought new and completely wore out, there has been more than umm 5.[shotguns alone]
if you mean they built junk to begin with [and they didn't last a month] then umm more than 5.
if you mean I blew them up on purpose then it would be close to around 5.
I tend to baby mechanical stuff and maintain it on a pretty good schedule, but I can spot and exploit a poorly carried out design pretty quickly.
that trait has cost me quite a bit of money over the years.
if you mean bought new and completely wore out, there has been more than umm 5.[shotguns alone]
if you mean they built junk to begin with [and they didn't last a month] then umm more than 5.
if you mean I blew them up on purpose then it would be close to around 5.
I tend to baby mechanical stuff and maintain it on a pretty good schedule, but I can spot and exploit a poorly carried out design pretty quickly.
that trait has cost me quite a bit of money over the years.
Ian
Notorious member
Well you would have enjoyed this evening in my garage. Except for the heat.
I made some barrel blocks and action blocks out of various pecan, cherry, and pine scraps I had laying around, set up the barrel in my bench vise and cranked the receiver off of it. Rbertalotto posted some good info on TA about the obscene amounts of threadlocker used to hold the barrel in place, I got it going fine with no heat but at 1/2 turn the stuff galled up and I did have to use a little propane heat to soften it. No problemo, off she came. The secret ingredient other than limited amounts of g-a-s turned out to be juniper rosin from my lovely local infestation (you may have noticed in my shooting vids). Used a mixture of sticky and powdered dry, rolled it into the barrel blocks with a junk '06 case and never slipped or marred a thing.
Hacksaw came next to remove 1.25" of the barrel stub. Then to the lathe for turning a little spot on the tenon for the steady rest, then setting it up again in the steady to face off the back side of the barrel cleanly for a better live-center pilot in what used to be the throat. I'll probably go ahead and turn off a little more before switching back to the tailstock center. Then I'll be finishing out the shoulder, thread minor, relief cut, and OD bevel before cutting me some metrico fantastico threads. Apparently they don't know what an inch is in Brazil, which might explain a few things.
The forward third of the barrel seems to have a hook in it, not sure but I'll take a closer look tomorrow in the lathe. If it does, I'm going to have to stop and try to straighten it before proceeding, or skip to the end with Freebullet's idea.
I took a couple pictures but will post them tomorrow.
I made some barrel blocks and action blocks out of various pecan, cherry, and pine scraps I had laying around, set up the barrel in my bench vise and cranked the receiver off of it. Rbertalotto posted some good info on TA about the obscene amounts of threadlocker used to hold the barrel in place, I got it going fine with no heat but at 1/2 turn the stuff galled up and I did have to use a little propane heat to soften it. No problemo, off she came. The secret ingredient other than limited amounts of g-a-s turned out to be juniper rosin from my lovely local infestation (you may have noticed in my shooting vids). Used a mixture of sticky and powdered dry, rolled it into the barrel blocks with a junk '06 case and never slipped or marred a thing.
Hacksaw came next to remove 1.25" of the barrel stub. Then to the lathe for turning a little spot on the tenon for the steady rest, then setting it up again in the steady to face off the back side of the barrel cleanly for a better live-center pilot in what used to be the throat. I'll probably go ahead and turn off a little more before switching back to the tailstock center. Then I'll be finishing out the shoulder, thread minor, relief cut, and OD bevel before cutting me some metrico fantastico threads. Apparently they don't know what an inch is in Brazil, which might explain a few things.
The forward third of the barrel seems to have a hook in it, not sure but I'll take a closer look tomorrow in the lathe. If it does, I'm going to have to stop and try to straighten it before proceeding, or skip to the end with Freebullet's idea.
I took a couple pictures but will post them tomorrow.
Ian
Notorious member
Out of order, but here's how I removed the barrel. The antique bar clamp also served as a handle. Cherry block up inside the action to keep it from collapsing, sanded pine on the outside of the receiver, and pecan drilled and cut in two for the barrel clamping pads. A mixture of goey and powdered dry juniper sap is the shiz for making high COF.
F
freebullet
Guest
Think I have the same ball joint press...er, uhh, barrel straightener press.
I'll have a slice of pecan!
Got any cool whip?
Looks good. Thanks for sharing. Pics definitely make a difference.
I'll have a slice of pecan!
Got any cool whip?Looks good. Thanks for sharing. Pics definitely make a difference.
Ian
Notorious member
Got the barrel tenon turned and threaded, and the shoulder cut for a perfect crush fit with the sight dovetails straight up. Sorry, no pictures of the setup in the lathe, memory card was in the 'puter and I was on a roll.
Chamber reamer should be here Monday, so the next project is to cut the bolt slots in the barrel and get the barrel/bolt interface perfected. The bolt actually locks up tight against the back of the barrel, so I'll have to cut the chamber to depth very carefully based on that.
Chamber reamer should be here Monday, so the next project is to cut the bolt slots in the barrel and get the barrel/bolt interface perfected. The bolt actually locks up tight against the back of the barrel, so I'll have to cut the chamber to depth very carefully based on that.
fiver
Well-Known Member
the extractor slot will take some time too.
that has to be cut so there is no interference but close enough it looks like there is.
your Barrel straightener isn't too far off from what the arrow guy's use.
they have a VEE'd wheel on both ends and another connected to a handle they pull down on.
they check, mark with their thumb, roll it into place and pull the handle then check again.
twice was all I ever seen them run the arrow through the 'machine'
that has to be cut so there is no interference but close enough it looks like there is.
your Barrel straightener isn't too far off from what the arrow guy's use.
they have a VEE'd wheel on both ends and another connected to a handle they pull down on.
they check, mark with their thumb, roll it into place and pull the handle then check again.
twice was all I ever seen them run the arrow through the 'machine'
Ian
Notorious member
So true, Bill. However, I spent the last four hours out in the shop working with files, hacksaw blades, grinders, hammer and punches, and sandpaper. Seems that most of gunsmithing isn't lathe related. Anyway, I got about 237 different surfaces altered so now the bolt locks up when it's supposed to, and is reasonably straight in line with the barrel. Only a small part of the work involved the caliber conversion, this was just correcting most of the things that were already wrong with the rifle. Still have to cut the extractor groove in the barrel and beat on the receiver some more. I might be able to use the existing extractor if I play my cards just right.
F
freebullet
Guest
Sounds like your making some headway. Glad to hear it isn't in the trash can yet.
fiver
Well-Known Member
you might be able to re-profile and under cut the extractor for a better grip.
I had to slightly bend one on a 94 once then file the top and back edge a bit to make it work properly.
I'm not too sure on replacement availability and I for sure wouldn't send yours in [they would keep it]
so measure like 9 times and draw a 2-4 view outline with measurements on some paper before you start whittling on it.
I had to slightly bend one on a 94 once then file the top and back edge a bit to make it work properly.
I'm not too sure on replacement availability and I for sure wouldn't send yours in [they would keep it]
so measure like 9 times and draw a 2-4 view outline with measurements on some paper before you start whittling on it.
Ian
Notorious member
It may end up in the trash can yet, but not just yet. I re-worked some stuff after realizing the bolt alignment situation was way worse than I first thought. The design is actually pretty terrible, and execution the factory gave it not so great either. The only thing that keeps the bolt head aligned up and down or sideways with the chamber is a thin, angled fin of metal on the bottom which rides in a groove in the back of the barrel, opposite the extractor. The bolt was riding too high in the front when I got it to lock, and the only way to fix that was move the bolt forward by filing on the barrel. When I cut the barrel tenon I copied the length from shoulder to back face of barrel EXACTLY, and in that process duplicated a factory error. I should have turned about .015" off the face of the barrel to start with. In the process of fixing all that I got the locking detents slightly out of time. It's literally a puzzle where one piece will always be out of place, all because the bolt wasn't made large enough to actually ride the receiver bore at the front. If the bolt head would self-align in the receiver bore, at least in the front, instead of relying on the timing of a sloped fin and angled, sweeping locking bolt, this would be much better. At this point I put it back together, made a couple of notes, and may not mess with it any more for a while. I'm beginning to see why an Uberti costs what it does.
Pistolero
Well-Known Member
Nice to see someone with a file card right there. I learned to file in 8th grade shop class and
the guy teaching really knew what it was about, I knew zip before, so paid close attention. Always
have been able to file after that. Hate to watch most people sawing back and forth, rolling, rocking
and wrecking with a file.
Bill
the guy teaching really knew what it was about, I knew zip before, so paid close attention. Always
have been able to file after that. Hate to watch most people sawing back and forth, rolling, rocking
and wrecking with a file.
Bill
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Ian
Notorious member
I use the cards mostly when filing aluminum, together with some penetrating oil to reduce pin stickage. For steel I usually wipe the file backwards on my shirt or a rag tucked in my waistband after every stroke and give it a tap before presenting to the work again. No use in grinding up material twice.