I believe I have a very special rifle

fiver

Well-Known Member
yep.
2 gallon zip lock with about 6 layers of clear packing tape wrapped around it.
i knew better... LOL,, still done it though.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Small parts launching themselves into inaccessible areas is a burden I think most of us deal with. My shop is, unequivocally, a disaster of epic proportion. The only thing with more tiny, expensive, spring loaded pieces than a clock or gun is a vintage chainsaw. Tiny springs, made of unobtanium and never duplicated since 1974, have no qualms at all when it comes to launching themselves into a pile of metal swarf, dirt, dust, milkweed fluff and maybe some dead bugs, all located behind a pile of scrap metal, tools, electrical cords or perhaps into a 40 gallon trash can. I have magnets, bright lights, Opti-visors and knee pads on stand by just because I spend so much time trying to find these errant doo-hickies, thingamabobs and whatchacallits! I've tried putting down carpet remnants, towels, cardboard, plastic sheeting, even tried taking stuff apart while it all sat in a deep plastic tote. None of it is foolproof, and I'm the fool that proved it!!!!
 

Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
Yeah, if I had my druthers, I'd have white drapes surrounding the work bench to maximum light and to catch any part that makes a break for it. Maybe in the next shop.

One of the best things I did when I built the bench was I bought a piece of black plastic runner. It is a fine ribbed pattern and this prevents small parts from rolling off the bench. In the garage, I bought this huge vinyl floor mats meant for garage floors. they are ribbed also, but a coarser pattern. They also tend to keep things that could roll on forever to some dark corner from doing so. They also are great for spills and leaks as they clean up nicely and contain liquids. Provide a little cushion for the back, too.
 
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Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
My problem is I have open areas under all the benches and it's all open- no doors. Wanna guess where things end up 70% of the time? That and a rough concrete floor that is full of cracks and crevasse's large enough to swallow anything smaller than a 5/16 x 2" bolt!
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
If you've ever seen an opposed engine with a cylinder off it's no surprise that they will allow anything dropped within 3 feet to be swallowed by the 4.5-5" hole left in the crankcase when one or more are removed .

I was working on a TIO541 on a TC 56 Beech Baron an had a cylinder off for a $500 exhaust valve which lead to slopped out guides etc . I dropped a base nut , 4-5 bounces and into the hole . When I got done fishing with a brass cased stick magnet I was up 3 base nuts , 2 new cotter keys , 4 used cotter keys , and about 2' feet of safety wire 3-4" at a time .

I can't count the times I've chased some spring , pin ,ball , screw , nut , or loose end of a cable or wire .
 

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
Yeah…..I would like to say I’ve never spent more than 10 minutes looking for some small part that escaped; but that would be a huge lie.

Gun parts are bad because not only are they commonly tiny and powered by springs, but they are also often very unique and not easily substituted. You must find THAT part.

Engines will swallow small parts with amazing speed. It’s one thing when you KNOW you’ve dropped a part down an intake manifold or open lifter gallery. It’s something else when you pull the pan off an engine and find an extra part that’s been riding around in the sump for 20 years! Ignorance is bliss.
 

Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
Getting back to the High Wall, there was a small chip in the wrist of the stock where it enters a corner of the action. Was not bad, but it bugged me.

Here's a pic. Oh, and you can see the two plug screws I made to replace the beat up ones for the forward sight holes. Yes, there is only supposed to be one. The top is original. The bottom is something someone added.

20221127_142635a.jpg


Anyway, inspired by JW and his stunning antique stock repair work, I decided that this needed to be fixed.

At first I was going to glue in a small chip of walnut and then dress it down. But while fiddling with fit, another tiny sliver of wood broke away. Obvioulsy it was ready to fall out. So, I glued that tiny sliver back into place and then decided that gluing in another chip was not the way to go. I dabbed Titebond glue on the chiped area, then sprinkled walnut sawdust on the glue and tamped with a dental tool. More glue, more dust, tamp and repeat. I built it up and let it dry.

When dry, I dressed it down with a small file with very light pressure until it was flush with the original finish. This was when I noticed that the inside of the inletted area for the tang was in rough shape. There were more signs of splitting wood. I knew that needed to be addressed. So, I cleaned up the area and soaked it with light curing glue. Leveled it off and hit it with the black light. The stuff works great for this. While I was at it, I noticed what looked like a split line below the original chip. You can see it in the photo. It has stock finish in it as it is shiny. I routed out the stock finish with a dental pick and then ran a bead of light curing glue and hit it with the light. A quick dressing flush with the file and done. Between the glue on the inside of the inlet and the glue on the outside, it should be fine.

I then went to my old stock secret weapon. Medium brown leather dye. Carefully stained the area until it looked like a match and rubbed in a little TrueOil. The repaired side now looks better than the good side. :rolleyes:

Here's a shot of the repair. Yeah, I can see the repair because I know where it is. But if you were just looking the rifle over, you'd never notice unless someone pointed it out. I'm sure JW would find it, though.

20221128_111503a.jpg
 

Rockydoc

Well-Known Member
Snake oil, you use a dental tool, a dental pick and light curing glue, which is also a common dental item. Are you a dentist also?
 

Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
Snake oil, you use a dental tool, a dental pick and light curing glue, which is also a common dental item. Are you a dentist also?
Nope. Retired engineer and formally trained machinist. But my wife was a dental assistant. As you may already know, dentists seem to accumulate excessive amounts of dental tools. Jo happened to work for one that was very anal about the organization of his office and anything he did not use got thrown out. So, she asked about the box of instruments sitting by the trash. He said take them. This happened more than once in this office. I have just about every kind of hand tool you guys use. Great for this kind of stuff and a myriad of other work. I gave a handful to a good friend who was a licensed gunsmith and it spoiled him. Since my wife retired, he treats his dental tools like they are the crown jewels. I'll bet I use one of them for something just about every day.

I've seen similar tools sold at gun shows. They may very well be dental tools made in Asia. And they don't have the selection that I have.