GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Vintage Air Gun Gate => Topic started by: 45flint on November 18, 2022, 11:08:28 AM
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My new to me BSA Light was so nice and most of the screw heads were fine. The ones on the trigger guard didn’t look the greatest. Though I am for leaving vintage airguns original I think the vintage Gods will forgive this improvement. Last pic more from a distance show how normal they look to the casual observer. Now I can look at the trigger guard and not wince.
(https://i.imgur.com/v5zwbgr.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ooKTQKo.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/rtkD1Ms.jpg)
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Very nice, buggered screw heads is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves.
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How did you do it Steve?
Amazing results.
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How did you do it Steve?
Amazing results.
Pretty easy really, just sandpaper. 220 grit, just to sand the top of the head till most of the damage is removed. I guess I am removing some height to the screw head but it is not noticeable at all. Fold a small piece of sandpaper in half and use that edge to sand carefully inside the grove to remove any sharp bits left. 330 grit to reduce scratches. Could go to higher grit to polish but I think higher polish would stand out. These BSA’s are not high polish. Just a dab of bluing paste to reblue. I’m sure there are more professional ways to do it?
Just using something pointed like a tooth pick can give you the ability to touch up bluing on the screw head that is not really damaged but can have some bluing scratched off which can make it very noticable. Just targeted bluing can make it disappear.
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Carefully peen the metal back in place. Light taps do the trick.
Needle file or jewlers saw or hacksaw blade to clean up the slot. Then lightly file contour. Polish and cold blue
(http://)
NONE OF MY PICTURES CAME THROUGH. OH WELL
(http://)
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Carefully peen the metal back in place. Light taps do the trick.
Needle file or jewlers saw or hacksaw blade to clean up the slot. Then lightly file contour. Polish and cold blue
NONE OF MY PICTURES CAME THROUGH. OH WELL
Posting pictures here is a nightmare. I don't know why I waste my time. So much easier on other forums
(http://)
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Carefully peen the metal back in place. Light taps do the trick.
Needle file or jewlers saw or hacksaw blade to clean up the slot. Then lightly file contour. Polish and cold blue
NONE OF MY PICTURES CAME THROUGH. OH WELL
(http://)
More professional. Thanks for sharing. Excellent results.
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The nice folks here make it worth it. I guess. LOL!
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Nice work on the screws! If I may suggest, India Stones work good for clean up. Kind of like an extra fine file.
https://www.gesswein.com/abrasives/dressing-stones/india-stones/norton-india-abrasive-files/ (https://www.gesswein.com/abrasives/dressing-stones/india-stones/norton-india-abrasive-files/)
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Thanks. You can peen some really bad ones back in place. Get any scrap buggered screw and try it. You can spin them in a hand drill, doesn't have to be a lathe. Chuck the threads very lightly. It doesn't take much grip to hold them for this. Use a 4 oz hammer if you have one. That's all it takes.
Flat headed screws might get a light face cut. A flat headed screw does not mean a slotted. Flat head screws can be any drive type. Allen, Torx, Slotted, Robertson, Clutch, Phillips, etc. Countersunk screws usually have a flat head.
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All good stuff, I’m ready to take another on with probably a little better results. Value of a forum
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I use the polished front face of a 2oz ball peen hammer to put the metal back in it's place, clean up the slot with a hacksaw ( using it more file like with the sides of the teeth, not really cutting in ), then chuck it in a drill and run it against some foam backed fine sandpaper till I get the desired surface than refinish.
I do this to avoid removing steel from the screw, at least removing as little as possible.
(https://i.postimg.cc/763LPZMt/20221123-202217.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/k65Cf9HW)
(https://i.postimg.cc/brLNbV5Q/20221123-202205.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/p5hHMCRT)
(https://i.postimg.cc/FKJRqZf4/20221123-202932.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/R344JwQs)
(https://i.postimg.cc/brqwZfmy/20221123-203517.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/34bTqVMV)
Check out Mark Novak on YouTube, he is the man.
A true genius and master of his craft, he's also funny and is somebody who makes boring things easy to listen to.
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If you carefully grind the sides of your hacksaw blade you can remove the "set" of the teeth and get a narrower kerf so you don't widen the screw slot. Many gun screws have a narrow slot.
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Nice work and suggestions. But when you can't save the old screw, here's a possible source for oddball gun screws;
https://blacksmithbolt.com/
I would tend to support the guys that stock the more common screws, Mike Baker, Rick Willnecker, etc., but sometimes even they won't have an original replacement.
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One way to get a smooth head on a screw is to chuck it up in a hand drill, coat it liberally with polishing compound, and press it HARD into a sanding sponge while the drill is running. This will clean up a lot of scars, and is an old gunsmith trick to use before bluing.
Also, Starrett used to make a hacksaw specifically for cutting screw slots. Not sure of the model number though.
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Back in my smiting days, I would TIG the heads and use the slotter on the lathe after rounding them again. Most good smiths I know do the same or just get replacements from Numrich.
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Back in my smiting days, I would TIG the heads and use the slotter on the lathe after rounding them again. Most good smiths I know do the same or just get replacements from Numrich.
Preservation and conservation change things.
That may be good for common general repairs, but when you want to leave as little evidence as possible that the gun has been messed with and to keep the gun as original as possible one may not want to go crazy with a screw.
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Back in my smiting days, I would TIG the heads and use the slotter on the lathe after rounding them again. Most good smiths I know do the same or just get replacements from Numrich.
A slotter on a lathe makes me think of something to cut keyways. What is a slotter that cuts screw slots on the lathe? And why not just use a slitting saw with the screw held in a collet block? I have made a lot of slotted screws myself. Used a hacksaw blade many times. Also cut slots on the vertical mill with an arbor or I can use my little Burke horizontal. Easier to see on the horizontal.
(http://)
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Back in my smiting days, I would TIG the heads and use the slotter on the lathe after rounding them again. Most good smiths I know do the same or just get replacements from Numrich.
A slotter on a lathe makes me think of something to cut keyways. What is a slotter that cuts screw slots on the lathe? And why not just use a slitting saw with the screw held in a collet block? I have made a lot of slotted screws myself. Used a hacksaw blade many times. Also cut slots on the vertical mill with an arbor or I can use my little Burke horizontal. Easier to see on the horizontal.
(http://)
Correct, slitter. I get words wrong all the time, spellchecker does it to me too.
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Back in my smiting days, I would TIG the heads and use the slotter on the lathe after rounding them again. Most good smiths I know do the same or just get replacements from Numrich.
A slotter on a lathe makes me think of something to cut keyways. What is a slotter that cuts screw slots on the lathe? And why not just use a slitting saw with the screw held in a collet block? I have made a lot of slotted screws myself. Used a hacksaw blade many times. Also cut slots on the vertical mill with an arbor or I can use my little Burke horizontal. Easier to see on the horizontal.
(http://)
Correct, slitter. I get words wrong all the time, spellchecker does it to me too.
That's cool. I thought maybe you were talking about some kind of Swiss lathe (Shaublin) or something with a bazillion rare attachments.
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Back in my smiting days, I would TIG the heads and use the slotter on the lathe after rounding them again. Most good smiths I know do the same or just get replacements from Numrich.
A slotter on a lathe makes me think of something to cut keyways. What is a slotter that cuts screw slots on the lathe? And why not just use a slitting saw with the screw held in a collet block? I have made a lot of slotted screws myself. Used a hacksaw blade many times. Also cut slots on the vertical mill with an arbor or I can use my little Burke horizontal. Easier to see on the horizontal.
(http://)
Correct, slitter. I get words wrong all the time, spellchecker does it to me too.
That's cool. I thought maybe you were talking about some kind of Swiss lathe (Shaublin) or something with a bazillion rare attachments.
Nah, simple slitter
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Ok then, what's a slitter for a lathe?
An arbor with a slitting saw and a milling attachment?
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Ok then, what's a slitter for a lathe?
An arbor with a slitting saw and a milling attachment?
Yes
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OK, now I gotchya. Thank you