700 Bolt Handle Welding

[fish45]

Someone sees a problem MAYBE a handful of times and suddenly they all have problems... Common problems to a "gunsmith" and common problems to "everyone else" are two different things...

You've retimed actions...? Yea... Bolts I'd believe. Muzzle brakes I'd believe. Fluted barrels I'd believe. But actions...

[kcstott]

Someone sees a problem MAYBE a handful of times and suddenly they all have problems... Common problems to a "gunsmith" and common problems to "everyone else" are two different things...

You've retimed actions...? Yea... Bolts I'd believe. Muzzle brakes I'd believe. Fluted barrels I'd believe. But actions...

Well call it what you like. No I do not change geometry on the action itself. The bolt and action are timed and tuned as a unit. You could say the same thing about blueprinting an action, Few really do check everything before they make a cut. so they have no clue where they started or what they did is actually going to make a difference.

[LynnJr]

The bolt bodies handles and receivers shipped out to Dan for timing and tig welding.
He has done more than a dozen for me already and only one was too tight without some filing work.
The bolt bodies are all oversized and the clearances are some of the tightest I have done.
Kind of shocked that nobody in California is doing this kind of work.

[SPC G]

http://www.baldwinboltjeweling.com/

Check out his website think he may be able to help had him do my bolt they turned out great and it worked fine no problems.

[ar15barrels]

You've retimed actions...? Yea...
Bolts I'd believe.
Muzzle brakes I'd believe.
Fluted barrels I'd believe.
But actions...

Primary extraction timing is the interface between the primary extraction cam on the bolt and the camming surface on the action.
You move the bolt handle forward/backward as well in rotation around the bolt to set the timing.

[ar15barrels]

Kind of shocked that nobody in California is doing this kind of work.

I do it.

[kendog4570]

Can you do it like Dan, without receiver, with the existing handle root to receiver measurement, and turn it mail order quickly? He does a great job, but can be a real pain to deal with, depending on what his blood alcohol level is. Also don't request much else on his website other than Rem work, or your in for a ride. I'll send mine to you if you can.

[ar15barrels]

Can you do it like Dan, without receiver, with the existing handle root to receiver measurement, and turn it mail order quickly?

Probably not.
I don't know what his welds look like and I am afraid to trust measurements from someone else on the handle location.
I can time the handle rotation based on the tail of the handle root aligning to the bolt lug raceway and I re-cut that square after welding but I don't know that I could trust working from a handle root to bolt lug length.
I use a 0.010" shim between the handle root and the receiver with the bolt lugs set tight against the receiver.
How much clearance does dan put there compared to the measurement he asks for?

My welding is functional but not pretty so I clean it up before refinishing.

[kcstott]

Probably not.
I don't know what his welds look like and I am afraid to trust measurements from someone else on the handle location.
I can time the handle rotation based on the tail of the handle root aligning to the bolt lug raceway and I re-cut that square after welding but I don't know that I could trust working from a handle root to bolt lug length.
I use a 0.010" shim between the handle root and the receiver with the bolt lugs set tight against the receiver.
How much clearance does dan put there compared to the measurement he asks for?

My welding is functional but not pretty so I clean it up before refinishing.

I sure couldn't trust the average customer to measure anything on an action.
I use .010" as well. Anything less and it's starts getting sticky in other areas. Tolerances start to appear and interfere with each other. I'm sure you know more about bolt timing and fitting then i do.

[LynnJr]

Yeah these are RR receivers and his quoted numbers over the phone sound nice but each bolt is setup to a specific action so I taped and marked them so they don't get mixed up.
And yes Kendog he can be a handful over the phone. I sent him a fitted bolt with zero clearance thinking he would measure it up and I would lap it in only to have him reject the job and send me a nasty letter.
I fitted it and sent it back the same day and he called to see how I was doing the fitting.
I will post pictures when they get back to me

[kendog4570]

I sure couldn't trust the average customer to measure anything on an action.
I use .010" as well. Anything less and it's starts getting sticky in other areas. Tolerances start to appear and interfere with each other. I'm sure you know more about bolt timing and fitting then i do.

His instructions are field strip (I think) the bolt, lift the handle about 1/3rd of its opening travel, then measure with a feeler gage the gap between the handle root and the back of the bridge. Write that measurement on some tape on the bolt and send it. He tightens it up to about .010. Have had several done by him over the years this way and they come out fine.
I have welded big innershield wire for a paycheck for years, but I suck at real fine TIG.

[ar15barrels]

I sure couldn't trust the average customer to measure anything on an action.
I use .010" as well. Anything less and it's starts getting sticky in other areas. Tolerances start to appear and interfere with each other. I'm sure you know more about bolt timing and fitting then i do.

If you get the two corners too close to each other so that the bolt goes to tight and will not come around the corner on to the abutments, you can break the edge where the cocking ramps meet the lug abutments.

[kcstott]

His instructions are field strip (I think) the bolt, lift the handle about 1/3rd of its opening travel, then measure with a feeler gage the gap between the handle root and the back of the bridge. Write that measurement on some tape on the bolt and send it. He tightens it up to about .010. Have had several done by him over the years this way and they come out fine.
I have welded big innershield wire for a paycheck for years, but I suck at real fine TIG.

Feeler gauge measurements i'd trust. I can do and have done tig work under a microscope for a paycheck. .040" tungsten and .015" wire 15-30x scope with a fast glass lens taped to it. set the machine at a high pulse frequency and only about 10 amps max, I can't remember all the settings it's been a few years, but i could do some amazing stuff, This was all for injection molds. filling in screwed up engravings or fixing buggered up edges. fun stuff

[kcstott]

If you get the two corners too close to each other so that the bolt goes to tight and will not come around the corner on to the abutments, you can break the edge where the cocking ramps meet the lug abutments.

I'll have to dig out my spare action and take a look.

[kendog4570]

Feeler gauge measurements i'd trust. I can do and have done tig work under a microscope for a paycheck. .040" tungsten and .015" wire 15-30x scope with a fast glass lens taped to it. set the machine at a high pulse frequency and only about 10 amps max, I can't remember all the settings it's been a few years, but i could do some amazing stuff, This was all for injection molds. filling in screwed up engravings or fixing buggered up edges. fun stuff

I'm at the other end of the spectrum .120" diameter wire run through a Lincoln LN-9 powered by a huge rectifier. 40 volts at 600 amps. I could burn four 50 pound rolls in a 10 hour shift, and cut my entire gun collection in half with one hot pass! Ittty bitty TIG kicks my butt.