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Fix the screws!

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KWK
(@kwk)
Pennsylvania
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 628
Topic starter  

Don't buggered screws make your gun look bad? Can't get new ones. So how to fix them? I like to hold them lightly in the lathe chuck. Then LIGHTLY! tap tap tap and peen them back in shape. I use a 4 oz hammer. Not the BMF64OH! Work slow and carefully. When you get the metal back in shape clean up the slot with a needle file, hacksaw blade, or a miniature hacksaw blade. File round head screws  or take a light skim face cut on the lathe for flat heads. polish with fine paper and oil. Oil floats the chips and contains any loose grit to keep it off the lathe bed. These screws go to the Sight I repaired in the previous post. Cold blued.

Look at the real bad screw I repaired in the last pictures. I did that one to illustrate what can be done with this technique. Look how bad it was! Try on a scrap screw. You can do it!

IMG 2273
IMG 2268
IMG 2266
IMG 2274
IMG 3416
IMG 3417
IMG 3425
IMG 3426
IMG 3428

   
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nced
(@nced)
North Carolina
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 144
 

I replaced mine with "lathe adjusted" socket head cap screws! Even with good slots I got annoyed with slipping screw driver blades...........


   
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KWK
(@kwk)
Pennsylvania
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 628
Topic starter  

@nced         Good to see your posts here again. The screws I repaired are for a BSA #22 sight on a 1920 BSA Standard. I don't think replacing them with allen screws would be a good idea. LOL!  You know we want to keep antiques .and classics original. 

These are also wood screws and I don't know where you would find a good supply for various allen head wood screws. And I don't personally want any anyway. 

The screws used on prewar BSA are proprietary threads so you will not find replacements at Fastenal! Taps and dies for them do not exist unless you make your own. I either repair the screws or make new ones. The diameters are not typical  fractional or metric sizes but the pitches are standard pitches so I can very easily single point them on one of my South Bend  lathes. Even though some replicas of them are readily available from UK. It takes me about 20-25 minutes each screw. 12L14 makes really nice threads and screws ? 

Very satisfying to me to restore or replace the screws (or make needed parts) on my many vintage guns. Even an old beater looks better with nice crisp screwheads. I don't do it for profit. It's a romantic endeavor. 

PS I really enjoyed your o-ring piston seal posts on Yellow. Please post some of your work in Metal Shop again

 


   
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