Any tips or tricks other than practice on getting a clean symetrical transition between the round shank and the square root? I'm having a little trouble here, every time I cut one half, it screws up the other half.
-Don

draw file the length of the handle. Rotate the file some for each stroke, take it right up to the detail line where the round goes into the flat face, this will pull the waves out of the length of handle.
unlock the vise. regrab the bolt so the handle is pointing away from you, draw file up to the detail line where the flat goes to round. with the file flat on the face work the radius of the detail line. The first one of those can be tricky, take your time, kind of play that detail line with the file. When you're happy with it polish it.
Timan

Maybe you have seen this photo before, but if not, its a photo of how David Miller does his transitions.

Well I broke out the files and stones. I'm still having a little trouble with the transition on the sides. I like the little shadowline effect on the top, but how do I carry the line around? Anyone have a pic without any ingraving hiding the transition.
-Don

Don, a question, this has nothing to do with finishing up the metal work you asked about:

Did you duplicate the angle of the original bolt handle, I mean does it come off the lug at the same angle as a '17?

thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by tin can:
Don, a question, this has nothing to do with finishing up the metal work you asked about:

Did you duplicate the angle of the original bolt handle, I mean does it come off the lug at the same angle as a '17?

thanks.

It's a few degrees in closer to the stock, or at least that's what my eyeball tells me. I'm kind of playing around with different handles, to see what works for me and what don't. The last one I did ended up to close to the stock so I had to sweep it back out. Didn't look too bad just not my style.
-Don