My front gaurd screw will not loosen after bedding... and yes I did use alot of release agent everywhere... What do I do? I'll get a better fitting screw driver bit in the morning ang give it much more pressure. Any thoughts>?
Aaron

an impact driver would probably move it.

This is a two parter. Clamp the rifle in a padded vice on a drill press table. Put an exact fit bit into an extension with a ratchet on the extension. Chuck the extension and fiddle so the bit will go exactly into the slot.

A soldering accessory is sold for propane torches. The flame heats the tip and vents out the sides of the gadget. You might have to file a bit so the tip is no wider than the screw head. Fire up the torch and heat the living hell out of the screw head.

When you have the head as hot as you dare, bring down the bit and apply down pressure with the press and rotary pressure with the ratchet. The bit can't back out and something has to give.

Aaron, heat it up with an electric soldering iron and it should break free. You need a good fitting screwdriver for the job, as you said.

I've been there.. i think we all have...

the soldering iron works well.. and it will take FAR longer than you want it to.

the front ring needs to get warm (not hot, not even REALLY warm) before you try to screw it a HAIR tigher, then back it out... if you have the room to go a little tighter, it will clear some better...moving the epoxy swarf, so to speak.

you don't want to bugger up the screw any worse than you have to...

---- this has the risk of shattering the screw ---

If that doesn't work, as you are trying to melt the epoxy --stick a screw into some hardened epoxy (your mixing cup) and hold the soldering iron on that to see how long/how it has to get to melt)-- then get some dryice and insulated gloves, and hold it on the screw and keep holding it for at least 30 mins... then use the impact driver... this will both reduce the diameter and freeze the epoxy.. causing the epoxy to shatter... ONLY back this out, do NOT drive forward.

best of luck
jeffe

Aaron

This won't help you get that rifle apart but it might make you feel better if you don't.

In the 1950s, epoxies and glass bedding was relatively new and not many shooters new how to do it. One of my shooting buddies had this Mauser rifle that we decided to re-stock with a Bishop semi-inletted stock. We thought a glass bedding job would be the ticket to accuracy so we bought the necessary materials, scratched our heads a few times, and then dove in. As you have probably guessed, we glued it together, but good.

Since it was only an old surplus mauser he decided to go ahead and shoot it that way and figure out how to get it apart later. Years went by, we eventually moved apart and I didn't see him for quite a few years. Then one day in 1995 I got a call from him. He was passing through my area and wanted to stop by for a few minutes to say Hi.

We were talking about the old days when he said, "Hey do you remember that Mauser we glued together as kids?" "Yes", I said. "Well, would you believe I still have it and deer hunt with it and it shoots just as good as it did 40 years ago?"

I hope you get yours apart but if you don't maybe you can laugh about it in 2045.

Ray

Thanks guys!

my smith says to freeze it in a deep freeze all night and the metal will contract more than the epoxy and it will come apart easier...

Have any of you tried this one?

I've glued two rifles together over the years. The freezer trick works fine and you don't have to worry about charring any wood.

The soldering iron failed... the freezing method failed... the impact screw driver failed... the gunsmith after drilling out the screw ended up breaking the stock getting it apart! He offered to pay for the replacement... Should I let him pay for it all? I have a feeling it wasn't all his fault... What do you think? The stock was a nice witworth express stock I picked up for $90...

I wouldn't! Can't blame him IMO.

If you don't think its your gunsmith's fault that the stock broke, don't make him pay for it. I wouldn't...

One thing you could do now if you liked the looks and design of this broken stock is to glue it back together and send it off to a stock duplicator and have it duplicated. Then, if it was me, I'd have my gunsmith bed it just be safe.

Aaron,
sorry it didn't work...

the next step (that minimally damages teh stocks) would have been a micro torch on the screws..

sorry to hear the stock broke, but i wouldn;t ask the smith to pay... i'd be grumpy the stock broke, but not at him. The reason why is that he didn't stick it.. he just offered to help.

I would pay the man, take him out for a beer for helping, a coffee if he don't drink, and get another stock....

the 90 bucks you paid for the stock is less than what i charge to duplicate one, on your blank.. so I would tell you that getting another one is still a bargin...

next time, start this when you have at least 4 hours. wrap it in surgical tubing (not ungodly tight, but firm) and stick around... the first hour doesn't really matter, but every 30 mins turn the screws in and out 1/2 a turn... when they get tight to turn, do it every ten mins... after 4 to 6 hours, you can take them out


jeffe

I have done it both ways...a soldering iron first with the iron on the screw head being carefull not to burn the wood, and if that does not work..then chuck it up in the drill press and useing a properly fitting screw driver shaft that is in the drill press bring it down into the screw slot and lock it there..Now heat the center of the screw driver shaft and let the heat run down to the screw, this way you don't scorch the wood, keep pressure on the screw driver by hand only...normally you will see little bubbles start to appear, then turn the drill press by hand until it breaks loose as you hold the heat on the screwdriver shaft...

It's pretty easy to do...

BTW, I never use screws for glass bedding, I let the rifle settle to stops I place under the end of the barrel and at the tang..Screws will create stress from unneeded tension...You can also use surgical tubing as long as you have some stops installed. I do use guide screw to align things up...

You guys need to make a tool to pull the barrel and action from a stuck glassed stock. This tool is about 10 inches long is made to fit over an action with about .003+ to each side like a large pipe milled out with flats on the bottom side touching the wood. Place a mandrel close to the bolt diameter inside the action bolt way that is drilled and taped for a 3/8 X 16 allen head bolt. This bolt should be placed just behind the area of the receiver ejection port and just behind the area where the scope mounts. The large pipe should be drilled for clearance of the bolt. When this tool is used it will pull any action loose without damaging the stock if you put a releace agent on the aparts. I like to use Johnson's floor paste wax as a release agent. Stuck screws come into shops quite often when you are in a large town full of amateur gunsmiths. The heat on the screw will cause it to release if enough heat gets to the bottom. Freezing the action works if you have the time. I used a 3/4 in brass shaft turned down to fit over the screw head. Heat this with a torch and it will take about 400 degrees to make this screw come loose. Don't try to remove by hammering on the barrel or a guide screw. Hope this is not too much info.

LesBrooks, do you have a picture of described action puller so that some of us can get a better idea about how to build one. Thanks, Rojelio

Nobody has mentioned throwing the thing in the frezzer overnight. Might be worth a try.

quote:

Originally posted by Rojelio:
LesBrooks, do you have a picture of described action puller so that some of us can get a better idea about how to build one. Thanks, Rojelio

I cannot find mine at this time, but if you take a look at a horse shoe with the open end hanging down,this is the end view of the tool. It needs to be about to 10 inches long to place over the flats of the top of the stock about 4 inches in front of the receiver and to about along the back area to the bolt stop to keep it from splitting when the turning of the screw will force it down and pull the action. If there are areas that can have the glass deep in machine cuts use modeling clay to fill these spots. If this is not enough I could make a drawing for you. This is some of the info that we taught at TSJC gunsmithing school.

Les

Brownell makes such a tool or did...I have never stuck one so bad as to need such a tool...putting one in a freezer does work sometimes but not always..Best cure is to not use the screws in the first place, thats what hangs them up..and screws are counter productive to the final job as to accuracy...