The Accurate Reloading Forums
Material for welding follower?
02 October 2016, 05:08
416RigbyHunterMaterial for welding follower?
Hi all,
I have a follower from a custom CZ 550 Magnum that needs some weld added to the rear to lengthen and fill due to it hanging up when depressed.
Should I use 416 rod or a 3 series rod for this?
Cheers.

02 October 2016, 05:20
speerchucker30x378I would put some cold blue on the follower to see what it is. If it's stainless, weld with stainless, if chromoly - - - - - - - - - - - - . Followers could be made from dried out bubblegum and still be functional.

When I was a kid. I had the stick. I had the rock. And I had the mud puddle. I am as adept with them today, as I was back then. Lets see today's kids say that about their IPods, IPads and XBoxes in 45 years!
Rod Henrickson
02 October 2016, 08:01
dpcdExactly what Speer said; followers are not made from anything exotic; old coat hangers work well.
02 October 2016, 17:17
farbedoIf stainless, use the 3 series. 304L or 316L rod preferred.
Welding 400 series with 400 series has issues. Not impossible, just not easy.
Jeremy
03 October 2016, 07:46
ted thornquote:
Originally posted by dpcd:
old coat hangers work well.
Except they weld like shit
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03 October 2016, 08:17
dpcdThat was a joke, for the humorless among you. Besides, I couldn't make them fit through my MIG gun.
03 October 2016, 08:40
speerchucker30x378quote:
Originally posted by dpcd:
That was a joke, for the humorless among you. Besides, I couldn't make them fit through my MIG gun.
They do make a larger spool, heavy duty feeder and gun for that now Tom. You really should try to stay abreast of the new technologies !

he he he
7416a6451fe64fe222b58981a2d17221 by
Rod Henrickson, on Flickr
When I was a kid. I had the stick. I had the rock. And I had the mud puddle. I am as adept with them today, as I was back then. Lets see today's kids say that about their IPods, IPads and XBoxes in 45 years!
Rod Henrickson
03 October 2016, 14:04
JiriSilver brazing could work just fine too IMHO.
Jiri
03 October 2016, 19:31
dpcdI will look for one like that at Harbor Freight. I can see a place to hang a drop light from the antlers.
Silver Brazing? Wow, no. Totally unnecessary for a liner and requires way too much heat on a long tube.
But here is a historic story; when Springfield Armory converted the 1863 Rifle Muskets to 50 caliber, they did brass braze in the liners; they put them into a charcoal forge and left them in all night. In the morning they would be cool and the brass was sucked into the ends. That was in 1866.
03 October 2016, 20:56
speerchucker30x378I have heard of furnace brazing in liners. I have often wondered though, if they didn't just braze in a tube and then ream and rifle it after furnace brazing? One would think the amount of surface carburizing would make it almost impossible to work with a pre-rifled tube ?
Are we on the wrong thread this morning?
When I was a kid. I had the stick. I had the rock. And I had the mud puddle. I am as adept with them today, as I was back then. Lets see today's kids say that about their IPods, IPads and XBoxes in 45 years!
Rod Henrickson
04 October 2016, 12:27
416RigbyHunterI have 316 rod on hand, can't see a problem putting stainless on it, just thought I would ask first.
I can't really determine what material the follower is, so, it can't hurt.
Cheers.

04 October 2016, 20:13
speerchucker30x378If cold blue takes, it's chromoly. If it doesn't, it's stainless. Mixing the two metals can be temperamental to weld. It will also have a color difference if taken to a medium high polish. Welding stainless to chromoly will look like a light yellow stain on the part. It will function no matter what you use.
When I was a kid. I had the stick. I had the rock. And I had the mud puddle. I am as adept with them today, as I was back then. Lets see today's kids say that about their IPods, IPads and XBoxes in 45 years!
Rod Henrickson
05 October 2016, 15:23
416RigbyHunterThanks Speerchucker,
I have done lots of stainless to mild steel and chrome molly before, I'm not worried about any colour differences, just the function of the follower. I have a 416 Rigby follower in there at the moment, it doesn't hang up when feeding the magazine like the one that was in there. Maybe I should just mill this one to suit the 505, but, then I won't have one for my 404 when it's completed.
Cheers.
