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Building a tool to stake the tube on a 1911

Uncle Ethan

Aluminum
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Location
Southeastern New Mexico
I'm building a tool for staking the tube for the detents on a 1911 frame. The tube is .150 in diameter and height. I want to machine a slot with a full radius in a piece of Aluminum to protect the tube from damage when I stake it. Can a end mill be ground from a .150 diameter drill? I would cut it shorter than a stubbie, use the sears drill sharpening fixture to grind a radius on it, and grind reliefs in the two flutes. Would that work?
 
You can protect the tube by inserting a piece of drill rod, or the shank of a drill. Don't remember the size, though. The simplest way to make a grooved anvil, is to clamp two pieces of stock together, and drill down between them with a #25 (.1495") or #24 (.1520") drill.
Paul
 
You can protect the tube by inserting a piece of drill rod, or the shank of a drill. Don't remember the size, though. The simplest way to make a grooved anvil, is to clamp two pieces of stock together, and drill down between them with a #25 (.1495") or #24 (.1520") drill.
Paul

OK, now that makes sense. Instead of buying a one time ball end mill or trying to turn a shortened drill into a endmill use your method and then build up either side of the radius with stock to bring the height to .150- making a pair of pliers into a flaring tool was as far as I could take it. Thanks to both replies.
 
Holes and how to make them..

Fist thisng to know drill bits don't cut round or straight holes.

End mills are designed to cut linear holes.

Reamers "supposedly" round up drilled holes.

Real round holes are cut with a boring bar.

We do the best with what we have.

Rustystud
 
Hi There,

One thought I have is to drill a hole in a suitable piece of metal,
using a drill with the same diameter as the radius outside section
of the plunger tube. Then mill the piece of metal so that 1/2 of
the hole is removed (axially), leaving a "U" shaped channel. This
will form a "backing" block for the plunger tube that will distribute
the pressure evenly over the surface of the plunger tube while
staking and will significantly reduce the tendency to crush the tube.
Inserting a rod inside the plunger tube (as previously mentioned)
will add even more.

Good Luck!
-Blue Chips-
Webb
 
Staking the safety tube on a 1911

This is my first post on this forum. I haven't done this in years... sold all my equipment years ago, and had a different white collar career, but I am just getting back into it as I move toward my retirement age...

When I was building 1911's from parts kits and new frames back in the 1970's, the master gunsmith I apprenticed with had a slick tool he had created exactly for this purpose. He had taken an inexpensive needle-nose vice-grip tool whose jaws remained parallel when closed. He cut half the length off the jaws, and then softened the largest jaw with a torch. Then he took a round rat tail file the correct size and manually cut a half moon shape in the soft jaw. In the other jaw, he drilled a hole for pin that he had turned that had an appropriate taper to expand the hole in the stud on the for the part. The part was placed on the frame in the correct position, and a long pin punch of the appropriate diameter was put in the tube. The tool was then used to install and swage the hollow stud to the frame. Total time for installation? less than 60 seconds... (once you own the tool of course)...

A simple tool to make and an easy job it makes of this task. I hope this explanation has been helpful :cheers:
 
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building a tool to

SIR,
i have some books on the 1911, and one of these
has a complete set of plans for building some of the
special tooling for working on this pistol. i remember
the one for staking the tube. the plans call for a pin
made from cr rod, or drill rod. this is used to keep the
tube from damage while it is installed. the holder is milled
in a V for the tube to set in. the book is called. THE COLT
45 AUTO PISTOL, by DESERT PUBLICATIONS. i have no idea
if this book is still available, as i have had it for many years.
it was reprinted in 1978.
DESERT PUBLICATIONS, CORNVILLE,ARIZONA 86325
good luck with your project.
wlbrown
 
If you look in Brownell's, you will find the tools already made to do this job. The main tool is a modified ViseGrip. The saddle is there, plus a pin to put inside the tube to keep from distorting it.
080-806-500
Plunger Tube Crimper Kit about $75


Will
 
I quit staking Plunger tubes along time ago.
Just sweat them on. They stay forever and never come loose.

Sam
 








 
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