Need a Tig welder near Austin that knows what he is doing

[Cyclotronguy]

I think that this is the rod that he wants to use:

3 1/2% NICKEL STEEL WELDING ROD | Brownells

Developed for use in our space program to give the best possible welds, 3½% Nickel Steel Welding Rod is almost totally free of impurities and flows beautifully to produce an extremely smooth, non-porous weld with Oxy-Acetylene or TIG. Over the yea...

www.brownells.com

That Brownells rod BTW is ROCKMONT "Tartan", and it takes a mighty nice rust blue.

 

[Frizzen]

Yes, this request is asking a lot.

I need a Tig welder that knows what he is doing. If you think this cannot be done, great, please save your opinions because I've had it done in the past and if a welder knows what he is doing it can be done safely.

I need the scope base holes in a butchered Mauser receiver Tig welded with the 3-1/2% nickel filler rods that I have.

This would need to be something I could wait to have done - i.e. I come by, you weld up the holes on the rear of the receiver where carburization is less critical, and, after I see the welds, I decide if we can proceed with the holes on the front of the receiver. A welder that knows what he is doing will understand completely. I am not looking for a freebee but I am also not a trust-fund-baby - its just a nice old Mauser that would make a great rifle if not for the butcher job done to it. New scope bases will cover the repair.

This is not a job for a pipeline welder or a guy building smokers.

If you are unwilling to undertake this unbelievably asking-a-lot mission, would you know anyone that could?

My sincerest humble gratitude in advance.

I sure don’t know anything about Mausers so this comment may not mean anything. My thought is why weld it? Gunsmiths have been filling holes forever in barrels and action by plugging and peening the plug into a counter sink. The plug will need dressing down but then so will welded holes. Some smiths just screw a threaded rod in the hole and finish. Others set up in a mill and open the hole to remove the old threads, then plug and peen. I’ve done both successfully.

 

[Quick Karl]

I sure don’t know anything about Mausers so this comment may not mean anything. My thought is why weld it? Gunsmiths have been filling holes forever in barrels and action by plugging and peening the plug into a counter sink. The plug will need dressing down but then so will welded holes. Some smiths just screw a threaded rod in the hole and finish. Others set up in a mill and open the hole to remove the old threads, then plug and peen. I’ve done both successfully.

Actually I have been contemplating doing exactly that. Since the repair will be covered by scope bases it is probably a better solution than welding and risk damaging the bolt lug buttress case hardening.

Good thinking!

 

[jim rozen]

If this were me, it would be an non-resistable excuse to puchase a TIG machine, and learn to use it. Also note the rod in discussion can be used in an O/A setup.

 

[Quick Karl]

If this were me, it would be an non-resistable excuse to puchase a TIG machine, and learn to use it. Also note the rod in discussion can be used in an O/A setup.

 

[Rob F.]

Depending on the hole size and your welding rod size you may be able to use the rod to make your plugs/rivets.

 

[Quick Karl]

I am going to anneal the screws, peen them in the holes and then file them smooth. The filler rods I have are too small diameter to swage into the holes and doing so without threads is is not a practical option - it probably could be done by screwing the barrel into the reciever and using it as an anvil but geez...

I would love to have a Tig machine but the cost to get one and learn how to use it to fill a few scope base holes in an old Mauser receiver is trust-fund-baby territory.

Maybe I will get lucky and someone will die and leave me an established manufacturing business that I can take credit for building!

 

[jim rozen]

The older I get the more I realize part of the fun is buying new toys - and cooking up excuses for buying same. An oxy-acet rig is pretty cheap, even I've got one. You probably have a friend with one. 1) make a receiver sized mock-up. 2) drill it full of various sized holes. 3) learn on-the-job.

Other option 1) buy the TIG machine. 2) repeat steps above to gain skill. 3) fix your part. 4) sell TIG machine for a profit. Had a buddy did that with a backhoe, he needed a septic tank dug. Made money on the deal.

 

[ernieflash]

The welder does need a FFL if the owner remains with the receiver as long as repair takes .
You can't leave it with the welder overnight

 

[standardparts]

The older I get the more I realize part of the fun is buying new toys - and cooking up excuses for buying same. An oxy-acet rig is pretty cheap, even I've got one. You probably have a friend with one. 1) make a receiver sized mock-up. 2) drill it full of various sized holes. 3) learn on-the-job.

Other option 1) buy the TIG machine. 2) repeat steps above to gain skill. 3) fix your part. 4) sell TIG machine for a profit. Had a buddy did that with a backhoe, he needed a septic tank dug. Made money on the deal.

"make a receiver sized mock-up."....In New York State?
"Unfinished frames and unfinished receivers are defined very broadly under the law and include any material that doesn’t constitute a receiver or frame but which has been formed and/or shaped to allow it to become a frame or receiver" (New York State law) Maybe stick with a backhoe digging septic systems...although did your buddy pull a permit?

 

[GGaskill]

"Unfinished frames and unfinished receivers are defined very broadly under the law and include any material that doesn’t constitute a receiver or frame but which has been formed and/or shaped to allow it to become a frame or receiver"

Sounds like a piece of round bar stock would meet that description.

 

[Nmbmxer]

If the new bases cover the old holes, why fill them at all? D&T new holes and you wont have to refinish anything.

 

[Quick Karl]

There is a very limited longitudinal window on a 98 Mauser wherein scope base holes can be properly located - and locating and aligning them dead center on the receiver is kinda important...

 

[Rob F.]

Will your new scope holes be drilling and tapping into the plugs of the old holes to get proper alignment?

 

[Quick Karl]

Good question.

This is a real pita because I bought this receiver in 2010 and I did not find out about the misaligned holes until just a few years ago when I tried to screw a one-piece base onto it and its been gnawing at me ever since. Real nice 1937 lion crest VZ-24. Some butcher saved a few dollars because he was too God damned cheap to have the work done right. I guess I should have brought a one-piece base with me to "make sure" before I bought the thing but experience is a hard teacher.

I'm just going to plug the holes, dress them off, put open sights on the rifle and say ****-it.

I wish I still lived in Arizona because I knew the best Tig welder that ever lived.

 

[Rob F.]

Sounds like its time for a road trip!

 

[Quick Karl]

Sounds like its time for a road trip!

Left AZ 9-years ago - and that is an awful LONG drive there and back for 20-minutes of Tig welding...

 

[Quick Karl]

I can't complain - I only paid $100 for the action - but that was 13-years ago and if you can even FIND a decent lion crest VZ-24 anymore, the prices are sky high. Still burns a hole in my side...

Yeah, I'm angry about the whole thing.

 

[Quick Karl]

A question for you seriously skilled machinists.

Suppose the holes could be aligned correctly if I went to 8-40 screws as opposed to the 6-48 screws. Is it possible to bore the correct size .1405" hole, for the 8-40 tap, manually (milling machine), without the hole drifting, on a poor man's budget? If so, how?

 

[standardparts]

A question for you seriously skilled machinists.

Suppose the holes could be aligned correctly if I went to 8-40 screws as opposed to the 6-48 screws. Is it possible to bore the correct size .1405" hole, for the 8-40 tap, manually (milling machine), without the hole drifting, on a poor man's budget? If so, how?

misaligned screws...from 6-48 to 8-40......if nothing else maybe you can track down the youtube guy...