Stuck Drill

[john.k]

Mr Taylor is right about not only loctite but most adhesives.I ve done some giant nuts on hydraulic rams ,and often bright red heat is needed to burn the stuff into carbon before its possible to turn the nut with 10,000 ftlb thru a multiplier.Melting loctite and the liner falling out is a dream,but if you use solder,thats exactly what happens.

[Bent Ramrod]

I use solder, myself. It’s pretty arduous getting everything tinned and melted together, but I can leave a little bit of the liner out the muzzle of the barrel and test the chambering and extractor fit and function. If things aren’t right, I can heat the barrel, press the end in further and have another chance. Not practical with glue.

Besides, I have a toolbox full of solder odds and ends. Might as well use it up.

[Bent Ramrod]

The drill is out. Good thing I chose to Mickey Mouse the drill extension by tapping the drill shank and using threaded rod with a smooth turned end for the drill chuck rather than doing a more “professional” job by threading a short section on the end of a smooth rod.

I put a fender washer over the threaded rod against the breech end of the barrel, screwed a flange nut down against it and started tightening. I thought I was unscrewing the extension from the drill and was puzzled when it stopped turning. But there it was, the end of the drill shank, butted against the washer. I found a piece of shotgun barrel I’d cut off for a friend decades ago, that I’d kept all this time without being able to find a single use for it. It was just the right size to butt against the breech end of the barrel while allowing the drill to slide into it. I used it as a spacer, replaced the washer and nut on the threaded rod, and a little more turning and the drill came right out. Not a lot of jammed chips, no breakage or dulling of edges.

If the drilled out portion is a half centimeter more or less than exactly halfway through the barrel, I can’t measure it. I think I’ll drill the rest out from the muzzle end so the liner is concentric with the bore there, no matter what might have happened on the inside.

Thanks again for all the comments and advice. This Forum is a fantastic resource.

[john.k]

Probably chips gouging into very soft steel.Some old gun steel is so soft it wont cleanly cut with carbide tooling,and gums up,making a mess of the job.Very fine feed and plenty of good cutting oil is best,keeps the chips fine.