Dissolving Cured Epoxy - Bolt Gun Painted Shut

[Somebody]

Cwtebay, the sins against this action are already unforgivable, so a little blasphemy cannot harm its soul any further.

However, I am stumped. I can snake a piece of welding wire through one lug recess, under the bolt, and back out the opposite side. The epoxy is gone, yet the bolt remains stuck.

I purchased a longer cleaning rod, and was able to remove a fair amount of rust from the chamber. It is now sitting with an ounce of Kroil in the bore. If it fails to creep past the bolt head, then I can only assume that it is sealed tight by epoxy, rust …or a bullet.

The bore is clear past the nipple, but the rod goes thump instead of clang when it bottoms out.

[cwtebay]

Cwtebay, the sins against this action are already unforgivable, so a little blasphemy cannot harm its soul any further.

However, I am stumped. I can snake a piece of welding wire through one lug recess, under the bolt, and back out the opposite side. The epoxy is gone, yet the bolt remains stuck.

I purchased a longer cleaning rod, and was able to remove a fair amount of rust from the chamber. It is now sitting with an ounce of Kroil in the bore. If it fails to creep past the bolt head, then I can only assume that it is sealed tight by epoxy, rust …or a bullet.

The bore is clear past the nipple, but the rod goes thump instead of clang when it bottoms out.

I'm going to ask this though you addressed it adequately in your post. Are you sure that the bolt disconnect is inactive? I wholeheartedly apologise if it is, but that's a serious hurdle if you have done all of the above.
Dang it, now I want that rifle!

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[Somebody]

It’s a very fair question. Unless there is more to the lock than this, it should be quite free.

That flat spring is going to be a pain to duplicate too. One hurdle at a time.

[cwtebay]

It’s a very fair question. Unless there is more to the lock than this, it should be quite free.

That flat spring is going to be a pain to duplicate too. One hurdle at a time.

Is that pan head screw holding anything up?

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[Somebody]

The pan head is the bolt release button. It is a very loose clearance fit with the tang, but I cannot remove it without removing the bolt first.

Up front on the recoil lug is the remains of a nipple. That is about 1.5” forward of the bolt head, so there is no interference there either.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I would soak it in MEK over night or for a few days if necessary in a Closed Container. That way the stuff doesn't evaporate. If you can't get MEK then Acetone is the next most volatile substance down the Petroleum Ladder.

Maybe that stuff in a Vibrasonic Cleaner Tank? would get better penetration?

If that doesn't work, then heat is your only other option.

Randy

[Hannibal]

At this point I do not think you're dealing with an epoxy locking up the bolt.

I'd consider a mechanical interference of some sort.

And the epoxy was applied as an 'excuse' for whatever is actually locking it up.

I do not envy your situation. Unknown can 'o worms.

[Somebody]

You may be right, Hannibal. The chamber has been soaking in Kroil all weekend, and not a drop has crept past the bolt head. The only thing I can think of moving forward is applying more heat. It might be solder, or one doozy of a rust joint keeping things shut tight.

[Hannibal]

You may be right, Hannibal. The chamber has been soaking in Kroil all weekend, and not a drop has crept past the bolt head. The only thing I can think of moving forward is applying more heat. It might be solder, or one doozy of a rust joint keeping things shut tight.

After reading your original post, and given what you've tried already, I'd start considering some unpleasant possibilities.

Such as, the bolt was locked up and someone forced the bolt handle from the bolt body trying to rotate the locked bolt.

Then the epoxy was applied later.

So consider what will be required to remove a siezed bolt. That's the course of action to follow going forward I think.

[georgerkahn]

Not to be a sourpuss -- but I have been a bit startled by the repeated posts re use of Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK)! I was "taught" some solvents (e.g., carbon tet -- which we used to use "everyday/for everything" -- hazards are over-rated), while MEK (we used it as an additive to epoxies) was really nasty stuff: Not to get a drop on your skin; or, to breathe even a slight whiff! Forget eye contact -- irreversible damage!
OK if you use the stuff and it works -- PLEASE EXERCISE DUE CAUTION!!! You can (please do) read all about MEK at https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chem...files/mek.html .
I've had minimal experience in softening epoxies, having used Acetone with marginal success as my one and only.
Again, please be careful with MEK!!!
geo

[Somebody]

Georgerkahn, MEK came up so often because it’s the big gun up against something designed to be permanent. Before epoxy cures, even ordinary alcohol cleans it up easily. It’s a different animal once it cures.

Acetone is my bread and butter solvent, but it just wasn’t sticking around long enough to be useful for long soaks.

[siamese4570]

You might try sticking the action in a pot of boiling water for 15-20 min. That will put a lot of heat into the action without having to worry about ruining the temper. Did this once on a screw that was green loctited.
Siamese4570

[StrawHat]

Automatic transmission fluid is a good penetrant.

Kevin

[JDHasty]

Get a couple cans of computer duster. Put straw on. Turn the can upside down and spray Carbon Dioxide onto the epoxied parts trying to get it in, under and over and build up a good inch thick layer of pseudo dry ice and then put it in a chest freezer so the dry ice will evaporate more slowly and suck as much energy as possible out of the deeper areas in the steel before the Carbon Dioxide completely evaporates. This usually contracts the heck out of the steel and breaks the bond between the epoxy and steel and will allow solvents to penetrate in between. Then by giving small areas of epoxy the dry ice treatment again it will become brittle and can be snapped off using a brass chisel and picks.

WEAR GLOVES! Good gloves.

[405grain]

So far, lots of good advise regarding the action being locked up by epoxy. If that's the case continue proceeding. If however it's a rust/corrosion problem, then none of the chemical solvent solutions are going to give much relief. If the action is frozen because of rust an electrolysis cleaning might be a good option. Chemical rust removers might be too harsh on the action, but electrolysis is gentler, yet effective. There are lots of video tutorials on this process, and it usually takes little more than a bucket, a small battery charger, some wire and household chemicals. If the epoxy removal methods don't work, an electrolysis cleaning may work, but even if it doesn't there's not much to loose. If there's something mechanical locking the action closed (weld, silver solder, pin or screw), then that's going to be something else all together.

[DougGuy]

Get a couple cans of computer duster. Put straw on. Turn the can upside down and spray Carbon Dioxide onto the epoxied parts trying to get it in, under and over and build up a good inch thick layer of pseudo dry ice and then put it in a chest freezer so the dry ice will evaporate more slowly and suck as much energy as possible out of the deeper areas in the steel before the Carbon Dioxide completely evaporates. This usually contracts the heck out of the steel and breaks the bond between the epoxy and steel and will allow solvents to penetrate in between. Then by giving small areas of epoxy the dry ice treatment again it will become brittle and can be snapped off using a brass chisel and picks.

WEAR GLOVES! Good gloves.

This sounds like the more advantageous method of using temperature to break the epoxy bond. If it gets the epoxy cold enough it just may break it with a sharp impact.

The stub of the handle remains, which is just enough meat to get some purchase with a pipe wrench.

Being a welder by trade, I would find a nut that will slip over the stub, leave enough of the center of the nut that you can fill it with weld and weld it, preferably with a TiG torch and fill the nut up with weld metal which will attach a grip point to the bolt, AND heat the bolt enough to soften the epoxy.

[JDHasty]

On of my gunsmith buddy's sons is a doctor. He gave him some sort of device that is used w/liquid nitrogen to freeze off skin lesions. After seeing that thing in action on loctited and rusted scope base screws and such I started flipping the cans of electronics duster to see if I could achieve the same and it has worked pretty doggone well. One other thing I came up with is to keep the broken and blunted points for your Starrett Automatic Center punch and grind them to fit screw slots and grind a ball end on one and a flat end on another. The sharp impact blow on stuck screws works really well in getting Kroil to penetrate and finally give way. I have six or eight that I have reshaped and they have been a Godsend.