Made another Krag action nut

[Buckshot]

............I wished I'd saved the print from the first one but figured I'd never make another, but I did!

http://www.fototime.com/FDB84EBC610FF9D/standard.jpg

The drop I'd bought at the steel place wasn't supposed to be hardened but the HSS bit in the flycutter was shooting off sparks like a bunch of bottle rockets. I switched to a cemented carbide bit and got it faced off.

http://www.fototime.com/241892B37E589D6/standard.jpg

Forgot to take pics of milling the flats, but that wasn't too exciting anyway. Drilling the start hole for the boring head.

http://www.fototime.com/F9BDD204A3703D0/standard.jpg

Boring head doing it's thing. Almost to the desired ID. Finished up with a .005" cut up AND down.

http://www.fototime.com/A0894E829C1AADD/standard.jpg

Making chips. About 7 years ago while I was still working nights, a guy had 8 Naichi (Japanese) 16mm 4 flute long shank stub end carbide end mills on E-bay. No minimum bid, $12 shipping. I guess no one else was interested as I got them all for $20 and the shipping. Looking around it appeared these retailed for $85 to $100 each. So I used one of'em.

http://www.fototime.com/25DE4536C3D46F0/standard.jpg

Brushed off the chips.

http://www.fototime.com/186DCC110A4E497/standard.jpg

Just about done with the big end mill part.

http://www.fototime.com/4D20ABE2BDB2214/standard.jpg

That tongue thingie was going to need a 23º angle cut across it, but the tall end needs a radius to fit the action.

http://www.fototime.com/A75EE276C56A7CF/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/DDA14B28EAA0BBD/standard.jpg

[Buckshot]

http://www.fototime.com/E7D5B7030B7E080/standard.jpg

I REALLY hate to tilt the head so I used a sine vise to get the angle.

http://www.fototime.com/65899B60A20B016/standard.jpg

After scribing the 'Mill To' line I substituted a 1/2" 2 flute carbide end mill.

http://www.fototime.com/ED336233713A87D/standard.jpg

Just about done.

http://www.fototime.com/D3D2A1AD24E3CCD/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/3673267FE99C5D0/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/518BE4B03D00F0A/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/B54B3C8367CE5C6/standard.jpg

All done and ready to go!

................Buckshot

[koehlerrk]

Nice millwork! Oh, and I agree completely on using the sine-vice instead of tipping the milling head... much easier to reset when you're done.

Can't wait to see the finished product.

[webradbury]

That looks familiar :mrgreen:

And it works wonderfully!

[square butte]

That's why they call you Buckshot.

[nhrifle]

Outstanding work! Please forgive my ignorance, it has been awhile since I have handled a Krag. What does this part do?

[Bulldogger]

Outstanding work! Please forgive my ignorance, it has been awhile since I have handled a Krag. What does this part do?

I think it's part of the "shoulder thing that goes up". Hopefully Buckshot has all his CA BATFE paperwork filled out on it...

All kidding aside, it's, ummm, I have no idea, but it looks expensive

Bulldogger

[gnoahhh]

Hmmm. I could use one of those.

[webradbury]

Its the action/receiver nut for tightening the receiver to the barrel. The angled lug fits into the recess in the receiver just under and behind the receiver ring. And of course the receiver ring fits into the large center hole. Works like a charm! I had already rust blued my receiver and just taped it up to use the nut. No scratches at all.

As far as cost, after seeing the photos of the process, I feel like I should send Buckshot more money! I'm no machinist, but that took a lot of time, machinery and most of all, know-how! Not to mention is will last forever!

And if you tied it on the end of a rope and swung it around really fast, it would make a formidable weapon!!! Kidding....

[runfiverun]

all that and you only made 1 ?

[Paul Tummers]

Nice job, well done!! Any idea afterwards what kind of steel you did use for it? Bet, that part is made of better steel than the entire rifle!

[Buckshot]

Nice job, well done!! Any idea afterwards what kind of steel you did use for it? Bet, that part is made of better steel than the entire rifle!

............I'd intended to buy, and told the customer I was going to use common low carbon 1018 steel. Nothing else is really required to twist the action off the barrel. I'm lucky in having a VERY well stocked metal supplier 4.7 miles from my driveway, that carries all manner of non-ferrous and ferrous from A36 structural steel to some pretty exotic stuff whose utility is way beyond me. After checking in I was walking through the building looking for the "Dude on duty" to cut me a 3" long piece of 3" OD 1018.

Passing down the racks I noticed a piece (drop) lying on the floor amongst others that was exactly what I wanted, or close enough. I'd been quoted $11 for the 1018 but this was HR 4350 or 4150. I forget which now. Anyway most all the drops are stacked on the floor in front of their rack if they're small enough. I picked it up and finally found Octavio the yard guy I was looking for. I said this would do and mentioned what I'd been quoted for cutting the 1018, and he said drops were all sold by the pound anyway, and it was close enough so he wrote me up, I paid and left with my mojo hocky puck.

I had assumed it was annealed after rolling but apparently not as the HSS steel bit I had in the flycutter was shooting off sparks like a bundle of bottle rockets as I began trying to face it off. Could have just been me with an incorrect feed and/or DOC, as I'm no metallurgical engineer:-) I substituted a cemented carbide bit and things went well after that. Even the HSS drill bit did well with a bit of forethought, but since I had the carbide tooling for the balance I used it.

About all I normally machine are simple alloys like 1018/1020, W-1, O-1, 12L14 and 6061 & 7075 aluminum. If I recall I think the Krag actions were made from a simple alloy medium carbon steel that was case hardened. Treatment was apparently very similar to the Mauser actions. In any event I think the steels used are listed in "Hatchers Notebook" by Maj Gen Julian Hatcher.

..........Buckshot