LAGS is up to something again

[LAGS]

I rebuilt that trigger today.
I soldered two brass washers to the trigger lever that were .025 thick with one on each side.
Then I filed them down at the total thickness of the trigger lever is .135" to fit better into the trigger base plate.
The pivot pin was replaced with a piece of old drill bit that fit the trigger lever hole better.
Now that trigger works so smooth and works the lock so much better.
Next project is now the trigger guard.
I do have an old brass CVA / Jukar trigger guard.
But I am going to keep that for a CVA pistol that I am going to build a stock for.
But I think I may just make one out of steel like I did for the pistol I built for " 725" a year ago.

[armoredman]

Noice!

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[LAGS]

Hmmm.
Something just came to mind.
I might try casting a copy of that CVA trigger guard out of those Zinc Wheel weight metal.
I got to check and see if I have some plaster of Paris to make a mold out of.
But I do have some Cat Litter that can be used to make a mold also mixed with sand.
I also have the option of casting the trigger guard out of pure Tin or some Pewter that I have for hardening my cast Boolits for my center-fire guns.

[armoredman]

If you use cat litter to make it a gun, does that make it a pooper shooter?

[charlie b]

LOL

Nice work LAGS. I have also converted myself back to hand machine work (I also am back to mostly hand tools for wood working).

If you want some interesting videos, watch the series on the Antikythera clock reproduction by Clickspring. He reproduces all the tools to make the clock as well. Drills, taps, reamers, files, soldering, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk_r...LGILCa&index=1

[LAGS]

Building a clock totally by hand would be great.
But you have to put a lot of Time into that clock.

[charlie b]

I just liked the tool making and techniques for building it. Making a drill and bits, files, broaches, etc. Hardening tools. Then how to lay out and bond parts. Slots, cams, lock works, etc. Making gears by hand is a bit over the top for me

[LAGS]

Due to our modern times.
People find it easier just to build a Digital Clock.
Too bad we cant make Digital Guns.
I don't do electronics.
So that would be a line of guns I wouldn't work on.

[Hannibal]

There's a thing called an Electromagnetic Rail Gun the defense department has been playing with. No propellant of any kind. A sabot in a steel sleeve as I understand it.

Science fiction is here and has been for awhile.

[armoredman]

I got the stock fit for that trigger that is shown in picture #1.
Now I have to work on that trigger.
The trigger is fairly new.
But it is not a high class trigger.
The trigger flops around side to side a lot because it was built sloppy.
So I will remove the pivot pin and replace it with one that is larger diameter that fits well into the trigger lever better.
I may even solder some brass washers to the side of the lever to make it fit better in the trigger plate with less side to side play.
I am not trying to make some Olympic quality trigger.
But since it is apart , why not just improve it some.
To give you an idea of what I mean.
The trigger pivot pin is .118" dia.
The pivot hole in the trigger lever is .135"
That let's the trigger flops around a lot.
Plus the trigger lever is made of sand cast brass.
So any wiggling around will cause the hole in the trigger lever to widen out even more in a very short time.
The trigger lever is .112" wide.
The slot it fits into on the trigger plate is .135" wide.
So I can just solder a brass washer or two to the side of the trigger lever to make it fit the trigger plate slot better.

Can you tell me what the difference is in sand cast brass?

[LAGS]

Sand cast brass is just metal that is poured into a mold made from green sand that is moist and you form it to fit your part.
I used sifted sand that is all the same size , mixed with ground and sifted cat litter to add a binder to the sand.
I make the mold with the sand damp.
Then let it dry before casting the metal in the mold.
Sand casting makes a part that is the Shape of the part you want.
But it is rough and you have to do final shaping and polishing of the cast part.
If you look at pic # 10 &11.
You can see that the trigger lever is rough on the sides.
When I cast a part that is polished.
I add a little thickness to the part by putting on a coat of something to add a little thickness to the original part.
Then the molded part is just a little thicker and gives you extra metal to finish down on the cast part.
I also cast molds out of Plaster of Paris.
Those molds are a little smoother.
But the cast metal doesn't come out exactly perfect.
Those parts will need finishing the cast part too.
Plaster of Paris molds are a little tough to make because the plaster sticks to the part.
Putting wax on the part you are casting in the mold helps.

[armoredman]

Thank you! Always good info to be had here!

[armoredman]

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[LAGS]

I welded up a steel trigger guard for the pistol.
I still have some shaping and polishing to do before I blue or brown it.
I would have liked to cast one.
But it is just too hot here to work outside.
Just doing that little bit of welding on the guard about killed me outside.

[Hannibal]

Looks nice to me. It'll clean up really well!

[indian joe]

Ask and ye shall receive...

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I have done a bunch of these (blade replacements on CVA style sights) - old eyes need fatter sights - its never occurred to me to solder them (dunno why, I just followed what the last bloke did) so I just rivet them in - make the tab a tad long and peen it over with the blade held firm in the vice --its worked but a little touch of solder has to be better.

[LAGS]

The solder works better if the blade only has a round pin that goes into the dovetail plate.
That way the blade can't rotate to the side
If I make the blade with a square or oval pin out of the blade.
Then soldering isn't needed.
But can be used on ones with a square or oval connecting tab.

[Trinidad Bill]

I watch Clickspring quite a bit. Fascinating what he can do!

[armoredman]

Things are starting to come together;

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[LAGS]

I am still rough shaping the stock.
That is the wood from a Mesquite Tree Branch off one of the trees in my yard.
I decided to put a Brass side plate to hold the lock screw from the opposite side from the lock.
Since the lock is a different style than what is usually found on the bulk of the caplock pistols made.
I decided to make the plate match the modified lock style and shape.
I could always have that side plate engraved to fancy up the pistol when I get done.
One other thing.
I made that steel plate for the lock to fit the barrel drum.
When I built that , I also built a lock plate out of Brass.
That to being installed on the lock could fancy the pistol up some more.
The brass plate I used to build that lock plate is pretty hard brass.
So I think it will not wear out right away.