Touch Hole Liner Repair, Plug, and Redrill

[Davey Boy]

Yep

You did good

JB Weld not red thread locker

 

[FlinterNick]

Yep

You did good

JB Weld not red thread locker

I use thread locker, but most importanly the edges should be chamfered so they can be peened over.

For really badly done guns, TIG welding is the only option. I use a micro TIG welder for that job.But this is only if the gun is my own, i don’t do that work for others, i always defer to the barrel makers.

 

[Rawhide67]

I recently modified a gun that was toooó long. Cut 14"off the barrel and stock, refitted the nose cap, reduced some thick spots on the stock and replaced wood on the lock bolt side where the builder had in letter a horrendously ugly piece of brass after trying their hand at engraving.

Then, I decided to convert it to a flintlock. Used a stainless steel bolt for the liner. Lots of effort to get it to work, including a 3 o'clock touch hole, and removing it once to cone from the inside, installed with loctite, but it works. It looks a little odd with the hole located where it is.

 

[Davey Boy]

I used red lock tight on a percussion drum

To fire it one more time and retire the gun

 

[Mule333]

I use thread locker, but most importanly the edges should be chamfered so they can be peened over.

For really badly done guns, TIG welding is the only option. I use a micro TIG welder for that job.But this is only if the gun is my own, i don’t do that work for others, i always defer to the barrel makers.

Not real familiar with TIG welding. I've seen it on YouTube but not sure of it's application here... It's a spot welder isn't it. So, if applied around the outside front of the touch hole liner, in spots. Seems you would have to draw file it down which would in turn weaken it. Would it leave "spots" on the barrel.
Just trying to learn.....

 

[French Colonial]

Red thread locker will take higher heat than JB weld and as the barrel heats and cools JB weld will let go.

I mounted a scope on a BP gun one time as an experiment with JB weld and it held for awhile, long enough to finish my experiment, but eventually just popped off the barrel.

 

[IanH]

Red thread locker will take higher heat than JB weld and as the barrel heats and cools JB weld will let go.

I mounted a scope on a BP gun one time as an experiment with JB weld and it held for awhile, long enough to finish my experiment, but eventually just popped off the barrel.

How well did the "red thread locker" hold that scope on?

Loctite 263 high-temperature, high strength red threadlocker has a compressive strength of about 1360 lbs, JB Weld is 3960. Loctite 263 is only rated to 360F, JB is rated to 500F continuous and 600F intermittent.

Your expert opinion not withstanding, of course.

 

[bummy]

The pictures are great!

 

[Sam squanch]

Red thread locker will take higher heat than JB weld and as the barrel heats and cools JB weld will let go.

I mounted a scope on a BP gun one time as an experiment with JB weld and it held for awhile, long enough to finish my experiment, but eventually just popped off the barrel.

Say it ain’t so!!! I’ve worked at places that the whole maintenance department was a tube of JB weld……

 

[CuNosecap]

Not real familiar with TIG welding. I've seen it on YouTube but not sure of it's application here... It's a spot welder isn't it. So, if applied around the outside front of the touch hole liner, in spots. Seems you would have to draw file it down which would in turn weaken it. Would it leave "spots" on the barrel.
Just trying to learn.....

TIG is not a spot weld. It is a way of placing intense electric energy in a very precise way. TIG like other manners of welding, MIG, oxy/acet, etc, rely on penetration. This is what sets it aside from solder, and even brazing. If there is poor penetration, there is a poor, weak weld.

So yes, there would be filing needed, but as long as there is a good weld with good penetration, the filler (in this case the threaded rod mentioned early in this thread) would be held in place quite well.

Why choose TIG? Because it can be precisely applied with less general surrounding heating, a desirable trait around a barrel you would like to keep straight. TIG is the only way to give this barrel a lifelong repair beyond the usable span of JB Weld.

 

[French Colonial]

Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding uses a gas around the arc while welding to keep impurities out of the weld, highy recommended IF you have access.

 

[Mule333]

highy recommended IF you have access.

Yes, if I had known about this info, I might have gone to my local welding shop.
But, I did the best I could do with the information I had. And if I may be so bold to say, it’s a very strong bond that is in place. And others have done the same.
Maybe others, in the future will be able to use some of this information that all of you have expressed here.
Thanks to all for your wisdom…. I really appreciate and enjoy this forum…. Really enjoy building these guns! Wish I could build another!

 

[Sam squanch]

After spending 2 hours repairing a water line that was supposedly FIXED at the sum of $90…. I would advise just researching it and doing it yourself if possible. That and a welding shop may not touch anything gun related.

 

[CuNosecap]

Yes, there are significant limitations to TIG, mostly the need for the costly welder, and the practice time and expertise.
Seems like everyone has access to a Harbor Freight flux core MIG, not so many have a nice Lincoln or Miller TIG. I am fortunate to have the TIG if needed.
(BTW, not advocating flux core MIG in this case unless you wanted to file for days on a giant blob. Just not as much control with MIG).
But sounds like Mule has fixed the problem to his satisfaction with pretty good forum advice.

 

[IanH]

News flash, Boys, you can't weld 12L14.......too much sulfur content.

 

[longhunter 1776]

he fixed it that was the main thing!

 

[FlinterNick]

Yes, there are significant limitations to TIG, mostly the need for the costly welder, and the practice time and expertise.
Seems like everyone has access to a Harbor Freight flux core MIG, not so many have a nice Lincoln or Miller TIG. I am fortunate to have the TIG if needed.
(BTW, not advocating flux core MIG in this case unless you wanted to file for days on a giant blob. Just not as much control with MIG).
But sounds like Mule has fixed the problem to his satisfaction with pretty good forum advice.

What is being TIG welded? If it’s a barrel, i would avoid that.

 

[FlinterNick]

News flash, Boys, you can't weld 12L14.......too much sulfur content.

Agree, not a good idea.

 

[FlinterNick]

TIG is not a spot weld. It is a way of placing intense electric energy in a very precise way. TIG like other manners of welding, MIG, oxy/acet, etc, rely on penetration. This is what sets it aside from solder, and even brazing. If there is poor penetration, there is a poor, weak weld.

So yes, there would be filing needed, but as long as there is a good weld with good penetration, the filler (in this case the threaded rod mentioned early in this thread) would be held in place quite well.

Why choose TIG? Because it can be precisely applied with less general surrounding heating, a desirable trait around a barrel you would like to keep straight. TIG is the only way to give this barrel a lifelong repair beyond the usable span of JB Weld.

I’m not going to say a barrel can’t be TIG welded, because there certainly are some talented gunsmiths that sure can do it correctly.

It ought to be done by a gunsmith that specifically does that kind of work. Hart Barrels is one company i know that does, but i don’t believe they work on black powder, they may know someone.

If you’re a hobbyist who so happens to have a TIG welder, I certainly wouldn’t start welding on a barrel, there’s a lot to consider.

I use a TIG welder for repairing locks, however TIG welding up lock parts is not as critical an issue was welding a barrel.

You don’t want to overheat a barrel with a TIG welder, TIG welding also cools are work piece rather quickly causing to to flash harden, in some cases the steel needs to be normalized after so it can be worked on.

Surface welding a barrel to correct something like a dovetail can be done, but again, you have to really know what your’e doing there. A very fast pulse welding technique is used that does not introduce a lot of heat to the work piece.

It should be done by someone that’s very a experienced welder.

And i don’t weld my own barrels, braze, solder…. Ok.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

JB Weld sent men to the Moon.