Last weekend and this weekend I spent a little time on the wire EDM that I picked up at auction. The last report I published we had changed out the bad switches on the control panel and had got the wire to feed through the machine. When I tried to start the water flow through the machine the pumps would run but the upper and lower flush pumps would not pump. So this Saturday with the help of a couple of friends the three of us re-worked the two pumps that were giving me problems.
This is what the pump housing area looked like after the removal of the pumps and piping.
The major problem with the lower flush pump was a bad check valve.
The strainer had no wire basked in it so I made on from the available mesh that I had on hand.
With no strainer basket installed this is what was found in the inlet of the pump.
This effectively stopped the flow of water to the inlet of the pump.
Both pumps were taken apart and thoroughly cleaned. Then they were reinstalled and the piping hooked back up. A quick test and we had flow.
You can see the video of the pumps operating, both the upper and lower flush pumps working.
However more problems have occurred. We have now lost the CRT, TV tube. It was working up until last weekend when it just stopped.
This is the current condition we are in with the wire edm. Joe and Alan, friends of Gun Lab, helped with testing and re-working the pumps. An interesting question was brought up during all this work and that what was the cost so far concerning the Japax wire edm and is it worth it. So to date I spent 1400.00 buying it at auction and 100.00 buying new switches. I have bought resin and filters as well, but that would be the case with a new machine. Currently I would say yes it is worth the money I have spent to date. I am hoping that there is not much wrong or that the cost of repairing the tube will not be that great. We shall see.
Another site that I use to go to every day has now gone missing. It went by the name Lock, Stock and History, with the address of: http://www.peashooter85.com/
It is a shame as it was one of my favorite. I hope he makes a come back.
I just got an update that he is still alive and well but just moved. His new site is:
http://peashooter85.tumblr.com/
If you have not gone to his site in the past check it out. It is a great place to spend a couple of hours looking at some great history.
After my post on Axel’s home made sheet metal pistol I came across another one made by Clinton Westwood. In the following videos produced My Clinton he goes over the process that he went through to make a 25acp pistol from this set of plans.
Part 1 This deals with making the magazine.
Part 2 deals with making the frame
Part 3 is making the fire control group
Part4 Is making the rails and slide
Part 5 deals with making the frame web and trigger guard
Part 6 is making the barrel
Clinton has put together a nice set of videos describing his journey and he has made a very nice pistol.
There has been a number of articles and write ups on the Maxim gun lately so I thought I would add my 2 cents in. I have owned a number of Maxim guns over the years. An 08, 08/15 and a Chinese type 24 and well as a number of kits. However, my favorite Maxim guns are the little sales sample that Mr. Maxim use to take with him, the Finish m/09-21 and of course the Argentina brass Maxim. This write up is about the one I like the most and will never own. The Sales sample Maxim in 7.63×25.
This first four pictures came from an interesting site that if you have an opportunity should check out. http://www.victorianshipmodels.com/autoMG/index.html
The rest are pictures that I have taken a few years back. A couple of views of the barrel jacket. The jacket pattern would be the easiest of the patterns to make.
The side of the receiver
To give you the over all size for length
and height
A view of the feed block setting in the receiver
Here are some views of the feed block.
What a casting and machining project. The pattern alone had to be very interesting.
A few pictures of the lock.
Some more pictures of the inside of the receiver.
The look of this little gun is just beautiful.
The recoil spring
Now for the pistol grip.
If I had the time this would be a gun I would love to make, even if it were only in semi auto. The patterns alone would be works of art as well as the castings.
John a friend of Gun Lab recently sent me some pictures of an addition to his collection as he knows that I have a thing for 22 trainers. This is a Lithgow SMLE 111* rifle that is in 22 lr. According to the available references on this rifle they were put together by Jovino in the 1980’s. Still it is a very nice rifle and something I would love to own or build. A couple of views of the markings on the rifle
A left side view of the receiver.
The original sight was kept on the rifle
A close up of the front sight and rifle muzzle and cap.
Now on to the bolt.
A close up of the bolt head.
You can see the off set firing pin hole for a 22lr rim fire round.
Just a quick look at what the print for a new bolt head would look like. It would be an interesting build.
The rifle was a single shot only and the magazine body was use to catch the ejected cartridges.
Still with the standard brass butt plate.
For more information of 22 caliber Enfield rifles you should check out the following references.
In this report we will be writing about the frame and fire control part of the pistol. Again the pistol was made with out the use of an actual milling machine of lathe. It was made from hand tools, welders, and a drill press. Once again to get an idea of the final product here is a picture of the completed pistol.
The first step was to draw out a basic concept of what you wanted the shape of the frame to be. Next using this paper pattern trace it onto the sheet steel and then start drilling a number of holes to make it easier to cut it out.
Do this step 4 times two right and 2 left
With all the patterns cut out the next step is to make them all the same.
Our friend Axel was here a while back and in one of our many conversations I mention that what was needed was a small 32 acp pistol that could be built with a minimum of tools, something like a WW2 German volkspistolen. Also being a fan of Impro guns, https://homemadeguns.wordpress.com/, I knew that it was a doable task. So leaving with nothing more then a magazine Axel was tasked with designing and making a non-firing prototype pistol with nothing more then the tools he had on hand. Those tools being a cheap table top drill press, a disk grinder, a dremel tool, a cheap tig and mig welder, a vise and a variety on hand tools. I want everyone to understand that this project was done as a non-firing prototype pistol only thus keeping with in the laws of his country.
This is what the final product ended up looking like.
This is his story. He wanted to come up with a Volkspistolen that was simpler then existing ones and adaptable to a variety of calibers.
Starting with a piece of steel pipe he cut the basic opening in the slide with a disk grinder.
His milling operation was completed using a drill press. With this set up he finished cutting the opening of the slide to the proper size.
This set up was also used to open up the ejection port. Hand fitting is the word of the day when making a pistol like this.
This is his press set up to form the bends necessary for the rear barrel support.
Using a drill of the correct size he was able to press the upper portion of the rear barrel support
Then using his tig and mig welder he welded to the lower block which would later become the completed lower barrel support and feed ramp.
After a number of hours of filing and clean up work.
The piece of material shaped to be a dummy barrel support.
The complete rear support after a great deal of filing and fit up.
A basic concept of the pistol design.
The making of the bolt for the slide. Again a piece of steel was fitted to the slide to start the making of the bolt. The bottom of the bolt was flatten with a die grinder and the grove cut into the bottom was done with a dremel tool.
After all the work is completed this is what you have.
Next the bolt face is made.
And welded on.
You can see how well the cartridge sets into the bolt face.
More hand fitting and it is set into the slide.
Test it against the barrel and rear support for proper fit up.
The next step was to weld the rear of the slide on. This fixture insured proper alignment prior to welding.
With the bolt welded it was time to hand fit the extractor.
A picture of the extractor and spring.
Part 2 dealing with the frame and parts of the fire control mechanism will be tomorrow.
A complete section on all the variations of the Chinese weapons.
The Israeli 30 carbine rifle.
Serbian weapons.
The SIG series of riles.
