Home Made Tooling for your Lee Enfield.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Tbones "stockmaker's" screws are wonderfully versatile things.

I have a couple of sets in the toybox.

VERY useful when setting up bedding, (or making a stock, if you are really keen), be it on a Lee Enfield or anything else. They keep sharp screwdrivers away from expensive woodwork until final assembly is done in a decent "gun-plumber's" padded cradle.

For Lee Enfields, a couple of rear triggerguard screws with extended, knurled "handles" are the way to go.

Another handy hint for people building "racing" No4s; borrowed from the bench-rest and F-class folks:

If you swap out the 1/4" BSF front triggerguard screw for one with a hex drive, you can use an "inch-pound" torque wrench to set that important screw to the same, "match-winning" torque after a strip-down. If your local supplier doesn't stock 1/4" BSF, then get long 1/4" UNF cap screws, trim to length and thread appropriately. (This is probably best done in a lathe with a 55degree carbide screw-cutting insert. The toughened steel in these high-tensile bolts can be a bit hard on hand-driven HSS dies!! Use lots of good tap-lube)

[Bruce_in_Oz]

Well, according to Specification S.A./462 P, (1938), the barrel is to be made from D.D. 8 (heat treated).

The earlier (1903) S.A. 242 for the Mk1 SMLE lists 110A Crucible or Siemens-Martin steel.

I suspect that I am missing the last couple of pages for the 1903 Spec; right about where the detailed specifications for the materials are. My copy stops at a hand-written spec. O.F No 56 B90.

Still trying to ferret out the specified analysis and mechanical properties of either.

Maybe someone with a suitable background and or "vintage" library can chime in.

The 1903 Spec (110A crucible steel) for the barrel states:

"The barrel is to be made of special mild steel, free from greys. In the forged state, each barrel is to receive a mark by which the particular batch of steel from which it has been made can be identified. The barrel must be re-marked as the metal is removed."

[Bruce_in_Oz]

I'll try again elsewhere..............

---------- Post added at 02:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:45 AM ----------

I have no ammunition or range produce in my possession Sir!!!
Never heard that one did you !
Might have to give the feds a call.

Cheers
Ned

What was that about "Live animals or Farm Produce"?????

Or was that "No rockets in my pockets, or brass up my ar....."?

" If you find any in your possession upon returning to the lines, hand it in immediately and no further action will be taken"......

I remember one occasion, after arriving back "in the lines" after a night shoot with F1 SMGs and subsequent "clearance declaration", picking spent 9mm cases out the the heavily lugged soles of the good old GP boots. You don't get that problem with .50 cal. cases.

[tbonesmith]

Back to Bluenoser, post#50,

here's what I use. The barrel vice uses aluminium tapered bushings machined to the same taper as the knox form, no driving flat. This arrangement has allowed me to undo the most frightfully tight No4 barrels without slipping.

I believe that the timber blocks would be suitable for most sporting rifles and many people use just that setup, but for No4's and M17's and P14's and the like I think you will be unable to win with that setup. I think you would be well served to adapt some form of tapered bushing in aluminium or steel.

This is just my 2cents for what it's worth.

[muffett.2008]

The 1903 spec's were amongst some of the 3,000+ files I lost, if I can remember where I found them I will redo them.
These bloody computers are becoming a bit of a nightmare when virus's can attack your backup systems.
But the equivalent paper work would denude a forest.

Back to Ned, has anyone been in touch with him? all old ex diggers need to be in contact with someone, we do have the odd mental hiccup beside just swearing at computers.

[Bindi2]

crikey that is one big reloading press!!! you must have a few oversize chambers to use a jack to resize your cases!!!
too much time way too idle hands and mind!!!
cheers
Ned

Ned i use a 100t Hydro press because it is faster than the 10T jack press. I resize 303Brit to 243/303.

[Bruce_in_Oz]

I am slowly backing up all of the "critical" stuff; tech specs, CAD drawings, document scans, family and historical photos, etc. onto high-grade DVDs. Apparently, the gold-plated ones, specifically for data backup, are effectively immune to the "rot" (oxidation of the reflective layer) that can fatally affect those with an aluminium coating. They also appear to have a "gold-plated" price, but that is the way to go. The other way is, given the plummeting price of hard disc drives, is to buy a new portable job each year and keep it updated with "the story so far". A good, portable drive with 2 terrabyte capacity costs under $200 these days, small, fire-proof safes are not much more; cheap insurance.

I am still looking for software that automatically detects changes to files on any removable USB-type drive connected to the computer and synchronises it with two removable IDE etc hard-drives in caddies that plug into the drive slots of the computer.

The idea is to cart a USB HDD around with the laptop, synchronise all drives on a regular basis and keep the "dockable" high-speed drives in a fire-proof safe whenever I am not at home or in the office.

A lot of drama, but what is all of that tech data and family stuff worth?

If any fellow enthusiasts are more familiar with the software and such, I would like to hear from you.

The downside of ALL digital storage is the changes in "format" over the years. How many folk have the ability to read a floppy disc? How about a disc created on old (1980s) 8-bit CPM machines? Where will we be in another thirty years? Will we still have the hardware to read DVDs and current HDD formats?

"Tree-ware" still rules! I am currently looking across my desk at shelving containing nearly two hundred "A4"-sized ring-binders full of technical "stuff" in plastic, protective sleeves. So far, only about half of the contents also exist in duplicate files on the computer.

Drawings and documents in bigger sizes (up to A0) are a whole other problem yet to be satisfactorily addressed.

Mind you, paper can have its own issues. Since the early 1960s, a huge number of books have been printed on paper produced from wood-pulp that has been subjected to chlorine / acid bleaching. The problem is that many of the books printed on this paper are literally turning to dust. Books printed in the late 19th century on paper made from oxygen-bleached cotton fibre still usually have flexible, robust, WHITE pages. The covers, of leather or cotton and card, may be tatty and the binding thread fragile, but the pages are usually fine.

[Bluenoser]

tbonesmith,
I think you are right on the money. At this point, modifying my vise and making the bushings would necessitate engaging the services of a machinist - which I would like to avoid. I was reading Bob Brownell's book "Gunsmith Kinks" a couple days ago and found several recommendations to make bbl blocks using acraglas. I think fiberglass should be just as good, and it doesn't involve significant effort or cash outlay to make a set of blocks. It's off to the machine shop if it doesn't work.

I picked up another good tip in the book regarding rosin. Dissolve it in a little turpentine and paint it on. No more chunks to score the finish.

I took particular note of your action wrench, which is similar to mine. Do you use the same insert plate for No 1s and No 4s? If not, could you post a photo of your No1 plate, if you have one?

[tbonesmith]

I'll take some pics when I get home, but instead of a plate I have small tapered steel blocks for No1's , they lock the action up really securely.

[jmoore]

have severe doubts about unbreeching a barrel further forward of the nocks form - as shown in Steves pic 1 above. I am confident that a tight barrel, with a gorilla hanging onto the body wrench could twist the barrel. It is after all, only a low to medium carbon steel tube!

JM/Bruce in Oz...... Comments on No1 rifle barrel steel and torque ability/resistance

Having ruined more than one by clamping in that area just behind the rear sight (described in more detail earlier on in this thread I think), it's best to stay as close to the chamber area as possible. (In most cases I was pulling rooted barrels from good action bodies, but one barrel constricted by the clamping blocks gained something of a second life as a 7,62x39 thing.)