Fixed up Bren Mk I

[Flying10uk]

I fixed it with an arc welder.

Would you like to tell us what type of arc welder you used, please? Stick-Rod-Arc, M.I.G. or T.I.G.

[BurtonP]

Sure thing. It would be what you call a Stick-Rod-Arc. One of the really cheap tiny ones you can buy on Amazon. I learned on the farm as a kid and no amount of crappy surface prep, wrong stick type, etc phases me much.
Plus the grinder/ polishing removes all crimes.

[Flying10uk]

Yes I learned to weld as a child too, followed by nearly 40 years in the precision engineering and metalworking industry.

[BurtonP]

I'm only just getting back into welding and metalworking, and my skills are still mediocre. Gun restorations are improving them though, along with woodworking and problem solving skills.

[MGMike]

It looked like there must have been 3/8" of slag-laden ugliness in there before. When you re-cut and re-welded it, did you have to add filler strips to maintain the dimensions?

M

[Flying10uk]

It looked like there must have been 3/8" of slag-laden ugliness in there before.

Yes, exactly.

[BurtonP]

It looked like there must have been 3/8" of slag-laden ugliness in there before. When you re-cut and re-welded it, did you have to add filler strips to maintain the dimensions?

M

No, but I probably should have, as the mag well was fractionally too short as a result. I maintained the gap and just filled it with weld. I didn't think to check the length, foolishly assuming that it was correct. Everything else was wrong about the earlier restoration so I've no idea why I trusted that! Even so, I got it far straighter than before. Rather than cutting and welding a second time I trimmed the mag and retaining studs so it would fit. Lesson learned if I ever do anything like it again.

[MGMike]

So this was a purely cosmetic "fix", purely for display?

M

[BurtonP]

MGMike, yes. It was Drill purpose firearm before being cut up. It may have been legal to convert to semi in Canada (I'm not sure) but I certainly wouldn't want to do it with a DP firearm, even if I had those skills (which I don't).

[42rocker]

Well, it looks a lot better than before. Good Job.

Later 42rocker