One of my LEAST favorite jobs to do....

[Highpower]

....Fixing someone else's screw ups.
Especially when it comes to screw heads.

Somebody tried to "adjust" this Remington trigger by shoving a tapered screwdriver down into the slot of this stop screw, and twisting with everything they had. The first mistake they made was not removing the cement (thread locking compound) from the screw and housing. That resulted in shearing off half of the screw head down inside the threaded hole.

Acetone, a heat gun and a lot of digging with a scribe finally removed all of the cement (because it was hard as concrete) so that I could remove all the screws. Coaxing the broken screw out with the scribe was fun.

I ground off the remaining half of the screw head, which shortened it by 3 threads. The tiny little 6-40 stop screw was too short to fit in my slotting jig so i had to drill and tap a short piece of rod to use as an extension / holder. Then filed a new slot down the center.

An hour of my life I'll never get back because of some bonehead. Some people shouldn't be allowed to own hand tools. Or Dremel tools...

[Mayhem]

Nice fix Willie. Interesting jig you have there. Is that a special tool or just a file with the the faces ground off?

Don't think of it as an hour of your life that you'll never get back. Think of it as an hour of labour you can charge

[Highpower]

Darren, the jig is a tool sold by Brownells. The screw is held in a small v-block that centers it between the hardened rollers that guide your saw blade or file for cutting the slot.

Yes the files have safe edges for controlling the cutting action. I have two types of files. One has safe faces and only cut on the edges for cutting the bottom of a slot. The other has safe edges and cut on the faces for widening the sides of a slot. You can get them in various thicknesses as well.

Not going to charge myself labor though.

This is one of my back burner projects that has been sitting in the box since I bought it several years ago. Unfortunately it has a few more (very visible) exterior screw slots that have been marred up by using improper screwdrivers that I will need to deal with as well. It's apparently had a bit of a rough life since completing it's service with the Marines.

It just needs a little TLC that's all.

[DaveH]

Nicely done Willie Some people just don't seem very mechanically minded

DaveH

[Mayhem]

Ahhhh - I though this was a balls up that someone brought to you to fix for them.

[EdK]

That is an interesting jig you've got there.

Ed

[Highpower]

(10-05-2013, 04:14 AM)DaveH Wrote: Some people just don't seem very mechanically minded

DaveH

Thanks guys. Dave, buggered screw slots and pins are all too common in the industry. It's one of the first things a person should look for when buying a used firearm. Definitely a red flag that says you better look real close at what you are about to purchase.

I think there are a lot of people who are mechanically minded, but know just enough about something to be dangerous. Like me....

One has to make an effort to learn the finer points of an operation and pay attention to detail or face the consequences of doing it incorrectly. Some things are just cosmetic and life still goes on. Screw up in a critical area though and things could end up very badly.

I think my T.I. (Air Force) in basic training summed it up best. When asked why we had to fold our skivvies EXACTLY 6 inches wide before placing them in our foot lockers, and cleaning every speck of shave cream, water or rust from underneath the cap and nozzle on the can....

"You're going to school to be trained to work on jets, right?"
"Well -- do you think they are going to let you work on MULTI-MILLION dollar aircraft if you CAN'T FOLLOW DIRECTIONS!!!???"

Suddenly all of the "nonsense" busy work made sense.

[Highpower]

(10-05-2013, 04:56 AM)Mayhem Wrote: Ahhhh - I though this was a balls up that someone brought to you to fix for them.

I get those from time to time. But I have a number of my own that were purchased sight unseen, and have to deal with whatever comes out of the box. I do enjoy restoring the old dogs back to their former glory, but buggered screw heads is one of my pet peeves - because it is preventable by using a properly fitting screwdriver.

[Highpower]

(10-05-2013, 09:00 AM)EdK Wrote: That is an interesting jig you've got there.

Ed

Screw Slot Fixture

[EdK]

(10-05-2013, 10:02 AM)Highpower Wrote:

(10-05-2013, 09:00 AM)EdK Wrote: That is an interesting jig you've got there.

Ed

Screw Slot Fixture

Not a bad price either.

Ed