JB Weld

woodchopper

woodchopper

Moderator
Moderator
Rating - 100%
79   0   0
Location
WMU248 near Edmonton
Well I was on the range and when I got home I decided that there was something I didn't like about one of the enfields I had on the range.

This was someone's project that I bought it about 15-20 years ago and it sat around doing nothing but taking up space for at least 10 years. No4 action with a heavy profile 308 barrel chambered in 308, headspace it tight. Barrel is around 19 1/2". Barrel was threaded 5/16" 18TPI, (not the usual 24TPI)

I finally put it all together and threw a scope on it, spun up a rudimentary muzzle brake just because I could, it was actually one that I was playing around with and screwed it up so I just drilled it out and tapped it to match the barrel.

anyways I got home not very satisfied with the rifle so I took it apart for cleaning, and then I thought what the heck that 5/16" 18TPI just annoys my sensibility, there is enough there to turn it down and rethread it to 9/16" 24TPI. so out came the enfield tools.

Barrel come off with a little effort and I look at it and there is all this grey powdery crap.... and it hit me JB Weld, well I don't like that. Cleaned it up, recut the muzzle threads, concentric this time, it was obvious that the old threads were a little off center. Turned up a new muzzle brake to match the barrel profile. Cleaned up the receiver and barrel tenon threads, and now to re assemble it... Well hand tight brings the barrel to match up with the receiver and extractor cut. Well that explains why they used JB Weld on it.

I guess its time to get out the locktight

who uses JB Weld on barrels and receivers ??
 
I rebarreled a M95 Winchester on which someone had installed a .303 barrel. Chamber was horrible. The barrel had been set into the receiver with epoxy on the threads - threading job was just as bad as the chamber reaming.
 
wrangler4867 said:
Wouldn't a shim make more sense?
Click to expand...

a shim could effect headspace, and not in a good way, but it might work, the sholder of the knoxform is not very well cut might square it off and make a shim.

Other options would be to remover / machine off the barrel knoxform, thread it and then machine a barrel nut.

The barrel is hand tight when indexed, but I would like it to torque up which will clock the extractor out of line. And when I say hand tight its shop ogre hand tight, Locktight will hold everything together. (easiest way to fix it)

Another option would be to take off just under 1/14th of an inch, deepen the extractor cut out, and recut the chamber and set back the barrel knox, that is a fair bit of work, and a lot of fitting to get it all lined up right. (and I don't have a 308 reamer)


What the guy who installed the barrel should have done is get all the spacing correct, barrel breach face and knox shoulder, then screw the barrel on hand tight and mark it, cut the extractor grove about 5-10 deg past the hand tight and that way when it torqued up it everything would have been lined up and tight.
 
I thought this was going to be about bedding with JB but no. I’ve fixed enough junk of other peoples that I just gave up asking why. Stuff doesn’t amaze me anymore. People try fixing something and haven’t a clue what they are doing and totally screw stuff up. JB on barrel threads I find amusing.
 
woodchopper said:
Well I was on the range and when I got home I decided that there was something I didn't like about one of the enfields I had on the range.

This was someone's project that I bought it about 15-20 years ago and it sat around doing nothing but taking up space for at least 10 years. No4 action with a heavy profile 308 barrel chambered in 308, headspace it tight. Barrel is around 19 1/2". Barrel was threaded 5/16" 18TPI, (not the usual 24TPI)

I finally put it all together and threw a scope on it, spun up a rudimentary muzzle brake just because I could, it was actually one that I was playing around with and screwed it up so I just drilled it out and tapped it to match the barrel.

anyways I got home not very satisfied with the rifle so I took it apart for cleaning, and then I thought what the heck that 5/16" 18TPI just annoys my sensibility, there is enough there to turn it down and rethread it to 9/16" 24TPI. so out came the enfield tools.

Barrel come off with a little effort and I look at it and there is all this grey powdery crap.... and it hit me JB Weld, well I don't like that. Cleaned it up, recut the muzzle threads, concentric this time, it was obvious that the old threads were a little off center. Turned up a new muzzle brake to match the barrel profile. Cleaned up the receiver and barrel tenon threads, and now to re assemble it... Well hand tight brings the barrel to match up with the receiver and extractor cut. Well that explains why they used JB Weld on it.

I guess its time to get out the locktight

who uses JB Weld on barrels and receivers ??
Click to expand...
Woodchopper, I've made up crush washers for situations such as you have in front of you, either from stainless shim stock or on my lathe.

You need a .003 washer to get the proper torque on your barrel for lock up and tenon tension.

These washers work very well, and when they're cleaned up after tightening, invisible.

You say it could affect headspace, but in this case, I seriously doubt that would happen. The shim will crush at least half its original thickness, which should bring your headspace back to the point the original owner used JB Weld to set it.
 
Last edited:
Longstud said:
Someone is paying attention! Pretty sure he meant 5/8s to 9/16.
Click to expand...

do'h.... :) yes 5/8" 18TPI turned down to thread to 9/16" 24TPI

been thinking about how to make a shim up that will work, the knox is poorly cut and there is not a nice shoulder to work with.

but if I cut the shoulder back about 0.050", that should give me a better surface to work with, then make a shim 0.052" thick that would solve the 2 issues.

Also been thinking of removing the knoxform completely and making a barrel nut, that would also solve the problems.
 
woodchopper said:
do'h.... :) yes 5/8" 18TPI turned down to thread to 9/16" 24TPI

been thinking about how to make a shim up that will work, the knox is poorly cut and there is not a nice shoulder to work with.

but if I cut the shoulder back about 0.050", that should give me a better surface to work with, then make a shim 0.052" thick that would solve the 2 issues.

Also been thinking of removing the knoxform completely and making a barrel nut, that would also solve the problems.
Click to expand...
Lucky you and Tiriaq as well as a few others on here have the skill and equiptment for these tasks.
 
After thinking a lot about this rifle and thanks to the comments in this thread I think that I am going to make a barrel nut for this rifle.

I have a Savage wrench so I will make the nut with the same external profile as a savage. I always wanted to make one up but didn't have the ability to pull it off.... but that was before I got a milling machine.

So weekend project on the list.
 
A barrel nut would certainly work. You could also go one more turn in and recut the extractor notch and chamber. Get headspace bang on.

A breeching washer can be easier to make than a shim. I've made these after it was necessary to cut torque relief groove in order to remove a barrel. Turn the shoulder back and make a ring to fill the gap.
 
Just finished building a 45-70 Martini using a barrel reported to be a Highwall take-off. The BBL had been fitted by a previous owner and clocked in at hand tight. Was short chambered. A .001" breeching washer provided about 10 degree under rotation and nicely snugged up when clocked in. Trimmed the outside proflle of the washer after everything was snugged up. Could not have been easier.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom