Excepting a bit of polishing, the metal work for the project is done. Here is the post for the lever work and Ill do a separate post for the extractors.
After the lever was shaped and inletted into the buttstock, it was cut off at a predetermined length and the end was surface ground to have a rectangle with parallel and perpendicular sides. A graphite electrode was then shaped to duplicate this rectangular profile.
I had previously turned a piece of 1018 steel to a 5/8 diameter forming a cylinder. This was then milled with the EDM so that it would fit snuggly onto the lever. When fully inserted the end of the lever was just short of reaching through the cylinder. The lever and cylinder where sent off to be TIG welded so that I would have filets closing the junction of the cylinder with the lever.
The welds were then contoured to achieve the final desired profile. Id like to drill through the cylinder and put ebony or horn plugs in. Not sure at this time whether this will be done.
Dennis
