doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Preferred technique for rejointing doubles

I have an H&H Dominion Grade C that is a little loose on the pin. I talked to a couple of gunsmiths who routinely rejoint shotguns. Their primary method of repair is the replace the pin. This shotgun has a cap on the left side of the action over the pin, but none on the right. I surmised and the gunsmiths confirmed that the pin is threaded into a blind hole. Their repair technique would be to remove the pin and replace it with a larger one, assuming that the gun hasn't had the pin replaced before and that a larger pin would be the solution. Right before I was about to ship the gun off for a pin replacement I called H&H in New York to ask them how they did this repair. They gave me the number of the gunsmith who does all of their action work in the US. This is T. Eversull & Co in Boyce, LA. Their repair technique is to laser weld the hook and then hone it to fit the pin. This technique is endorsed by H&H and the repair will be entered into the H&H record for the gun. I have heard of people suggesting spray welding of pins, and welding up the hook but never have I known of anyone of stature using this technique. I can't ignore the fact that H&H has endorsed using this repair method. I'd like to hear opinions from gunsmiths in the trade about this technique. Thanks for your input.

Allan

Eversull is fantastic and the recommendation by H&H is spot on. You will not be able to tell that any work was done. I examined a Purdey that had this done and the work was undetectable, hard to believe that anything was done to the gun at all. Much better than spray welding or dove tailing and way cheaper than having a new pin fitted. If they had laser welders 100 yrs ago, this is what the gunmakers would have used to tighten loose guns.

Dustin

No personal experience but have visited with Mr. Eversull and contacted references. Everyone rates the work perfect. This is not a cheap fix, in fact it's quite expensive and not for low or mid grade guns (Mr. Eversull's comment, not mine). He guarantees the fit and also refits the forend, if needed. I am going to be sending him a Diamond Grade Lindner soon.

Can anyone explain how the laser welding process works? I assume naturally that laser provides the welding heat, but is filler material wire fed as in MIG, or hand fed as in TIG? Is the heat so localized that separation of the brazing of the lug or lump to the barrels is not an issue, or is it done in small sections at a time with cooling between sections? Is there an inert gas shielding of the weld? I have never seen this process and it sounds interesting.

Haven't a clue how the system works but I could not recomend Eversull more highly. The gun will be tight as new and it also will be beautifully "fitted" to the face when he is done.

Keith, I can only answer one part of your question: the heat generated is extremely local. As explained to me the lug does not get hot.

Also, anyone contemplating using Ken for rejointing should be aware that if the gun has been rejointed in the past using welding he will not accept the job.

This should explain a great deal to the curious.
http://www.laserwelding.co.nz/

The filler rod can be smaller than a human hair, laying down beads beneath a microscope that look like miniature ears of corn.
After the material is built up on the piece, it is dressed down to required dimension. The great break through is the small heat affected zone.
You still pay for the hand polishing and fitting. But no disassembly problems.

All that said, Unless the pin can be removed, only certain parts of the pin could be welded. Which as has been beat to death, is really ok, as not 100% of the pin is used as a bearing surface.
If you google Micro Laser welding, you will find a shop in PA that might be a source if contacted. You will also find all the technical drawings that show how the light is focused, how the power is modulated to heat only very tiny places, and how weld beads smaller than you can imagine are layed. Fascinating stuff.

Just understand, it isn't magic. It's bench time. Fabulous benchtime.
A piece of equipment like that probably has higher value density targets than cross pins on Crescents. But hey, they sell time. It's a declining asset.

Wow..........Very interesting technology.

If I may ask, How much does he charge?

H&H

H&H, about a year ago I was quoted $700 (as memory serves me) for the job. I would think it might be higher if any work needs to be done on the locking lug, etc.

I lost internet late this afternoon. There were some things I wanted to add to this discussion.
First, would be that knowing what needs material added to it is every bit as valuable as being able to add it. Very likely for investment grade guns, more so. Secondly, that "the knowing" has value, and we should be willing to pay for it.
Craft dies when we no longer support Craftsmen.
I mentioned the little shop in PA, because it might be nice to have a shop that can do the little stuff for people. I don't know them, but having been in dozens of tool shops, the pics tell most of the story. Give them a little job (like maybe an off face Tobin) and then see how it goes. Remember, after the material is added, it still has to be fit, dressed and polished.

I added the link to the Kiwi shop, because it was the first site I could find that showed the tiny filler rod being applied. There are applications where the filler rod must be held in robotic graspers because the resonance of the heart beat shakes the filler rod too much. Tiny stuff.
Even after knowing about this stuff for 30 years, I am still amazed that a person can put three beads across the crimped end of a copper capillary tube free hand.
There was another site that showed how the light is directed to create pin point heat. I should have grabbed that illustration.

Very likely, within your immediate surroundings is something that was formed in a mold. Maybe a plastic cup or utensil. The cavities in the molds are marked with tiny letters or symbols. Making changes to these tiny codes requires micro welding. The mold could wear, or break, or be revised, and the little cavity stamp would need to be changed. Hot Wheels used to have tiny print cast on their bottoms.

I find as I get older, that I want to pay people to do stuff. Mostly to keep craftsmen crafting. I wonder how many of us have decorative plaster cornices in our living rooms. That's another craft area slowly disappearing.