Microwelding for ejector repair

[Frank Srebro]

So I've been studying and now working on the ejectors on one of my Parkers, and just had some microwelding done to rebuild the lever shoulder on what's commonly called the "Roll Joint", or properly the Joint-Block. The shoulder was heavily gouged when a floating ejector sear (lever) had worn and was jamming whenever the barrels were fired and opened. This Parker was ordered by a noted trap shooter from the Midwest and probably used by others after he passed, and she came to me with the ejectors goofed up. Right barrel wouldn't eject and left was intermittent, and the gun just didn't feel right when opened.

Just to show what can be done with microwelding. Done under a magnifier by a friend in a high tech industry. His company doesn’t do gun work, this was done as a favor to me by one of his techs, please don't ask for contact info.

I still need to fit and time everything but this was the first step.

First pic shows the worn lever engagement shoulder

Second and third after welding, expand and check out the mini “weld beads” in the 3rd pic

Last one is after re-machining to just a little over length for final fitting; filler material is pretty hard but machinable using high speed steel tooling.

[Stan Hillis]

Thanks, Frank. Oh, how i wish I could lay a tiny bead like that.

Was that laser welding?

[Frank Srebro]

Stan, I was able to contact my friend last evening and he said it's microwelding. He didn't know what the filler material is and left that up to the welding tech after relating what I told him the shoulder does.

[edgarspencer]

With Pratt & Whitney Aircraft so close by, we are very lucky to have many high quality welding shops, doing micro-TIG, and laser welding.

[keavin nelson]

I would like to find someone in SE Pa. that could do that. Anybody know of someone?

[Stan Hillis]

Thanks, Frank. I just wonder what the heat source is. And, I wish I could find a place where I could learn to do that.

[Daryl Corona]

Frank,
Is that from normal wear and tear or did it break? Would some type of lubricant prevented it or at least mitigate it?

[Stan Hoover]

I wonder if the same was used to repair these screws, I wish the repair would’ve been finished by completing the engraving

[Stan Hillis]

I've been welding for 50 years but, this micro-welding just stuns me.

[Frank Srebro]

Daryl, the one Lever (aka Floating Sear, Ejector Sear)) was completely worn out and the other one was close. Also, one of the lugs on the Toggle Block (Cocking Toggle) was broken off and that contributed to the problem. As you probably know, Parker ejector parts are pretty much unobtainable except for some new/used ones generally held close to the chest. The one exception are the newly made ejector hammers advertised by Joe Breda in the PP. Anyway I made a new Toggle Block on the mill. Pic below, the broken one is of course at the top. It looks a bit smaller because of the angle of the camera.

I've gotten to understand the Parker ejector mechanics but someone with more experience would have to comment on the need for lube. But with that said I don't intend to lube this one when I put it back together for its next round of use.

Stan Hoover, extending those engraving cuts looks like something Gournet can do for a few bucks while at his table at Hausmann's. I've had Geoff do screw head engraving while onsite there in the past. Cost was pretty nominal.

[Brian Dudley]

Stan,
I think that what your screws are most lacking are the light cuts that go in the same direction of the screw slots. That is done with a fine comb. It looks like the edges of the slot may have just been peened down to clean them up some which lightened the comb engraving.

[Dean Romig]

Brian, please describe a “fine comb”. Is this some kind of engraving tool?





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[Brian Dudley]

That would be a question better asked to an engraver I guess. But yes, it is a tool that lays put the evenly spaced shallow lines.

I once gave Geoffroy a new screw to engrave at one of the shoots and it had the fine shadow lines on it like that. He could not do it there and had to take it home because he said he did not have the “comb” with him to do it.

[Dean Romig]

Thanks Brian. I hadn’t seen the comb engraving on the screwhead itself but they are very obvious in the flower petals surrounding the screws as well as in the foliate engraving forward of the trigger plate.





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[Brian Dudley]

It is very common along the screw slots on Ithacas, Lefevers and graded Foxes. Of certain eras of manufacture.

[Brian Dudley]

...what's commonly called the "Roll Joint", or properly the Joint-Block.


The Parts legends from Meriden Catalogs lists this part as being called a "Roll".

[Frank Srebro]

The Parts legends from Meriden Catalogs lists this part as being called a "Roll".

That may be but the Ejector Patent names it numerous times as the: Joint-Block.

[Brian Dudley]

Ok. I was wondering where the joint block term came from.

[Stan Hoover]

Stan,
I think that what your screws are most lacking are the light cuts that go in the same direction of the screw slots. That is done with a fine comb. It looks like the edges of the slot may have just been peened down to clean them up some which lightened the comb engraving.

Brian,

This a picture of a NIB NID, I believe I understand now the light cuts you’re referring to.

[Mike Koneski]

Stan, I would have liked to help you out with your question but I am not very familiar with a comb. :rotf:

[Stan Hoover]

Thanks for the kind helpful thoughts there Mike,

Are you sure you don’t comb that stache?

🥸

[Mike Koneski]

Thanks for the kind helpful thoughts there Mike,

Are you sure you don’t comb that stache?

🥸

Stan, I can neither confirm nor deny those rumors.

[Frank Srebro]

Ok I hope y’all had a lot of fun getting off on a tangent. The tool used to good effect along the sides of screw slots is called a multiple line graver and it makes fine parallel lines with a single stroke. Made in a variety of widths and line center-to-center spacings. I’ve had Geoff do that parallel line effect in his studio and also while he was set up at Hausmanns. Such screw heads can be seen on some Graded Fox guns but I never studied other makers to see how common it was on their guns.