Retro-fitting a 1910 Bolt and plate into a lifter

[B. Dudley]

I am starting to mount a set of NOS 32" fluid steel barrels onto a check-hook transition lifter frame.

If you want hammerless Fluid steel barrels on a lifter action, a transition frame is the only way to go since they have the longer water table. The tradtional lifter frames are too short to accept other barrels.

I wanted to install the 1910 stepped wear plate in the barrels for this project and also use a combination bolt.

First thing was installing the wear plate.

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I used a milling attachment on my South bend lathe to mount the barrels horizontally. First the proper amount of material had to be removed from the bolt bite parrellel to the barrel flats. This was done by milling on the vertical axis. The proper spacing from barrel flats to the top of the bite should be .340" if a wear plate is to be installed.

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Then a couple of 5/64" holes are drilled in the center of the lug and an end mill of the same size us used to cut the chanel after the drilled holes help remove the bulk of the material.

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Then after drilling a hole across the lug, the wear plate could be pinned into place. Some material had to then be cleaned off the front to bring it flush with the lug.

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Next was making up the bolt. I have a couple of used retrofit combination bolts from hammerless guns. These would be the short style for use with the old bolting mechanism. However, I did not want to modify one of those to use for this lifter because they are a rare part that could prove useful for service needs in the future.

I opted to use a post 1910 hammerless bolt as the starting point. This was a new new, unfitted bolt.

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First the cam cut in the one side had to be welded up.

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The weld was dressed down and then the slot was milled into the bolt for the lifter button.

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A hole was drilled in both sides for the bolt screw. The one side gets a #43 hole for a 4-40 tap. And the other a #28 hole for the screw shoulder.

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Then the end of the bolt was shortened and corners rounded.

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This photo shows the lifter button assembly with new custom fabricated bolt.

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After a little bit of fitting to the wear plate for proper bolt engagement she is good and tight.

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