Bolt handle threading.

ultramagmed

ultramagmed

JKM
All,

I'm getting ready to use my new PT&G bolt handle threading jig and would like any words of advice I can get. I'm looking for info on speeds, feeds, HSS or carbide; anything that I can do to prevent breaking the bolt handle off. I'm open to any and all opinions.

Thanks,
Med.
 
If you have a bench grinder, try grinding off some of the knob first. This will help a lot.
I use the cheapest bit I have, that has the carbide tip soldered on. It is one heck of an interrupted cut you'll be making until it gets round, so it is hard on your bits. Be careful and don't take too big a bite because you WILL pop the handle off if you crash it. Using a live center in your tailstock against the knob will help.
Thread it with whatever you have for threading.
I turn it at 255rpm and thread it at 165rpm on my lathe.
I popped a couple off when I first started doing them, and even though silver soldering is a needed skill, it is not fun to have to do it. It didn't take me long to decide I needed to make a jig that clamped the handle as well as the bolt body.
------------Jeff
 
Thanks for the reply Jeff,

I had everything chucked up and ready to go before your post but, I did everything almost exactly to what you described minus grinding prior to turning. The grinding will be done on my next one for sure. I took small cuts at 360 rpm with a live center to sturdy the setup. I absolutely did not want to have to solder a handle back on since I have already sleeved the bolt for the .705 raceway I reamed and did not want to have to redo them. I do however appreciate your reply; all is well that ends well I guess. I look forward to getting a bit more practice with this jig (hopefully pay for it) in the future, it is a very high quality component as is everything from PT&G and Dave Kiff.

Thanks Again!!!!
Med.
 
I hacksaw the 700 knob basically square to the handle and then grind by hand fairly round... this only takes about 20 minutes... and then I thread it with a die... can't justify the jig expense for a knob or two a year... I reshape the handle to fit the knob better... that takes 30 minutes...

boltalteration-0.jpg
 
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I'm generally not happy with odd shapes flying around in my lathe. Seems to me a
much safer approach would be doing as Dennis does and then thread it in a vertical
mill, with a die driver, powered by hand. That way, I won't break the bolt handle off,
and I get to keep all my fingers
 
Some of the older Pandas have a bolt knob integral to the handle where later models handles are threaded 1/4-28. Kelblys suggests to cut the old knob off, then drill and tap the stub with a 1/4-28 tap. Then use a threaded stub or Allen set screw to hold the two parts together.
 
I also don't like odd shapes flying around in my lathe. An alternative is to get the handle/knob of your choice from PTG, send it to Dan Armstrong of Accu-Tig and have it tig welded to your specs. His work is flawless and he is fast. You will get the knob of your choice, a MUCH better weld and an improvement in primary extraction which virtually all of them need.
 
If you'll take and make a center that you can chuck up in a drill chuck in the tail stock, it will help center the bolt handle in the fixture. The center needs to be stepped with two diameters. One diameter is turned down to the same diameter as the thickness of the bolt handle immediately behind the bolt knob. The second diameter is the same as the width of the bolt handle immediately behind the bolt knob. Now make a U shaped piece similar to a tuning fork that has two points of contact about 2" from each point that can be held in a tool post. Set each point to make contact on the outside of the lathe chuck which would pretty well set these two points parallel to the lathe bed. Now move down to the bolt handle in the fixture touching the right side point against either of the two diameters on the center. Move in and out moving from one diameter to the other on the center as you adjust the bolt handle in the fixture to touch the left side of the U shaped piece at the same time that the right side is touching the corresponding diameter in the center. Once you get the bolt handle aligned where it needs to be replace the center with a center drill and drill a center in the end of the bolt handle. Replace the drill chuck with a live center and you're ready to start turning down the bolt handle knob to the diameter that you want to thread it. Once you have the bolt knob turned down it takes less time to thread it with a die than it does to single point thread it in the lathe. You can do it either way, just be careful when you thread in the lathe as you can break the turned down section off if the threading tool goes too far down the shank.

The center drill will probably not appear centered in the center of the bolt knob when aligned with this method. However, that doesn't mean that it's not aligned with the bolt handle. The key to turning down a bolt knob in the lathe is to get the center drilled in the correct location on the bolt knob. If you get down close ( a .1 or .2" larger) to the diameter that you are trying to hit which is .312" for a Badger Ordnance knob and it looks like it's not going to be located correctly on the bolt handle, you can correct it in a mill by holding the bolt body between v-blocks and using a boring head with the cutter turned to the inside to move the turned down shank over a little to align it better. If the lathe work is done correctly, there is no need to adjust anything in the mill.

Turning down a bolt knob is certainly easier in the lathe than in the mill, but does take a little to get the bolt knob centered in the jig.

This may be as clear as mud, but it's a lot easier than trying to eyeball the bolt handle into alignment.
 
Bolt handle turning jig

http://

This is a universal bolt handle turning jig I made. It will do both right and left handed bolts. It also will do more than just Remington Bolt Handles. I get the alignment right then center drill the bottom of the bolt handle. Then turn them .312" and thread them with a single point lathe bit.
Nat Lambeth
 
Here is a second picture with the bolt in the jig in the lathe

http://

I know a picture is worth a 1000 words.

Yes, it is a little scarry with the bolt whirling around at 225 RPMS. But any competent lathe operator can do the operation safely.
Nat Lambeth
 
Nat, I like that the way that your jig clamps on both the bolt body and the handle. That should be a more secure setup than the jig that I have. Do you keep the center in the bolt knob or do you turn it down and thread it without the center in place? If you can check thread fit without having to take the center in and out all the time, then there wouldn't be a reason at all to use a die instead of threading in the lathe.

I take it you have two jigs, one a universal jig and the other for doing just Remington's. As to the bolt body turning in the lathe, for the most part the operator is on the right to middle side of the carriage and the bolt body is on the left side of the carriage. There is no need to have a hand or arm even close to the spinning bolt body. It may be a little unnerving at first, but you get used to it.
 
Mike you are very astute

I turn and thread in the same set up using the live center as additional support.

The nice thing about the Universal jig is you can do about anybodys bolts.

I have a threaded hole and a tapered piece with a screw inside to use with the universal jig to turn Savage bolt handles. They can be tricky because they often are cast with a hollow center. The universal jig allows for easy positioning and alignments.

Nat Lambeth
 
Mike,

I always appreciate you taking the time to reply to my threads, you certainly have a wealth of knowledge. I'm failry new to this whole ball game and I'm not sure I understand the concept that you've explained above. Do you have any photos of this process? I visit your website frequently but have not seen this procedure (that I know of). I did manage to get this project done, but as you stated above, my new bolt knob is not centered with the the handle quite as well as I would have liked. I would definitely like to know how to get everything centered better for future reference.

Thanks again,
Med.
 
here's a couple of pics of the jig I made
 

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