Repairing sidelock tumblers.
This is a follow on article to Just a Service?, where we looked at the various faults found when I stripped down an AYA sidelock for a service.
When the locks were taken off it became apparent that the tumblers for both the left and right locks were cracked and about to fall apart. New tumblers for this gun are not particulary expensive, but these do take some time to fit and regulate. Repairing the existing tumblers is in this case a perfectly sound method of repair, as there is room to build up a reinforcing web which is stronger than the original shape.
Now that is definitely broken.
This is a follow on article to Just a Service?, where we looked at the various faults found when I stripped down an AYA sidelock for a service.
When the locks were taken off it became apparent that the tumblers for both the left and right locks were cracked and about to fall apart. New tumblers for this gun are not particulary expensive, but these do take some time to fit and regulate. Repairing the existing tumblers is in this case a perfectly sound method of repair, as there is room to build up a reinforcing web which is stronger than the original shape.
Now that is definitely broken.
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This first stage is to weld the crack, ensuring sufficient depth of penetration to the weld and to build up the metal for the reinforcing web.
Now the weld is hand filed to the correct profile, before spending an hour in our heat treatment oven to relieve stress within the metal.
The tumbler as it appears after filing and stress relieving. The steel has changed colour due to being heated to 400 degrees celcius for an hour.
After more hand polishing the tumbler is fitted to the lock for final testing.
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Tumbler in one piece, re-installed in the lock, and looking much better. Notice how the sharp corner where the tumbler had cracked originally has gone. In its' place is a nice radiused web which should make the tumbler better than new and allow this gun to give many more years of reliable service.
