Filling screw holes

[44-henry]

I have a few flintlocks that I purchased that were previously mounted and had lockbolt holes drilled and tapped. Just curious what others here do to fill these holes. In the past I have handled other projects by chamferring the edges and peening the metal into the chamfer, but since I will be drilling another hole close to this position I am wondering if it would be better to silver solder, or TIG weld it instead.

[rich pierce]

Welding would be perfect. Torch welding is fine. I’ve peened and brazed. But it shows.

[jerrywh]

If the new holes will intrude into the old hole areas then welding or silver soldering is the only method I know of.  I have tig welded some of those types of problems.

[smylee grouch]

I have also welded them shut and on one I was lucky in that the hole was so close to where I wanted it that I just redrilled and tapped it for 10x32 through the 8x32.

[curly]

I just went through that problem a couple of days ago. I cut screws down to size, fit them in the existing holes (8/32) and mig spot welded them on each side. Worked great. Then cleaned them up and redrilled.
Curly

[Scota4570]

I did one recently by silver silver   IT was invisible, but I do polish my lock plates and leave them bright. 

I make a screw out of a piece of mild steel.  I  stop the threads mid shank.  That allows me to make it a swage fit as the screw bottoms out.    I thread into the plate from the outside so the fat part of the screw shank fits the tightest against the outside plate.  I screw it into the plate while the silver solder is liquid.  I screw it in as tight as I can without breaking or twisting it excessively.  That leaves virtually no line of silver solder.

I am pretty ham fisted as a welder.  I never seem to get a perfect job.   

[Not English]

I countersink each side of the hole slightly and then degrease, followed by TIG welding.

[Stophel]

I can silver solder/braze with the best of 'em, but I CANNOT weld.  Boy I've tried.  So I have to silver solder them.  I did one not long ago I had to shift the frizzen screw down, as it was up too dang high and the pan was screwy and all cocked down in the back, so I had to put it all where it should have been.  I drilled the hole out smooth and fitted a blank bolt semi-snug and silver soldered that sucker in there.  I suppose you can see a sliver of silver with the frizzen off, but not really with it together.

If you can weld, that is definitely the way to go.

[flinchrocket]

Gas welding (acetylene) is similar to forge welding in that you have to get the surface of the metal to melt to add material, ideally both should melt at the same time. If you can braze, you can weld with gas. Just get some scrap steel and mechanics wire and practice. Use borax for flux.

[Not English]

Flinchrocket has the right idea. I was going to suggest that if you can gas weld you can TIG weld with a little practice. Wire coat hangers make good filler wire. I've never used borax for flux, but it makes sense. I've used coated wire hangers when gas welding, borax makes more sense than relying on burning paint fumes to keep the oxygen away from the surface.

[44-henry]

I will try welding them, I have access to both TIG and gas.

[Scota4570]

How Jim Kibler does it.
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=56945.msg569538#msg569538

[borderdogs]

I have filled holes a few times before. The last one I did was a screw hole that I reamed the threads out and turned a rivet to fit, a tight slide fit. Then I squeezed it tight using a vise on the bench you want it tight but don't squeeze it too tight. Then grind or file the excess off I have access to a mill so I would mill it almost to the surface and finish file. When  you are done you can't really see where it was without a loop. If the hole is close to the edge of the plate I would use the same method but silver solder the rivet in place.
Rob