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Author Topic: wrong size drum  (Read 5897 times)

Offline Michigan Flinter

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wrong size drum
« on: April 25, 2012, 02:50:47 AM »
 I agreed to put a socalled kit together for a member of our club. It's a percussion  . Well I didn't look to good at the drum and lockplate before I installed the drum. The drum is 7/16 O.D. and the cutout on the plate is for a 1/2 O.D.drum . I want to have a good fit in this area to help support the drum.Do any of you folks have a suggestion on fixing this eror? The threads on the drum I installed are 1/4 - 28  and I beleive the 1/2 O.D. drum is 3/8 - 24 . Thank You for your help and staying on the subject is appreciated. Michigan Flinter
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Offline T*O*F

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Re: wrong size drum
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2012, 03:23:28 AM »
Solder a brass shim onto the lock between it and the drum.  I've done this several times.  If you're lucky, you will have the right thickness, otherwise a thicker piece can be filed to fit.
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Dave Kanger

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Dave K

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Re: wrong size drum
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2012, 04:09:23 AM »
I have a friendly welder who can always help me. I would weld up the lock plate and refit. Then you have a really good snug fit.
« Last Edit: April 25, 2012, 04:14:15 AM by Dave K »
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brobb

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Re: wrong size drum
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2012, 04:12:51 AM »
Drill and tap the barrel for 3/8 - 24 and install a 1/2 inch dia. drum.

Bruce Robb
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Offline kutter

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Re: wrong size drum
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2012, 05:02:12 AM »
Unless the cutout on the plate is somehow off center from the C/L of the drum,,wouldn't just replacing the small drum with the 1/2"d one fix the problem.
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Offline Michigan Flinter

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Re: wrong size drum
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2012, 04:05:17 PM »
 Thats what I plan on doing installing a 1/2 inch drum but thought I would post the question and see what other folks would do. Thank you all for your replies. I'd rather do a flint lock rifle anyday.
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Offline Acer Saccharum

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Re: wrong size drum
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2012, 04:11:38 PM »
Bigger drum is best. You definitely want the plate and drum in contact. Why? Then the plate absorbs the impact, not the threads on the drum.

Drums almost always loosen up over time. Much of this is due to impact. Some is due to taking the drum out repeatedly for cleaning or dry-balling. For whatever reason, the drums loosen up. Good support from the lockplate will go a long way to extending the life of the drum.
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Offline Bob Roller

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Re: wrong size drum
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2012, 04:50:18 PM »
Acer gave some rock solid advice on the drum installation. I well remember when at the ripe old age of 15,I bought a nice looking caplock halfstock with a back action lock and the drum and nipple ignition. The drum was poorly supported and blew out on the first shot leaving me with ringing ears. Make sure the drum and the cut out in the plate are firmly together. A 1/2"drum=a 1/4" radius.

Bob Roller
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Offline bob in the woods

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Re: wrong size drum
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2012, 05:59:15 PM »
Am I missing something, or doesn't shimming accomplish the same thing ?
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Dave K

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Re: wrong size drum
« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2012, 06:08:00 PM »
No, you are not missing anything. The question is then, how big a shim do you need to close the gap? I would close the gap by the ways suggested and not worry about a shim getting misplaced when I take it apart.
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Offline T*O*F

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Re: wrong size drum
« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2012, 06:47:43 PM »
Quote
The question is then, how big a shim do you need to close the gap?


There is a 1/16" difference between the two.....therefore, your shim is 1/16th.

Quote
I would close the gap by the ways suggested
.

There are always lots of ways suggested, but people think differently and those ways are not always the best.  Why do thru the hassle of buying a new drum and then have to drill and refit it.  Why go thru the hassle of finding a welder to weld up the plate and then have to grind and file the lock?

Quote
and not worry about a shim getting misplaced when I take it apart

The shim is soldered to the plate and doesn't get lost.  You take a piece of sheet brass, form it around the drum, do some minor sanding with paper around a dowel, and solder it on.  Takes about 5 minutes and the job is done.  Time is money.  You look for the most efficient way to do the job and move on to the next operation.


« Last Edit: April 26, 2012, 02:50:50 PM by Dale Halterman »
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Dave Kanger

If religion is opium for the masses, the internet is a crack, pixel-huffing orgy that deafens the brain, numbs the senses and scrambles our peer list to include every anonymous loser, twisted deviant, and freak as well as people we normally wouldn't give the time of day.
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Offline rich pierce

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Re: wrong size drum
« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2012, 07:00:59 PM »
Nice!  I hadn't thought to solder a shim to the lockplate.  If forced to make an accomodation this seems the best to me.
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Offline kutter

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Re: wrong size drum
« Reply #12 on: April 25, 2012, 11:25:34 PM »
I just did't like the tiny 1/4x28 thread of the smaller drum from the start.
So the 1/2 drum with the larger thread would be my choice.

If I did shim it,,I'd put a steel sleeve around the small dia drum to bring it up to proper diameter. Then it's steel on steel when the hammer batters it against the plate.
If you don't have a lathe,,then the 1/2 moon shim is much easier.
..or just install the new 1/2d drum.

Lots of ways to go,,just depends on how much time you want to spend and what your expectations of service might be.
JMHO

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Offline bluenoser

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Re: wrong size drum
« Reply #13 on: April 25, 2012, 11:37:11 PM »
Quote from: T*O*F on April 25, 2012, 06:47:43 PM
Quote
No, you are not missing anything.

No, but you are.

Quote
The question is then, how big a shim do you need to close the gap?


There is a 1/16" difference between the two.....therefore, your shim is 1/16th.


[/quote]

I do believe the shim would be 1/32" - not 1/16"

Laurie
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Offline Dale Halterman

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Re: wrong size drum
« Reply #14 on: April 26, 2012, 02:53:58 PM »
The larger drum may overhang the barrel side flat and I don't like the way that looks. I would (and have)solder in a shim as TOF suggested.

Dale H
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