# New workbench area & construction info



## precisionworks (May 4, 2013)

Not flashlight related per se but a workbench is the most essential piece of equipment in any shop IMO. Decided to build a bench area in the attached garage to keep gun repair visitors out of the main shop - too much stuff in there that might tempt someone to do something stupid. 

Finally got the new furnace/AC installed in the garage:


Early in the installation:






Final install showing shelves removed on left side of unit:





The butcher block table is 24" x 24" and is a moveable bench. The area right of the butcher block & left of the furnace is the location for the new fixed workbench (green rendering). 

After constructing a lot of benches over the years the one that works best for me is a top laminated from multiple sheets of MDF. A 48" x 96" x 3/4" sheet cuts down into four pieces 24" x 48", just the size needed for the bench top. Thickness on a four piece glue up is 3" & that's a bit thin so I glued up eight pieces:

There are never too many clamps in the shop:






Glue up finished & shown with 1/4" tempered Masonite work top surface. The Masonite is held down with four small wood screws & is easily replaced when it gets too chewed up. Solid oak edging will be attached to the front & sides of the top. Weight of top is 205# (93 kg). Since the table saw surface was scraped & trued dead flat it provided a good reference base to support the top during glue up. The Starrett 48" straight edge shows that the top is flat to within 1/64" in every plane - http://www.starrett.com/metrology/product-detail/Precision-Measuring-Tools/Precision-Hand-Tools/Precision-Rules,-Straight/Straight-Edges/385-48 






More photos to follow.


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## gadget_lover (May 4, 2013)

Wow. Makes my 3/4 inch plywood bench look like a toy.

How are you going to partition the shop? Looking at your setup reminded me of a working shop on display at a railroad museum. There were some huge metal working tools there. They simply ran a yellow plastic chain across the room as a "keep out" barrier when tours arrived. I've seen it in use at auto repair garages too. It seemed fairly effective. 


Daniel


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## precisionworks (May 4, 2013)

Not really planning to partition the garage When Gunshop visitors come. Just pull the car out & let the customers in. Space is only 20' x 30' & there's not much else to see except my portable welding equipment. 

The more work I do in the garage the Lower the shop utility bill should be. It's at $190/month & the house is $180/month. Easier to heat or cool 600 sq ft versus 2100 


Barry Milton
Precision-Gunsmithing.com
iPhone5 voice recognition


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## PEU (May 4, 2013)

Do some sealing on the MDF or it will warp sooner than later... shellac works, but you USA guys have lots of options!


Pablo


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## precisionworks (May 5, 2013)

+1 on sealing MDF Pablo. I use yellow aliphatic glue thinned with 1 part water to 3 parts glue. Everybody has their favorite concoction but there's always a gallon of yellow glue in my shop.


Barry Milton
Precision-Gunsmithing.com
iPhone5 voice recognition


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## precisionworks (May 6, 2013)

A friend of mine & his father in law stopped by to help move the bench top ... thank goodness they did. Sliding it off the table saw top & onto the hydraulic lift table was touchy even with all three of us pulling & pushing. Rolled the cart to the truck & slid the top off the cart & into the truck bed - again it was more pushing & shoving than anticipated. Drove the truck around to the garage & reversed the procedure. Everyone still has 10 fingers & 10 toes so that part went well.

A measurement of the bench in the shop (image below) gave the desired height for the new bench top. The rest of the workshop is a total disaster but the smithing bench is always organized. 






Scribed a level line on the wall, measured the thickness of the top + tempered Masonite work surface & mounted a 3" x 6" x 48" angle (bent from 11 guage steel). Again used the lift cart for positioning & leveling. Welded up the front legs & support stretcher & moved them under the top. Got everything plumb & level & used Tapcon screws to secure the feet to the floor.










Pipe is thin wall well casing complete with rusted finish. Cheap at $1/foot & more than strong enough. Square tube is 4" x 4" x 3/16" & was laying in the cutoff pile so it was already paid for. 










Bubble isn't quite perfect but it's good enough for government work :nana:





Front of bench is intentionally set at 1/4 bubble higher than the rear (less than 1/2" rise over 24"). Parts should always roll back to the wall & not roll forward to drop onto the concrete. 

More photos to follow.


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## BenChiew (May 6, 2013)

Barry. What type of services do you provide for gun modifications?

Do you do all firearms type?
Pistols - semi autos, revolvers
Shotguns?
Rifles?


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## precisionworks (May 6, 2013)

Pretty much everything that you mentioned plus full on custom builds (mostly M1911 pistols & AR-platform rifles). Builds are priced according to accuracy requirements & the ultra accurate AR's (guaranteed to put 10 shots under half a minute of angle) are my favorite. Pretty cool to cover a 10-shot group with a U. S. dime coin 

Lots of repair work, primarily metal & some wood. Enough trigger jobs to drive a sane person crazy. Once I get rich & famous the shop will specialize more but that may never happen.


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## BenChiew (May 6, 2013)

LOL. 
I will pass this information to a local gun dealer here that previously asked if I knew someone that could do these work. 

1 MOA standard is pretty good especially for non competitive firearms. 
The 1911 platform is pretty much time tested. Undeniably there will be more after market parts made for this platform. Unfortunately in Malaysia, firearms owners are more interested in the James Bond Walthers and probably the Glock brand name.


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## precisionworks (May 6, 2013)

Benchiew said:


> 1 MOA standard is pretty good especially for non competitive firearms.


Nothing wrong with any rifle that shoots inside one minute. (For the non-shooters, 1 MOA subtends 1" at 100 yards & most hunters want a rifle that's at least that accurate.) My best AR build so far keeps 10 shots under 0.300", less than 1/3 MOA. Smallest group from that particular rifle is 0.197" but that happened only one time so it not representative of overall accuracy. It's a 1/4 minute gun all day long 



> The 1911 platform is pretty much time tested. Undeniably there will be more after market parts made for this platform.


102 years and shows no signs of slowing down, who would have thought. Doing a full custom compensator M1911 right now, should be a tack driver. 



> ... in Malaysia, firearms owners are more interested in the James Bond Walthers and probably the Glock brand name.


LOL, both are highly reliable self defense tools. Glocks outnumber all the other self loaders that come into the shop, seldom for service issues but mostly for night sights, trigger jobs, etc. S&W's in 9mm are also really popular in the USA.


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## StrikerDown (May 6, 2013)

Jeez Barry, I thought that bench was for gunsmithing not blacksmithing... It look almost as stout as an anvil!! :devil:


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## KC2IXE (May 6, 2013)

1MOA? Shudder.thats ok fora hunting or plinking rifle,but then again, even my deer rifle is on a trued action with a Hart barrel. My accurate rifle involves brands like Stolle and Jewell...


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## BenChiew (May 6, 2013)

I am sorry Barry, I am not familiar with the AR. What is it chambered for?
My firearms days dates back to the 90s when I was living in Australia. In Malaysia where I live now, firearms are only restricted to the super rich and at that mostly small arms for self defense. Due to the range of the rifle, they are not permitted even right down to the plinking 22s. 
Other than sporting shooters, everything else is pretty restrictive. Even back in the 90s, Australia was pretty strict with auto loading rifles especially the center fired rounds. There were several incidences where nutty individuals went on a rampage shooting the public with autos. I believe these days, the auto loaders are a no no in Australia unless you have very good reasons. It is a shame that a few irresponsible individuals caused the demise of those rifles. I used to remember having a 50clips mag on a Ruger 10/22 shooting at bolting rabbits. Those were the good old days. One of my favorite was the double triggered Anschutz 22 used for small game. The 17 single shot was very popular for fox hunting. A high velocity flat shooting round that did not make a mess of the pelt. I also enjoyed the flat shooting 22/250 on a single shot Ruger bipod on the top of the hill. 
I better stop here. Those good old days. 
Sigh.


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## StrikerDown (May 6, 2013)

Benchiew said:


> I am sorry Barry, I am not familiar with the AR. What is it chambered for?...
> 
> It is a shame that a few irresponsible individuals caused the demise of those rifles....
> Sigh.



Most AR's, the AR-15 for example are chambered for .223 (or 5.56mm). Many other calibers can be found on the "AR" platform though.

Yes, It is a shame! There should be a law prohibiting irresponsible individuals from being in governments!!!


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## precisionworks (May 6, 2013)

I admit that the 6 inch thick top is a bit much - Not a big surprise for those who know how I work. Here is the thought process behind that thickness.

A two ply top is absolute minimum thickness and only stays flat if supported by a 2 x 4 frame. Using four plies makes a sturdy top but still needs 2 x 4 framing. Going with six plies or eight plies virtually eliminates the need for a subframe And allows supporting the top with a length of square tubing or something similar. 

Since the top pieces were cut by a friend at a cabinet shop they are all exactly the same size So it took very little time to glue up the stack. My granddaughter rode her bicycle around the shop while I glued and screwed all eight pieces together So it did not require a great deal of concentration. 

Building a subframe would have required taking dimensional lumber and jointing and planing all four sides to make it square and true. Cost savings might have been $20 but it would've taken a lot more time And there isn't much of that extra anymore. Watching her every Friday means that my workweeks are four days plus whatever I can get down on Saturday and Sunday. Not complaining as I would not trade this time with her for anything in the world But it's a real challenge to get all the work done every week.

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EDIT: Post #6 shows the first big bench I built in 1982, over 30 years ago. The dark brown top is the same tempered Masonite used on the smithing bench & that bench is now on top #4 or #5, not really sure which one. The material is inexpensive, tough, durable & frequently used for bench tops. 

Under the brown top is a glue up of 2 x 4 lumber, face to face, with all thread through bolts that act as full length gluing clamps. 






A 2' x 8' top is an ambitious project - each 2x4 has to the jointed, ripped, jointed again & thickness planed before it's ready for use, about half a day in stock prep for that top. Then the top has to be assembled on a dead flat surface if you want it to end up close to straight & flat. Or build it wherever you can and spend hours sanding & scraping the top to flat. Did it one time & that's enough for me but it makes a nice solid top. 

A thin 2-layer top can be supported with extensive framing or with a torsion box ... a good bit of work either way. If your budget allows a pre-built top that's the quickest & easiest way to go but the cost can be up there. 


Barry Milton
Precision-Gunsmithing.com
iPhone5 voice recognition


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## StrikerDown (May 7, 2013)

That's a lot of justification for an over the top top! You could have said you wanted to throw anything on top of it, up to and including a diesel engine with truck attached, and not worry about a failure! :nana:

Your last pic sort of reminds me of my very first work bench top, I used material on hand, two pieces of 4" X 12" header material glued edge to edge with Elmer's glue! Not as high tech or flat as your creation I'm sure but I used it for over 35 years until the wife said that thing is sure getting ugly! And yes I have had a gas engine on it, sans the truck! 

There is no substitute for a good work surface that can handle anything you throw at it... sometimes literally! :thumbsup:


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## precisionworks (May 7, 2013)

LOL Ray, my wife may make me sleep on it so it needs to be flat 

Trimmed out the exposed edges. Boards still need stain, sealer & topcoats. 1/4" thick top sits in a trap formed by the trim boards & the back wall (no fasteners used). 






Measured a dozen times & still ended up half an inch above the butcher block ...






Four small leveling risers should fix that. Probably use some 4" solid aluminum round stock but Ti would be a lot nicer ... I'll even pay shipping if someone wants to send a 12" long piece of 6-4 that's 4" diameter


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## StrikerDown (May 7, 2013)

precisionworks said:


> LOL Ray, my wife may make me sleep on it so it needs to be flat
> 
> ...



Ahaaa! The true reason it has a slight tilt towards the wall... and all this time we thought it was to keep drills and pins from rolling on the floor! LOL!!!!:thumbsup:

Looking real nice Barry.


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## precisionworks (May 7, 2013)

Thanks Ray 

First coat of Minwax 215 Wood Finish (stain & seal). Just a little bit of protection but it applies fast, goes on evenly & ... half a gallon was sitting on the shelf from years ago. Gave the top half a dozen coats until it wasn't taking any more - makes grease & oil easier to clean up.

http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/stains/minwax-wood-finish






Two primer coats + two color coats on the metal so that part is done. Need to wait until there is zero smell from the Minwax as that indicates total dry out & then topcoat with poly spray.

Got a couple of spots of stain on the back wall but a piece of small quarter round will go on last to finish out that area. Ordered two magnetic tool bars (Master Magnetics from Amazon at $19 each) & need to hang the 1/4" peg board but not quite sure where it should go. Two T-8 four bulb fixtures need to get mounted to the ceiling above the bench & it's (maybe, almost, I hope) done.


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## precisionworks (May 8, 2013)

Had this old hang on cabinet for years & it looked like a good fit on the butcher block table:






Used half a dozen 1/4" stainless self drillers to attach to the frame:






The weight of the red cabinet makes the roller table a little tippy so a ballast plate was added to the back. 7 gauge plate steel (.180" thickness) & size is 28" x 28" because it was cut months ago for another project. 






Need to install edge guards & figure out what needs to go on that plate.


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## wquiles (May 10, 2013)

Very cool project Barry


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## precisionworks (May 12, 2013)

Framed out around the ductwork & installed a plywood panel 3' x 8' (3/4" thick) which is the location for a sheet of pegboard. Didn't want to build out the 3.5" needed for a "real" stud wall (no need to waste that much space) so the framing surrounds the ductwork ... and that means there's not much from the framing to attach to. Decided on double 2x6 framing versus 2x4 & this is how it came out:

BEFORE:






AFTER:










Panel is attached to the framing with construction adhesive & screws, much more sturdy than screws alone. The vertical studs on the outboard side have hardly any real support. Attached at the ceiling & screwed down at the floor plus glued & screwed to the plywood but they're really just hanging out there. Length is about 1/8" more than needed so they are a light pound in fit (3# sledge hammer) & that helps a bunch.

The wall is surprisingly sturdy, much more so than I expected. Should be NP to support a few hundred pounds of hanging tools  There's a large dead space above the work area so plans are to box that in for storage & hang the lights under the box. Adding the end wall really helps separate this bench & makes it look & feel more like a dedicated work space versus garage work bench. 

Might get more done today but my wife may have other plans for Mother's Day :nana:

EDIT: Got the pegboard up, mounted the magnet bars & hung one light ...


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## precisionworks (May 14, 2013)

The old Quincy will see a lot more run time because of the new work space & that means time to finally upgrade & update the motor. The original motor is 3/4 hp 1725 rpm "resistance split-phase induction motor" - no capacitor but still has the centrifugal switch to move power from the start winding to the run winding when rotor speed reaches 1300 rpm (75% of full speed). Popular when Henry Ford was developing the Model T & not a bad design except that this motor uses oilite total loss plain bushings - an ounce of oil into the Gitts cups means an ounce of oil that drips down the tank & onto the floor. 

The replacement motor is a 1 hp 1725 rpm 3 phase that cost $10 from Joe's Junk Jungle. Absolutely filthy, nasty, dried out bearings, etc. but other than that it's a good candidate for a heart transplant. Tore it down, cleaned out most of the dirt & installed new sealed bearings so total investment is up to $27. Actually doesn't look too bad & the shaft now rotates just like a brand new motor. Marathon catalogs this as an inverter duty motor with 10:1 variable torque & it retails for just under $300. The 10:1 rating means this motor will run all day long (actually 24/7/365) at 172 rpm without adverse effects. Said another way, minimum freq for this motor is 6 Hz. Not bad.











All 3ph motors require either 230v or 460v and the garage has nothing but 115v ... so an order was placed with WolfAutomation.com for a TECO JNEV-101-H1. Total delivered price $149 plus motor cost of $27 means less money than the cost of a new single phase 1 hp motor. Plus this is something I always wanted to try :devil:

Drive will arrive UPS this afternoon but motor needs a base plate adapter - photos to follow.


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## will (May 14, 2013)

My small shop is in the basement of my Long Island (NY) home. I have used MDF in the past and I will not use it for anything else in the future. No matter how well sealed, the stuff is like a sponge, over time it will absorb moisture and swell up. Long Island is almost always humid and moisture seems to settle in basement. 

I built a workbench using baltic birch top and bottom. The inside is a square honeycomb. They call that a torsion box. It is 4 inches thick and dead flat. It did take some time to build. No problems with moisture at all....


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## precisionworks (May 14, 2013)

will said:


> ... I built a workbench using baltic birch top and bottom. The inside is a square honeycomb. They call that a torsion box. It is 4 inches thick and dead flat. It did take some time to build. No problems with moisture at all....



Torsion box construction is superb as it results in a lightweight table top that has huge load capacity. Some aircraft construction is similar.

I've bought more MDF over the years than any other sheet product ... and that includes the 5' x 5' Baltic Birch panels currently in the stock rack. BB is a superb material & for jigs or fixtures it's either BB or 6061-T6, sometimes both. Most of my shop benches are MDF topped and two of them are older than dirt, circa 1982 or 1983. Still flat as they were 30 years ago but all have lived in a climate controlled area. Built the kitchen pantry from ply for the case & used ultralight MDF for the four doors - sweet stuff that's stayed flat for about a dozen years despite hanging off hinges. 






8' tall, 4' wide, holds a ton of stuff & the bottom shelf in both lower & upper cabinet are full extension sliders.


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## will (May 14, 2013)

I made a few things out of MDF, don't like the dust it creates. Having said all that. It is a good stable product in a dry environment. Not for those of us that live in a humid area..


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## precisionworks (May 15, 2013)

The drive arrived yesterday as did the sheave. MicroDrive Series EV:











I usually choose an ACTech drive but in this case the TECO cost $78 less. I've installed a number of TECO drives over the years & they're as durable (or as delicate) as most other drives in this price range. Drives are microprocessor based so the latest & greatest drive today is an antique in 6 months :nana:






Made by Maurey Mfg. in Mississippi & termed a "3-spoke cast iron single groove sheave". Hub is longer than many other comparable sheaves & that's important because motor shaft diameter is only 0.625". Shown with brass key in place.


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## wquiles (May 15, 2013)

I love threads with pictures


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## precisionworks (May 15, 2013)

wquiles said:


> I love threads with pictures


Even crappy iPhone pictures??? :nana:

Apple is currently running a TV ad that says


> ... more photos are captured by the iPhone than any other device.



The very small legal disclosure at the bottom of the screen says "more horrible, out of focus, poorly composed, terribly lighted, generally unacceptable photos are taken by the iPhone. Want better images, buy a real camera or STFU" :devil:

Gotta love Apple ...


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## will (May 15, 2013)

precisionworks said:


> Even crappy iPhone pictures??? :nana:
> 
> Apple is currently running a TV ad that says
> 
> ...



Thank you - very well said...

I have been taking pictures for a lot of years now, only using a 'real' camera. It is frustrating to see some pictures that have been posted on various web sites that are just - well - not that good.

The only positive thing I will say - if it were not for the cell phone cameras, lots of important pictures, no matter how bad, would not have been captured. 

How many of us carry a camera with us at all times? I bet we all carry our cell phones at all times.

( not meant to stray to far from the original - what is with those people that always have the blue tooth on their ear? )


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## precisionworks (May 15, 2013)

will said:


> ... if it were not for the cell phone cameras, lots of important pictures, no matter how bad, would not have been captured.


LOL my daughter is constantly snapping with her iPhone & posting on FB. She says my FB page is boring which it certainly is, post my exercise updates & that's about all 

Way OT ... here's a fly over of the walk we (the Siberian & I) did this morning - 5.23 miles at a 13:57 minutes/mile pace. You may need the Google Earth plugin to play the vid.

http://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/...ute_key=4200250940567060481&site=mapmyrun.com


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## wquiles (May 15, 2013)

precisionworks said:


> Even crappy iPhone pictures??? :nana:


Absolutely. I rather show you guys MORE pictures of the process, steps, tools, etc., than fewer, perfectly composed/focused/lighted pictures :devil:

I really like telling a story with pictures - that is my personal "style"


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## 350xfire (May 15, 2013)

Barry, I would love to see some guns. You post pics on a gun forum? If so, which one?


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## gt40 (May 15, 2013)

Looks great!


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## precisionworks (May 16, 2013)

350xfire said:


> ... I would love to see some guns. You post pics on a gun forum?



Most of the work I do is not photogenic ... cleaning nasty shotguns, installing a recoil pad, hand polishing prior to blueing, trigger work on ______ (fill in the blank), figuring out why a Winchester Model 42 slide release doesn't work correctly, remove pistol sights & install new ones, etc. Machining is done on maybe 10% of jobs & those include cut/crown/thread barrel, drill & tap for scope base, making replacement parts that are no longer available, etc. Many days are nothing but hand work, literally, and sometimes my fingertips look like ground beef with a heavy coating of grease & powder fouling.

A pair of S&W M&P 15-22 barrels threaded for a muzzle device:






The only forum I post on is PM Gunsmithing http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/gunsmithing/


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## StrikerDown (May 28, 2013)

It's funny but Flashlights, Knives and Guns all seem to be really popular to the same people!

Here is a scratch build finished recently:


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## 350xfire (May 28, 2013)

I'll have to post pics of my PPS-43 and Uzi builds. PPS is almost done. Going to do some puke green moly resin coat on it. Uzi will be black. I already have the wood stock of the Uzi finished up. Barry, I need to replace the sights on my 1911. What do I need to do that? Which sight tool do you use? Thanks


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## StrikerDown (May 28, 2013)

350, I can't speak for Barry but on many 1911's I find the sights are too tight for a sight pusher (Kimber comes to mind!). It is usually better to securely hold the slide in a vise that has the jaws ground flat and pad it with a business card on each side. A big heavy vise can hold the slide much more securely with less pressure on the slide than the small purchase points of a sight pusher. Then a punch made out of aluminum or brass shaped similar to the bottom of the sight long and flat on the bottom to fill up as mush of the sight profile as possible, this spreads out the impact and decreases the chance of marring the sight, this is also padded with a piece of business card stock wrapped around the impact surface of the punch. Than the sight needs to be fit to the dovetail in the slide, start tapping it in and if is gets too tight it won't want to move with firm strikes, stop and back it out for more fitting. Normally the sights can be fit by sanding the bottom surface to decrease the width of the dovetail, this also hides the areas sanded when it's installed. The last part you want to modify to fit a sight is the expensive slide and only as a last resort... If you don't like this set of sights the next set may be too lose if you have modified the slide! Oh don't forget to position the slide dovetail you are putting the sight in near the center of the vise jaws, not outside!

Use caution clamping the front of the slide. Front sights that are pinned in place do not need nearly as much force to move as the rear sight and the front of the slide is much easier to crush or deform with too much clamping force.


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## precisionworks (May 29, 2013)

Awesome M1911 Ray. That's a beautiful custom that stands out in every way.



> I need to replace the sights on my 1911. What do I need to do that? Which sight tool do you use?



I think I've tried them all LOL & the one that's the best of the best is the B&J Machine P500 Pro. About $300 with shipping so it usually makes more sense to pay someone $35 to do the sight work for you.



> ... on many 1911's I find the sights are too tight for a sight pusher (Kimber comes to mind!)


The P500 has moved every sight I've done & some of those squealed while being pushed out. Threads on the pusher ram are fine & the amount of pressure this tool produces is huge. 



> A big heavy vise can hold the slide much more securely with less pressure on the slide than the small purchase points of a sight pusher.


A vise is able to exert pressure on only the two sides of the slide while the P500 grips in four places - the two sides + the top & the bottom. Side pressure is just snug to avoid deformation but top clamp pressure is very heavy. The slide cannot move a bit when held with this 4-point contact. Most other pushers provide less support for the slide.








IMO a big benefit to the P500 is that the tool can be secured in the bench vise so the rear sight can be moved an exact distance. When the sight needs another few thousandths to be perfectly centered this is the fastest & most accurate way I've found. Sight centering is then verified with a depth mic.


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## gadget_lover (May 29, 2013)

I've just recently rediscovered the fun of playing with firearms. Just the small stuff. Nothing exotic. 

I was wondering how I would adjust the stock sight on my 1911. I would never have thought of a rig like that one, but it makes good sense. 

Thanks guys. Now I have one more thing to be envious of.


Dan


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