[vermilionbird]

Confession: I am absolute dogshit at using a file - like, filing-crooked-and-not-knowing bad. So one of my goals this year was to be better at filing.

Today I got the rare bit of free time and installed a mag catch to my project gun. Here are some progress pics of me filing away the extra material on the RH side. I know it's not the nicest nor the cleanest, but this is a big improvement for me (unless I did this wrong, just ignore me). So, I'm putting this out for all the noobs like me to take the plunge!

 

[Greg M.]

Better than I could do. I haven’t attempted to do anything other than throw money at guns haha.

 

[seagiant]

Hi,
I forged and sold knives years ago, mostly hunting knives for Deer Hunters.

I found a Mentor luckily enough, and he taught me what "FLAT" was.

People think getting something straight and FLAT is easy, but it's not.

Takes experience, a good eye, and feel, believe it or not.

 

[vermilionbird]

@seagiant I am slowly amassing a pile of "screwup" parts that have a lesson attached to each of them. I'm pretty sure most of them are just "you filed crooked" or "you filed too much"

 

[seagiant]

@seagiant I am slowly amassing a pile of "screwup" parts that have a lesson attached to each of them. I'm pretty sure most of them are just "you filed crooked" or "you filed too much"

Hi,
That's fine, anyone that works on guns and says they have not screwed up some parts before, is a liar.

Filing is an important skill and worth learning.

Here is a link to the Penn ABANA Blacksmiths, go to a local meeting and find a knifemaker that will show you some things, everything is related and you might even find a Gunsmith in the crowd.

https://pabasite.org/

 

[azpoolguy]

Keep going. It’s standing a bit proud of the frame still.

I often mark the part Im filing with sharpie to track how my work is progressing to make an easier visual reference.

 

[vermilionbird]

@azpoolguy used the sharpie to get an EGW oversized fps into place too

 

[Old_Man]

what i had found decades ago, when i was in the garage business, is to remove the piece you want to file. easy if it is a small piece.

then lay the file flat on the bench.

then hold on to piece you want to file, and rub THAT on the file. using very little pressure, as to remove as little metal as you can.then too, sometimes, the file removes metal (or wood) away from the surrounding areas, that we DO NOT want filed.

when we file a piece of metal, or even wood, we tend to "round" things, that should never be rounded.

 

[seagiant]

Hi,
You might want to get this book.

Walt shows how he fits and puts a pistol together from parts.

The mag release also has to be fit inside to the mag, you want a secure hold. but then a clean release.

Cheap enough and full of good info, even for experienced Builders (good to see how another guy does it)

 

[Apollo99]

I have one round chainsaw file, I use it for everything. If screwing things up was a crime, I'd be on death row. I do not go near my guns with that file.

 

[vermilionbird]

@seagiant Got the book!

 

[seagiant]

Hi,
I would add Steve's Extractor Study on things to keep.

He helped me wrap my mind around 1911 Extractors, seems simple enough, but a lot of things actually going on, that can cause problems if not right.

Why this is not a "sticky" here, I have no idea?

https://www.1911forum.com/threads/steve-in-allentown-extractor-fitting.829865/

 

[vermilionbird]

Had a little bit more spare time yesterday so I kept at it some more.

 

[SLAM37]

Very nice OP.

 

[JNW]

Vermilion,
Excellent work! Keep doing things like this as long as you enjoy them. You’re already miles ahead of 99% of shooters.
Jeff

 

[Magnumite]

Cudos.

In many situations I file an equal small number number of diagonal strokes from both ends (lengthwise) to keep the part flat and importantly, square. I also will do the same with and across. I save aesthetic texturing as the last step.

 

[vermilionbird]

@Magnumite I started doing that halfway through for that exact reason. Left a bit of a cross-hatch pattern from the file marks that I polished out today.

 

[vermilionbird]

I guess this was gonna turn into a progress pic thread eventually. Found a bit of time between studying to do something about the grittiness between the slide and the frame.

Here's how it was from the factory:

And here's how it is after just a bit of lapping. Didn't go crazy with it, I could always do more:

 

[Magnumite]

You’re getting it. I am m being critical just noticing, if you want to round off the head of the mag catch lock, chuck the pin in a drill. Light file it to shape the abrasive cloth/paper to give it the texture you want.

Nice work.

 

[vermilionbird]

@Magnumite Unfortunately I don't even have a drill (no power tools at all here) so some polishing with sandpaper is gonna have to do for now. But that's okay! I bought this mil-spec specifically to be the gun where I learn new things on. So as I get more tools and try new things over the years, it'll be happening on this gun.