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Old April 26, 2012, 03:07 PM   #1
TomADC
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Stuck wedge?

Have a NIB Pietta J H Dance that I wanted to clean before I shoot it but for the life of me I can't get the barrel wedge out? Is there a trick to doing this?
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Old April 26, 2012, 03:20 PM   #2
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Sometimes on the new ones, you have to have 3 hands, or get somebody to push down on the wedge spring so it will unhook, while your other hands tap it back out with something wooden or plastic.

(oh, and we'll be needing pictures of it before you shoot it.)

Last edited by Beagle333; April 26, 2012 at 03:21 PM. Reason: addendum
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Old April 26, 2012, 03:53 PM   #3
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Lay it down with the left tide down....

....on a firm but padded surface. Make sure the wedge is not touching the surface.

Get yourself a number two philips screw driver.

Tap the wedge until it is loose with the head of the screwdriver.

It should come out this way.
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Old April 26, 2012, 04:16 PM   #4
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One of the problems is the revolver came with the wedge flush with the right side of the frame. There is nothing to tap on.
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Old April 26, 2012, 04:25 PM   #5
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I use half a popsicle stick as a punch to get it through the hole, but it's short lived. Some kind of hardwood wood be better. Perhaps a wedge for an axe or hammer handle, if you have a spare around there.



I have also driven a toothpick in there above the spring to hold the wedge spring hook down and then broke the toothpick off, so it won't be in the way. And drive the broken tip back out with the wedge.

Last edited by Beagle333; April 26, 2012 at 04:33 PM. Reason: added toothpick info
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Old April 26, 2012, 05:35 PM   #6
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This may be more effort that you're willing to go through, but when I had the problem of a stuck wedge that was also flush with the right side of the gun, I got a fairly heavy dead blow hammer made out of some kind of rubbery material and just whacked it as hard as I could. The wedge came out and no damage was done.

Oh, I held the gun in my left hand and smacked it with my right.
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Old April 26, 2012, 05:38 PM   #7
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Hardcase did try that with a plastic faced mallet didn't help but I do have a dead blow hammer I'll try in the morning.
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Old April 26, 2012, 07:19 PM   #8
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Pietta went through a spell where the wedges were really tight. It may take a brass punch and a few solid blows to get it out.
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Old April 26, 2012, 11:14 PM   #9
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My Dance did not have your problem but other Piettas did. Prop the barrel, so the wedge has clearence to be driven out. I use the edge of a house key (more likely bronze rather than brass) as a drift punch. Pound with a hammer on the edge of the key to knock the wedge out then grease the edges of the wedge to prevent sticking. I use the edge that is the grip part of the key.
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Old April 27, 2012, 06:42 AM   #10
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You could also try my old trick with a clothespin half.....use it as a lever.

Attached Images
File Type: jpg wedge-removal.jpg (45.5 KB, 165 views)
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Old April 27, 2012, 07:06 AM   #11
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Zullo

I like that.
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Old April 27, 2012, 07:38 AM   #12
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Zullo. That's neat. Thanks.
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Old April 27, 2012, 10:17 AM   #13
Andy Griffith
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Quote:
I use the edge of a house key (more likely bronze rather than brass) as a drift punch.
Just don't use a key that you actually have to use.

If none of these things work....time for a Estwing hammer.

Just kidding!

A brass punch and a big hammer may be the last resort. One on a used 1860 I bought was stuck so bad, I had to work on it for a couple of days before it let go. It had buckled the barrel opening some because it was hammered in so hard. May have been the factory or previous owner, can't tell.

Another wedge can always be bought, although cleaning up the end with some files and cold blue is a much less expensive option and you'll never know it had a punch on it. Brass punches certainly can dent these soft wedges if you have to hit them hard enough.
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Last edited by Andy Griffith; April 27, 2012 at 10:26 AM.
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Old April 27, 2012, 11:17 AM   #14
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Nothing, nadda, zippo, zero no luck, a 24 oz dead blow hammer nothing. I think the wedge was driven in I can see on the right side of the frame the left hand side of the slot it looks like the metal has been peened out a little. I bent a 5/32" brass drift tapping on it with a small brass hammer.

Maybe I'll get one of those picture frame things and make this one a wall hanger.
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Old April 27, 2012, 11:58 AM   #15
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Okay I just got serious and ordered a Lisle 33400 pneumatic brass punch set for my air hammer!! I'll trim the smallest punch down to just fit then we'll see if it moves.
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Old April 27, 2012, 12:01 PM   #16
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Now you gettin' busy with it!!
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Old April 27, 2012, 01:15 PM   #17
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Hold on..Tom

The more force you put on this frame, the higher is the likelyhood that the frame may be damaged even in a way that is not easily visible to the eye.

Do you think a call to the vendor might be appropriate? The reason these things are still getting out of the factory with stuck wedges is that none of the vendors are whining about it. The reason none of the vendors are whining about it is that none of the buyers are whining about it. The knee bones connected to the......Ooops sorry.
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Old April 27, 2012, 01:19 PM   #18
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Doc

Well, this was going to be a pithy comment about the knee bone, etc., but I got my songs mixed up. Some kind of hokey pokey.
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Old April 27, 2012, 01:28 PM   #19
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Can't send it back as I bought it from a private party, it was the 3rd I've bought from him and they don't have any problems but he bought it new years back so even nib its still removed from from original purchase.
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Old April 27, 2012, 01:39 PM   #20
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Tom....

Got it....


Okay so back to the arbor press.
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Old April 27, 2012, 01:40 PM   #21
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Go buy a set of brass hinge pins. File or grind the small end to just fit. You can use the big end like the clothes pin suggestion. They give you a little more area than most brass punches.
Also did you take the screw out? I have had them so big they would remove metal from the wedge if you did not loosen them.
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Old April 27, 2012, 02:58 PM   #22
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Just got a email from Northern Tools, they no longer carry the Lisle tool, so back to the drawing board, will try the brass hinge pins next,
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Old April 28, 2012, 10:12 PM   #23
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Found a pice of 7075-T6 aluminum bar stock in the garage I'm going to saw off a piece and make a wedge tool something that will fit the slot with maybe a few thousands to spare on all edges. Will keep the punch portion short for strength.
Work begins Monday
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Old April 28, 2012, 11:21 PM   #24
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If all this beating hasn't bent the arbor, I would proceed by removing the retaining screw and grinding the wedge off until it is almost flush with the barrel, then push it through the hole.

Before trying to push it through, you should drill two small holes in the ground off wedge by each side and enlarge the holes to relieve the metal preventing its passing through.
You should only have to drill less than 3/16 of wedge material away.

Access to a 1/8 inch end mill cutter would allow you to remove wedge metal more carefully. This could be done in a drill press.
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Old April 29, 2012, 07:36 AM   #25
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That's a lousy idea! It's wedge shaped. It won't go through the hole from that side even if you do drill relieving holes. The slot in the arbor is wedge shaped too.
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