Hilarious

Doc Hoy · March 13, 2010, 05:11 PM

Perhaps you all remember that I like to be able to get the nipples out of my revolvers. I take them out every time I shoot the pistols. I know there are some who think this is excessive but it is just my way.

I got hold of an old pistol in which the nipples were all but welded in place. I ruined two nipple wrenches trying to get them out. The nipples are in good shape but as always I just thought it was very important to be able to get them out.

I thought about it for a while and decided that if I had a nipple wrench fitting for an Impact Wrench I might get them loosened up. So I went to Harbor Fright and picked one up for 6.99. Obviously the Impact Wrench did not come with a nipple wrench bit so I had to make one.

In photo 1, I turned down the half inch stock so that it would fit in a 7/16 socket.

In photo 2, the partially completed bit is inserted in the socket.

In photo 3, I am beginning the operations which would complete the nipple bit.

Doc Hoy · March 13, 2010, 05:15 PM

Okay now we are on the way.

The first photo is the milling of the slot that would engage the shoulders of the nipple.

Photo 2 is the opertion which reduced the diameter of the bit so it would no interfere with any part of the cylinder

Photo 3 is the completd bit sitting in the socket.

Doc Hoy · March 13, 2010, 05:22 PM

This photo Shows the bit brazed into the socket and the brazement turned down a bit to make it look nice.

ALL READY TO GO!

I put the cylinder in a vice (Plastic jaws protect the finish)
Put my source of pride on the Impact Wrench
Seated the bit over the first nipple.
Smacked the Impact Wrench with a hammer

And Blooooie....

...with the first and only hammer blow, the newly completed bit splayed out almost into two pieces.

What I had not understood is how soft steel gets when it is raised to a temperature that will melt brass and then not properly heat treated. It was about the hardness of aluminum.

I am glad I can laugh about stuff like this.

kwhi43 · March 13, 2010, 07:07 PM

I got some out by boiling the cylinder in water for about 15 min.

Old No7 · March 13, 2010, 07:29 PM

Yup, boiling water ALWAYS gets the attention of my 'nips too!!!

Old No7

zippy13 · March 13, 2010, 08:50 PM

Doc, just keep saying to yourself, "It's cheaper than therapy."

Hardcase · March 13, 2010, 11:37 PM

We're not laughing at you, we're laughing with you!

Doc Hoy · March 14, 2010, 01:01 AM

I guess the feeling of foolishness will eventuallly fade away.

It sure was fun making that bit.

Delmar · March 14, 2010, 09:04 AM

I am on my second attempt at building a nipple wrench. None of the stores in my area seem to have them. I don't mind paying $6-$10 but $6-$10 plus shipping and handling is a bit much for such a little tool. So on my first attempt I got out an allen wrench and my dremel and went to town. I was able to get out all six nipples on my two 1858s and got out 5 0f 6 from my very old 1851 before I ran into a really tough one that sprung the wrench.

On my second attempt I used the smallest socket, from a dollar store socket set, That would fit over the end of the nipple, and I got out the dremel again. After I got the opening wide enough, I discovered that the hole down the middle of the socket was not deep enough so I took a drill and drilled it out from the back side. The whole job took about 15 minutes and that cheap socket set cost me $4. I'm pretty happy with it. I suspect it might even hold up to a few taps from an impact wrench.

Doc Hoy · March 14, 2010, 04:17 PM

My impact wrench came with a few extra bits. I will be trying to shape those into the right size.

I am getting rid of the only cylinder I have in which the nipples are tight.

I had it on the eBay but as I learned, they do not permit cylinders to be listed. eBay wheenies are not even certain about their own rules. They are arbitrary, illogical, applied in a haphazard manner and not well publicized.

It is clear to me that the people with the most power at eBay are the low down, good for nothing, crawl in the dirt, commie, pinko, scared crapless, bloodsucker, useless, piece of crap lawyers.

ClemBert · March 14, 2010, 04:23 PM

Quote:

It is clear to me that the people with the most power at eBay are the low down, good for nothing, crawl in the dirt, commie, pinko, scared crapless, bloodsucker, useless, piece of crap lawyers.

You forgot to mention bed wetting.

Doc Hoy · March 14, 2010, 04:30 PM

I didn't forget....I ran out of space.

Delmar · March 14, 2010, 06:13 PM

Quote:

My impact wrench came with a few extra bits. I will be trying to shape those into the right size.

The bit I used was 5/32 if that helps. I think you could go + or - 1/16.

Quote:

It is clear to me that the people with the most power at eBay are the low down, good for nothing, crawl in the dirt, commie, pinko, scared crapless, bloodsucker, useless, piece of crap lawyers.

Dude, I wish you would come out and say what you think.

TXGunNut · March 14, 2010, 09:52 PM

Doc and Clem, thanks for telling us how you really feel about E-Bay. I was banned after being linked to my employer after he stiffed them or did something else that offended them.
Back on topic, I think I need a lathe and a mill. Cheaper than therapy, may even be cheaper than a dog. A basic understanding of metallurgy will be helpful, tho. Thanks for the giggles, Doc.

olyinaz · March 15, 2010, 01:03 AM

Every time I read one of these lathe threads it really gets my goat that I don't have a room or place for something like that in my citified house on my citified lot!

Good reading and keep at it!

Oly

Hawg · March 15, 2010, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Every time I read one of these lathe threads it really gets my goat that I don't have a room or place for something like that in my citified house on my citified lot!

You can do it with a Dremel it's just not as pretty.

Delmar · March 15, 2010, 05:58 AM

could spend $50 for a Dremel press and do some pretty nice work.

madcratebuilder · March 15, 2010, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Every time I read one of these lathe threads it really gets my goat that I don't have a room or place for something like that in my citified house on my citified lot!

Those 7X14 lathes at horrible freight don't take up much room at all, run on 110v. Both the mini lathe and mini mill well handle anything you may encounter on a revolver. Barrel diameter can limit what you do with rifle barrels.

Hey Doc, didn't I send you a DVD on heat treating?

Doc Hoy · March 15, 2010, 10:59 AM

I have developed a special relationship with Harbor Freight. Their machines represent an acceptable compromise between quality and price. (I define acceptable as "acceptable to me"). It is probably important to mention that there is a store about eight miles from my door.

I was looking at HF when I bought my 10X22 and wound up with a Grizzly at 400.00 more money (and an inch more lathe) because HF simply could not tell me when they would be getting a lathe in the store. (The deal was only on store stock and not mail ordered stuff.)

I think the jury is still out on whether there is much difference in quality between Chinese machines.

I have the big HF drill press which I love. But I have the biggest Grizzly bench mill which I also love. I haven't used the lathe enough yet to have formed an opinion but so far, I like it.

I have a HF horizontal Band Saw and it works fine. I have a Jet vertical band saw and it is no better than Grizzly or HF for significantly more money. It just looks prettier. (At least it did when it was new.)

pvt.Long · March 16, 2010, 08:15 AM

well doc what you got is a very good idea i think dgw has something along those lines. When i first started to read the post i was hopeing for a sucess but inproper heat treatment wil cause failure. I realy like the idea you had and kudos for your thinking outside the box. I have this problem with my rifle and have looked at a ratchet wrench to do the job.

Doc Hoy · March 16, 2010, 08:38 AM

Pvt. Long,

Thanks for the feedback.

I wish to add one thing. I am one of those guys who takes the nipples out everytime I clean the pistol and I clean the pistol everytime I shoot it. I don't over-tighten the nipples when I put them back in the cylinder. I think this is just part of proper maintenance.

I never rounded off a nipple wrench on any pistol that has been properly maintained.

I believe that failing to clean a pistol properly is "abuse". If nipples get stuck my guess is that in most cases (in every case with which I am personally familiar) the reason is that the pistol was abused. Cutting corners produces junk.

The maintenance of our pistols has to be fun. (To me it is.) Any sailor knows that you spend about five times as much time maintaining a sailboat as you spend sailing the sailboat. It is the same with our pistols.

I have some pre-owned pistols in which the nipples were hard to get out but once I cleaned them up this problem went away. I also have one in which the nipples simply will not come out (which is what prompted me to make my Impact Wrench Nipple Extraction Bit (IWNEB) which was a resounding failure.)

I have not yet tried boiling the cylinder but I think that is probably next.

Okay....I am off the soapbox.

madcratebuilder · March 16, 2010, 12:32 PM

Doc, have you checked out the Yahoo user groups for the Chinese machines? Lot of good info on little improvements that you can make that well make a major improvement on the usability of the machines.

I made new brass ways for the lathe that removed all the play, same for the milling machine. Adding 3 axis DRO to the mill was the best thing of all.

Doc Hoy · March 16, 2010, 12:45 PM

Yes.... got hooked up with a couple of users groups. One is for firearms specifically and the other is for (of all things) live steam.

Those forums are every bit is good as this one.

I am still working on a decision to add digital read outs. I bought myself a digital caliper from Harbor Freight for twenty bucks and I really like the thing.

The lathe is brand new and still pretty tight. I just got done cutting a MT3 taper with it using only the compound. (I am too cheap to buy a taper attachment.) It really fits sweet.

The mill is about ten years old but in very good condition. I traded a guy two rifles (Hawken and Kentuckian) and four hundred bucks for the mill plus a raft of tooling and accessories.

Anyway thanks for the "heads-up"

madcratebuilder · March 17, 2010, 07:42 AM

Quote:

I am still working on a decision to add digital read outs.

I used to inexpensive ones from Shar's. Bought a cheap readout and made the mounting hardware. It was about $350 for a complete three axis RO and it has made the machine much easier and faster to use. The DRO compensates for the slope in the screws so you can change direction of the bed and not have to remeasure every time you do. I have blue prints for the mounting hardware, PM me if you want a copy.

Belt drive is another big plus. I wired in a reversing switch from a Sieg lathe, makes tapping faster. Next project is a mount for the head that well hold a high speed grinder, sort of a industrial Dremel.

Doc Hoy · March 17, 2010, 03:14 PM

I just bought some 5C collets from Shar. Price was right and the quality seems just fine. They sent a catalog in the box. So they might be a good place for me to start.

Thanks for the heads up.

(I know this thread will eentually get back to black powder shooting....Or else I will get snagged for leading the discussion astray.)

March 13, 2010, 07:29 PM	#5
Old No7 Member Join Date: October 21, 2007 Posts: 60	Yup, boiling water ALWAYS gets the attention of my 'nips too!!! Old No7 __________________ "Freedom and the Second Amendment... One cannot exist without the other." © 2000 DTH

March 13, 2010, 11:37 PM	#7
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	We're not laughing at you, we're laughing with you! __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

March 14, 2010, 01:01 AM	#8
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	Fellas, I guess the feeling of foolishness will eventuallly fade away. It sure was fun making that bit. __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

March 14, 2010, 04:17 PM	#10
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	Del, My impact wrench came with a few extra bits. I will be trying to shape those into the right size. I am getting rid of the only cylinder I have in which the nipples are tight. I had it on the eBay but as I learned, they do not permit cylinders to be listed. eBay wheenies are not even certain about their own rules. They are arbitrary, illogical, applied in a haphazard manner and not well publicized. It is clear to me that the people with the most power at eBay are the low down, good for nothing, crawl in the dirt, commie, pinko, scared crapless, bloodsucker, useless, piece of crap lawyers. __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

March 14, 2010, 04:30 PM	#12
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	Shooot...! I didn't forget....I ran out of space. __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

March 13, 2010, 07:07 PM	#4
kwhi43 Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2008 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,393	I got some out by boiling the cylinder in water for about 15 min.

March 13, 2010, 08:50 PM	#6
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Doc, just keep saying to yourself, "It's cheaper than therapy."

March 14, 2010, 09:04 AM	#9
Delmar Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2009 Location: Norhthern Indiana Posts: 307	I am on my second attempt at building a nipple wrench. None of the stores in my area seem to have them. I don't mind paying $6-$10 but $6-$10 plus shipping and handling is a bit much for such a little tool. So on my first attempt I got out an allen wrench and my dremel and went to town. I was able to get out all six nipples on my two 1858s and got out 5 0f 6 from my very old 1851 before I ran into a really tough one that sprung the wrench. On my second attempt I used the smallest socket, from a dollar store socket set, That would fit over the end of the nipple, and I got out the dremel again. After I got the opening wide enough, I discovered that the hole down the middle of the socket was not deep enough so I took a drill and drilled it out from the back side. The whole job took about 15 minutes and that cheap socket set cost me $4. I'm pretty happy with it. I suspect it might even hold up to a few taps from an impact wrench.

March 14, 2010, 09:52 PM	#14
TXGunNut Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: If you have to ask... Posts: 2,860	Doc and Clem, thanks for telling us how you really feel about E-Bay. I was banned after being linked to my employer after he stiffed them or did something else that offended them. Back on topic, I think I need a lathe and a mill. Cheaper than therapy, may even be cheaper than a dog. A basic understanding of metallurgy will be helpful, tho. Thanks for the giggles, Doc. __________________ Life Member NRA, TSRA Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call Lonesome Dove My favorite recipes start out with a handful of used wheelweights.

March 15, 2010, 01:03 AM	#15
olyinaz Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 877	Every time I read one of these lathe threads it really gets my goat that I don't have a room or place for something like that in my citified house on my citified lot! Good reading and keep at it! Oly

March 15, 2010, 05:58 AM	#17
Delmar Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2009 Location: Norhthern Indiana Posts: 307	could spend $50 for a Dremel press and do some pretty nice work.

March 15, 2010, 10:59 AM	#19
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	MCB + 1 I have developed a special relationship with Harbor Freight. Their machines represent an acceptable compromise between quality and price. (I define acceptable as "acceptable to me"). It is probably important to mention that there is a store about eight miles from my door. I was looking at HF when I bought my 10X22 and wound up with a Grizzly at 400.00 more money (and an inch more lathe) because HF simply could not tell me when they would be getting a lathe in the store. (The deal was only on store stock and not mail ordered stuff.) I think the jury is still out on whether there is much difference in quality between Chinese machines. I have the big HF drill press which I love. But I have the biggest Grizzly bench mill which I also love. I haven't used the lathe enough yet to have formed an opinion but so far, I like it. I have a HF horizontal Band Saw and it works fine. I have a Jet vertical band saw and it is no better than Grizzly or HF for significantly more money. It just looks prettier. (At least it did when it was new.) __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

March 16, 2010, 08:15 AM	#20
pvt.Long Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2009 Posts: 433	well doc what you got is a very good idea i think dgw has something along those lines. When i first started to read the post i was hopeing for a sucess but inproper heat treatment wil cause failure. I realy like the idea you had and kudos for your thinking outside the box. I have this problem with my rifle and have looked at a ratchet wrench to do the job.

March 16, 2010, 08:38 AM	#21
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	Thanks Pvt. Long, Thanks for the feedback. I wish to add one thing. I am one of those guys who takes the nipples out everytime I clean the pistol and I clean the pistol everytime I shoot it. I don't over-tighten the nipples when I put them back in the cylinder. I think this is just part of proper maintenance. I never rounded off a nipple wrench on any pistol that has been properly maintained. I believe that failing to clean a pistol properly is "abuse". If nipples get stuck my guess is that in most cases (in every case with which I am personally familiar) the reason is that the pistol was abused. Cutting corners produces junk. The maintenance of our pistols has to be fun. (To me it is.) Any sailor knows that you spend about five times as much time maintaining a sailboat as you spend sailing the sailboat. It is the same with our pistols. I have some pre-owned pistols in which the nipples were hard to get out but once I cleaned them up this problem went away. I also have one in which the nipples simply will not come out (which is what prompted me to make my Impact Wrench Nipple Extraction Bit (IWNEB) which was a resounding failure.) I have not yet tried boiling the cylinder but I think that is probably next. Okay....I am off the soapbox. __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

March 16, 2010, 12:32 PM	#22
madcratebuilder Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2007 Location: Northern Orygun Posts: 4,923	Doc, have you checked out the Yahoo user groups for the Chinese machines? Lot of good info on little improvements that you can make that well make a major improvement on the usability of the machines. I made new brass ways for the lathe that removed all the play, same for the milling machine. Adding 3 axis DRO to the mill was the best thing of all.

March 16, 2010, 12:45 PM	#23
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	MCB Yes.... got hooked up with a couple of users groups. One is for firearms specifically and the other is for (of all things) live steam. Those forums are every bit is good as this one. I am still working on a decision to add digital read outs. I bought myself a digital caliper from Harbor Freight for twenty bucks and I really like the thing. The lathe is brand new and still pretty tight. I just got done cutting a MT3 taper with it using only the compound. (I am too cheap to buy a taper attachment.) It really fits sweet. The mill is about ten years old but in very good condition. I traded a guy two rifles (Hawken and Kentuckian) and four hundred bucks for the mill plus a raft of tooling and accessories. Anyway thanks for the "heads-up" __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

March 17, 2010, 03:14 PM	#25
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	MCB I just bought some 5C collets from Shar. Price was right and the quality seems just fine. They sent a catalog in the box. So they might be a good place for me to start. Thanks for the heads up. (I know this thread will eentually get back to black powder shooting....Or else I will get snagged for leading the discussion astray.) __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.