dakota.potts
New member
My parents and I got into shooting together, although my dad had done it years earlier in the Navy. He also has gotten into shaving and straight razoring. Knowing that I had made knives before, he asked me to make him a straight razor before I left for college. We bought a couple different species of cocobolo and some O1 tool steel, but I got behind with work and college preparations and unfortunately never got to finish it. I live in an apartment now and don't have space for a workshop for the tools I would need (or the money for most of those tools.)
But I got an idea that wouldn't require many tools at all and could be done very easily on my back patio.
I went online and bought a 20mm Vulcan M61 dummy round. This thing is a beast. I got it from gunandsurplus.com for about $15. Recommend dealing with them if your'e into that kind of thing.
Then, I found a 20mm badger hair brush knot online from thegoldenknib.com. This one was about $25 shipped.
Then, I went at the case with a diamond tipped cutoff wheel. I started with files and a hacksaw but they were slow, and surprisingly less precise. The cutoff wheel in the dremel got it done in about 10 minutes. I cut it just before the shoulder to leave kind of an inward angle at the new case mouth. Cleaned and degreased a little bit with denatured alcohol. Then I roughed up the back of the bullet to give the epoxy more hold.
Mixed up a little bit of JB weld, clamped the bullet upside down in a vise, and joined the bullet and the brush knot together. After 5 minutes, it was in tough enough to resist a light pull with no indication of moving. An hour later, and very solid.
Used sandpaper and files to clean up the bevel on the case mouth, and then sanded the brash up to 400 grit sandpaper and finished with #00 steel wool. I'll probably use some jeweler's rouge or something and do a light hand polish. Might also level out the case neck a little bit to make it more aesthetically pleasing.
My only real issue with it is that the bullet sits low enough in the case (when used as a stand) to necessitate pulling it by the hair which I don't see being good for long term longevity. I might find a metal disk of some sort and epoxy it in the bottom to raise it up a little bit and also weight down the bottom to keep it form falling over when used as a stand.
Excuse the plates, I had just eaten dinner when I took the picture.
But I got an idea that wouldn't require many tools at all and could be done very easily on my back patio.
I went online and bought a 20mm Vulcan M61 dummy round. This thing is a beast. I got it from gunandsurplus.com for about $15. Recommend dealing with them if your'e into that kind of thing.
Then, I found a 20mm badger hair brush knot online from thegoldenknib.com. This one was about $25 shipped.
Then, I went at the case with a diamond tipped cutoff wheel. I started with files and a hacksaw but they were slow, and surprisingly less precise. The cutoff wheel in the dremel got it done in about 10 minutes. I cut it just before the shoulder to leave kind of an inward angle at the new case mouth. Cleaned and degreased a little bit with denatured alcohol. Then I roughed up the back of the bullet to give the epoxy more hold.
Mixed up a little bit of JB weld, clamped the bullet upside down in a vise, and joined the bullet and the brush knot together. After 5 minutes, it was in tough enough to resist a light pull with no indication of moving. An hour later, and very solid.
Used sandpaper and files to clean up the bevel on the case mouth, and then sanded the brash up to 400 grit sandpaper and finished with #00 steel wool. I'll probably use some jeweler's rouge or something and do a light hand polish. Might also level out the case neck a little bit to make it more aesthetically pleasing.
My only real issue with it is that the bullet sits low enough in the case (when used as a stand) to necessitate pulling it by the hair which I don't see being good for long term longevity. I might find a metal disk of some sort and epoxy it in the bottom to raise it up a little bit and also weight down the bottom to keep it form falling over when used as a stand.
Excuse the plates, I had just eaten dinner when I took the picture.
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