Drum Beat! What NOT to do!!!

G.T. · 07-02-2020, 11:32 PM

I usually only write about the success, or small gains made during the Luger snail drum repair or revisions... At this point in time, something new is a rare occurrence, but today it came around in spades!!!!

Early in the day, right after mail delivery, I found myself at the repair bench with a nice early AEG drum, with the only real necessary task was to replace the follower which went missing somewhere between today, and 1916? Well, when I got it apart, I noticed a hitch in the mainspring when almost to the lever lock, so I decided the mainspring needed some lube, and as long as it was on the bench, why not! Well, in retrospect, I can now, with some confidence, tell you exactly why not!
Getting the drum apart was a bit of a struggle, and after achieving that goal, and oiling the spring, it was back together time, and so I started down the path, all the while feeling like this is no sweat, I've done this many times before, and I have? The problem is, the drum doesn't know this and behaves the way it wants to, most of the time, badly! This time was no exception. I had the drum backplate and spring cup, lying on the back, winding lever side, and with a Nylon drift I was tapping on the mainspring to level the coils in order to install the cover? When I gave it a tap, all hell broke loose!!! (is this beginning to sound familier???) The small winding lever retaining detent pin had broken off in the retaining slot on the spring cup, releasing the full power of the, up until then, fully tensioned mainspring! The cup and baseplate were violently spinning clockwise, while the winding lever was violently spinning counter clockwise, with my hands cupping both! The reaction reminded me of counter rotating torpedo propellers? It was painful, but entertaining! I have this deal with God, he ignores my rare outbursts of profanity, cuz he knows I'm going to pray he didn't hear that right afterword's? Anyway, all is ok, I just have to make the retaining pin and re-install, etc. etc. One step forwards, two steps back... catch your balance, thank God for the day, and go at it again in the morning! Best to all, til....lat'r.....GT...

Ron Wood · 07-02-2020, 11:49 PM

All's well that ends well. Glad you weren't hurt. Not a lot of folks have an AEG drum and other than you I don't know of anyone that has taken one apart (I'm certainly not going to!

)
Ron

George Anderson · 07-03-2020, 08:28 AM

Taking a TM08 apart is like taking a rattlesnake out of your mail box.

DonVoigt · 07-03-2020, 09:02 AM

GT.
Great example of your drive for perfection, and Murphy's law!

Hope you didn't draw blood, but I expect you have some not so nice bruises.

G.T. · 07-03-2020, 12:07 PM

Not a lot, like most times? But it always becomes stopped by sticking some sharp part into your hands or fingers? That actually is a good thing relatively speaking, otherwise it would break the mainspring when reaching the stop limit under all that inertia… Hands don't think much of it though?? It's kind of like getting a vice grips with teeth clamped onto your hand… Still, we go forwards! Best to all, til....lat'r....GT......

Neil Young · 07-03-2020, 03:13 PM

G.T., I have those outbursts of profanity, immediately followed by the guilt induced request for God's forgiveness. Sad to say, those outbursts are not as rare as they should be, but pleased by the fact that I know that I need forgiveness. So, it is borderline, but I guess that I am not a total loss. Hopefully........

LU1900 · 07-03-2020, 05:18 PM

I buy two new springs from GT , and to put in place : be very careful , broken fingers could be resulting !

Edward Tinker · 07-03-2020, 11:58 PM

No pictures with red and gore - so a successful day

G.T. · 07-04-2020, 09:56 PM

After the work bench drum disaster that I described early on the third, the next day was spent on just getting back to where I was when I started... I did make a half dozen of the little winding arm lock pins, and a dozen or so blanks that are close to final finish. So, if anyone ever needs one, I'm your huckleberry!

… Anyway, after installing the pin, and greasing the spring, I continued with the reassembly and all went well... My takeaways are as follows... Rule one, under all circumstances, protect the winding arm lock pin/mechanism, and rule two, always follow rule one!!! The problem is not that they fail, it is that they fail lightning fast, when you least expect it? This makes the fourth time I've been impaled by a Luger drum part... I could hardly use my hands to start with...
One other thing I have noticed, the AEG drums seem to be made just a bit better then the Bing?... Maybe it reflected in the cost... Lowest bidder, etc. etc. … best to all, til....lat'r....GT...

Roadster 02 · 07-05-2020, 10:29 AM

I had the rope starting mechanism off a Briggs and Stratton engine, and was rewinding the spring when it got away from me, uncoiling, twisting and cutting the heck out of my fingers, and then the spring did the unforgivable and hit my Harley fender putting a chip in the paint. That was the last straw. Blood all over, cuts between most of my fingers, my hands would heal, but the paint would not. Ballpein hammer, and some heavy duty cuss words fixed that problem. Had to go to the lawnmower shop junkpile to get another housing containing the rope starter for my engine. But, Man! Did that ever feel good.

07-02-2020, 11:32 PM	#1
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,522 Thanks: 1,321 Thanked 3,706 Times in 1,011 Posts	Drum Beat! What NOT to do!!! I usually only write about the success, or small gains made during the Luger snail drum repair or revisions... At this point in time, something new is a rare occurrence, but today it came around in spades!!!! Early in the day, right after mail delivery, I found myself at the repair bench with a nice early AEG drum, with the only real necessary task was to replace the follower which went missing somewhere between today, and 1916? Well, when I got it apart, I noticed a hitch in the mainspring when almost to the lever lock, so I decided the mainspring needed some lube, and as long as it was on the bench, why not! Well, in retrospect, I can now, with some confidence, tell you exactly why not! Getting the drum apart was a bit of a struggle, and after achieving that goal, and oiling the spring, it was back together time, and so I started down the path, all the while feeling like this is no sweat, I've done this many times before, and I have? The problem is, the drum doesn't know this and behaves the way it wants to, most of the time, badly! This time was no exception. I had the drum backplate and spring cup, lying on the back, winding lever side, and with a Nylon drift I was tapping on the mainspring to level the coils in order to install the cover? When I gave it a tap, all hell broke loose!!! (is this beginning to sound familier???) The small winding lever retaining detent pin had broken off in the retaining slot on the spring cup, releasing the full power of the, up until then, fully tensioned mainspring! The cup and baseplate were violently spinning clockwise, while the winding lever was violently spinning counter clockwise, with my hands cupping both! The reaction reminded me of counter rotating torpedo propellers? It was painful, but entertaining! I have this deal with God, he ignores my rare outbursts of profanity, cuz he knows I'm going to pray he didn't hear that right afterword's? Anyway, all is ok, I just have to make the retaining pin and re-install, etc. etc. One step forwards, two steps back... catch your balance, thank God for the day, and go at it again in the morning! Best to all, til....lat'r.....GT...

07-02-2020, 11:49 PM	#2
Ron Wood Moderator 2010 LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Santa Teresa New Mexico just outside of the West Texas town of El Paso Posts: 7,034 Thanks: 1,106 Thanked 5,239 Times in 1,718 Posts	All's well that ends well. Glad you weren't hurt. Not a lot of folks have an AEG drum and other than you I don't know of anyone that has taken one apart (I'm certainly not going to! ) Ron __________________ If it's made after 1918...it's a reproduction

07-03-2020, 09:02 AM	#4
DonVoigt User Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: near Charlotte NC Posts: 4,681 Thanks: 1,443 Thanked 4,354 Times in 2,041 Posts	GT. Great example of your drive for perfection, and Murphy's law! Hope you didn't draw blood, but I expect you have some not so nice bruises. __________________ 03man(Don Voigt); Luger student and collector. Looking for DWM side plate: 69 ; Dreyse 1907 pistol K.S. Gendarmerie

07-03-2020, 12:07 PM	#5
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,522 Thanks: 1,321 Thanked 3,706 Times in 1,011 Posts	There was blood! Not a lot, like most times? But it always becomes stopped by sticking some sharp part into your hands or fingers? That actually is a good thing relatively speaking, otherwise it would break the mainspring when reaching the stop limit under all that inertia… Hands don't think much of it though?? It's kind of like getting a vice grips with teeth clamped onto your hand… Still, we go forwards! Best to all, til....lat'r....GT......

07-03-2020, 03:13 PM	#6
Neil Young Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Scottsboro, Alabama Posts: 546 Thanks: 559 Thanked 443 Times in 168 Posts	G.T., I have those outbursts of profanity, immediately followed by the guilt induced request for God's forgiveness. Sad to say, those outbursts are not as rare as they should be, but pleased by the fact that I know that I need forgiveness. So, it is borderline, but I guess that I am not a total loss. Hopefully........ __________________ Neil The hurrier I go the behinder I get. Sometimes it takes me all day to get nothing done.

07-03-2020, 08:28 AM	#3
George Anderson Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: VA Posts: 3,592 Thanks: 1,773 Thanked 2,531 Times in 788 Posts	Taking a TM08 apart is like taking a rattlesnake out of your mail box.

07-03-2020, 05:18 PM	#7
LU1900 User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: FRANCE Posts: 911 Thanks: 46 Thanked 471 Times in 198 Posts	I buy two new springs from GT , and to put in place : be very careful , broken fingers could be resulting ! __________________ Best regards from France...Patrice https://www.fichier-pdf.fr/2016/03/1...nd-snail-drum/

07-03-2020, 11:58 PM	#8
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,960 Thanks: 2,062 Thanked 4,591 Times in 2,114 Posts	No pictures with red and gore - so a successful day

07-04-2020, 09:56 PM	#9
G.T. Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler Arizona Posts: 3,522 Thanks: 1,321 Thanked 3,706 Times in 1,011 Posts	Follow up! Mission accomplished! After the work bench drum disaster that I described early on the third, the next day was spent on just getting back to where I was when I started... I did make a half dozen of the little winding arm lock pins, and a dozen or so blanks that are close to final finish. So, if anyone ever needs one, I'm your huckleberry! … Anyway, after installing the pin, and greasing the spring, I continued with the reassembly and all went well... My takeaways are as follows... Rule one, under all circumstances, protect the winding arm lock pin/mechanism, and rule two, always follow rule one!!! The problem is not that they fail, it is that they fail lightning fast, when you least expect it? This makes the fourth time I've been impaled by a Luger drum part... I could hardly use my hands to start with... One other thing I have noticed, the AEG drums seem to be made just a bit better then the Bing?... Maybe it reflected in the cost... Lowest bidder, etc. etc. … best to all, til....lat'r....GT...

07-05-2020, 10:29 AM	#10
Roadster 02 User Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Rocky Mountain High Posts: 315 Thanks: 180 Thanked 261 Times in 89 Posts	I had the rope starting mechanism off a Briggs and Stratton engine, and was rewinding the spring when it got away from me, uncoiling, twisting and cutting the heck out of my fingers, and then the spring did the unforgivable and hit my Harley fender putting a chip in the paint. That was the last straw. Blood all over, cuts between most of my fingers, my hands would heal, but the paint would not. Ballpein hammer, and some heavy duty cuss words fixed that problem. Had to go to the lawnmower shop junkpile to get another housing containing the rope starter for my engine. But, Man! Did that ever feel good.