American Eagle Replay

[Thor]

This one I restored for a member on the forum named Glen. His username is something like trigger643 and I think he had to part with it. It had a cobbled on stock lug on a 1900 AE and had some other problems, I think it was missing a take down lever. Anyway my Friend Don Hamilton did the welding work to fill in pitting and help me reshape the grip strap which was flattened to install the stock Lug. The end result was nice I thought. The Luger box really made it look new again. I do not know who owns it now. Hugh Clark superb grip work, again.

[Douglas Jr.]

Another nice sample of your magic touch and team work!
Thanks for sharing.

Douglas

[ithacaartist]

Nice restoration, Ted. Let me take a moment to empty my drool bucket before I proceed...

Ah, so Don used a MIG welder to fill in pits. The occasion is approaching when I'll be restoring a stock lug on my 1917 LP.08, and I had planned a TIG repair using the remaining material of the segment of a donor Luger I scored from G.T. some months ago, as filler. I realize that Don's application of weld to this 1900's back strap was to fill in discrepancies after the cobbled lug was ground off, so not much,really, of the filler would be left exposed for finishing after the surface was worked down to proper relief. I'd like to gather a consensus on the need/viability of my approach before I start puzzling together a 95 year old gun.

My question is how much difference does the alloy used for this, or any frame repair, make in the completed finish? My notion of using the original Luger steel is to minimize potential for cosmetic disaster, i.e. a visible difference in color or tone of the repaired area's finish, compared to the rest of the frame when the work is all done. But perhaps I'm going overboard. Is any particular brand/series/alloy of MIG wire OK to use in a repair like this, or should I stick with my plan of creating filler from extra original material still the best way?

Eugene, what do you think? Ted? ...or anybody else with experience refinishing a repaired frame?

David Parker

[Thor]

I am not really sure whether he welded it with an arc welder or TIG MIG welding. I remember him telling me he used black iron rod. He once used a nickel or stainless alloy rod and NO JOY at all on it. HUB is on this forum and he makes BABY LUGERs he would be the one to ask, his welds always rust blue great and match the grip straps. That was 7 years ago and I am an old toot so I dont remember all the details after all these LOOGERS!

PS I think Don did some kind of low temp welding because he was afraid there was not much metal left on the grip strap. That is also a concern where the metal is thin.

[alvin]

Luger 1900 is a beautiful pistol. Prettiest Luger IMO.

[Vlim]

I MIG welded a corner of my C96 bolt back into place a while ago. The bolt is in the white, and after filing and polishing there is no visible discoloration whatsoever. I used the standard 0.8 mm welding wire I normally use for car restorations and it worked out well. Of course, the slight differences in metal composition can affect the end result, but I think that it will be minimal at best.

I read about restorers cutting up frames or gun parts for 'donor rods', using these to fix issues on guns while keeping the same metal composition in the weld material.

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by Thor

I am not really sure whether he welded it with an arc welder or TIG MIG welding. I remember him telling me he used black iron rod. He once used a nickel or stainless alloy rod and NO JOY at all on it. HUB is on this forum and he makes BABY LUGERs he would be the one to ask, his welds always rust blue great and match the grip straps. That was 7 years ago and I am an old toot so I dont remember all the details after all these LOOGERS!

PS I think Don did some kind of low temp welding because he was afraid there was not much metal left on the grip strap. That is also a concern where the metal is thin.

Ted,

TIG welding(acronym for "tungsten inert gas"--also known as the Heliarc process) would not have resulted in the tiny balls of spatter stuck to this landscape, as the filler is fed in by hand after both sides of the repair liquify under the tungsten's arc. The workpiece is heated long enough to establish the puddle on both sides, fuse in the filler, and smooth the weld--much like gas welding but lots cleaner.
MIG welding(acronym for "metallic inert gas"--also known as wire feed welding) might be the culprit. With this process it is possible to place little blips of weld right where you want them, however--unless the welder is tuned absolutely perfectly--some spatter usually occurs. It can usually be knocked off fairly easily because its fusion to the work's surrounding surface is minimal. Also, this figures because this method requires the least heat, and shortest time of applying the heat.
Arc welding usually leaves more spatter, and it is more difficult to lay down the tiny beads. It is the least easy of the choices for the process of joining small or thin parts because it is more challenging to place the tack welds and requires more effort to clean up, which would include condensed smokey residue from the shielding gas, and a glassy slag that caps the weld.
But Don said "black iron rod" to you? I don't know what exactly that might have been, so will check with a couple of colleagues and get back to ya!
I don't think you have all that many years on me; anyway, we all enjoy a good "senior moment" once in a while, eh?
Lastly, I'm not surprised by the results of using nickel or stainless for welding because these fillers would react differently, if at all, to the bluing chemistry. Someone mentioned in another post that a frame repair had been done which left a distinct line visible in the finish. Silver brazing or bronze filler was probably used, both of which will reject a rust blue finish as they, like stainless or nickel, do not rust!
I'll wait to see if HUB checks in on this and what his comments/experience might be. I also have a question about heat treating the frame afterward...

[Thor]

Thank you sir for the welding info, seemed really instructive. I will contact Don, he used to frequent this forum a bit, and see if he will answer your questions. HUB also runs a business called KUSTOM BALLISTICS and is easy to google to find his website and contact info. Neil Keller is HUB and he is the same person that came up with the 45 GAP Baby Luger. A real gunsmithing master. Thanks for you help.