I retired. Now that sounds easy but it is complicated. My wife's health is of great concern to me but life goes on. Being retired means that I no longer have access to the x-ray systems to analyze metals first hand. Work called me up and asked if I would come back on contract. I said yes on a part time basis so I continue my contacts. I can answer many metal and heat treating questions. If I am not sure of the answer, I can ask many world class engineers. I am a self taught machinist with 45 years of experence. That means that I learned many techniques that are non-standard, get around stuff. Now that I am retired, I bought two lathes, two milling machines, a band saw, a drill press and a sand blaster. My shop will not be up and running this year I'm working on it.

Tom

Hey Happy retirement!!!
Now its time to hit the shop and get some REAL work done
Ryche

Every one thinks that retirement means instant fun. It just dosen't work that way. Suddenly you are faced with all of the things that you should have done but didn't have time back then. It catches up with you. I am so lucky. Where I worked were people who answered my every materials questions. I.E., what is a good steel for blow back bolts? The answer is the pre-hardened 4140 or 4130. They are tough and need no further heat treating.

I play no favorites. I post to help people and have fun. I will post on other web sites. Please help me help people.

All the Best,

Tom

Welcome back Tommerr!!!!! You were missed, being the suomi guru and all. There are questions about them constantly!

I pretty much answered most of them, with the phrase, "Ask Tommerr, look him up in the member directory and send him a PM or email!"   

Hey, it was the best answer i knew of!

I started making things at age seven. I started forging things at ten. To build things is a great pleasure. To help people is a great pleasure.

I bought a new digital camera. I dropped and broke my old one. Now all I have to do is read the instructions and challenge my old brain. I taught engraving in Australia for 12 years. I like posting to help people. Help me help people.

Suomi guro...say what? I bought one of the semi conversions. My God it is HEAVY. I really do not like what they did. The tube has a smaller ID to preclude the use of a FA bolt. That is good but lord is this thing heavy. I am thinking of ways to lighten this up. Some fluting of the receiver would shead metal and even look good. Maintaining the original configuration is not important to me. The stock preserves the essential configuration. I would go so far as to put a steel sleeve into an aluminum receiver. Aluminum can be treated to black and it is a very durable coating. The Suomi was heavy. That made it very stable when in FA. The Suomi is a world class sub gun.

Tom the old fart

glad to see that you are back.....

I always wanted to get you set up to teach a class or two on engraving...   lol

Your a like the suomi master! I am aware of no one else that knows every inch of that system as you do!

At least, not anyone willing to teach and help others!

I am almost old enough to be a teachable student for engraving!

Tommerr,

Yes... you were greatly missed! Welcome back, and good luck with your retirement. I knew several fellas who retired several times... but the company kept bringing them back... its hard to find good talent!

Engraving class? Now that will take a bit of doing. I will never play part in the site wars. I just like to help people.

You must have a vise. Because I machine, I made my vise. I had much help and my setup is world class. I will post some pictures. I follow Lynton McKenzie's directions. He was so much help to me. Google him. You will be glad that you did so. I helped him with technology and he helped with hammers and chisels. True engraving is hand held or driven by a hammer. The hammers are little. I have a silver hammer. It is tiny. I will never wear it out. Tiny lines require tiny chisels and tiny hammers. I will never discrininate between web sites. My interest is to help people. Engraving requires benches and vises. Vises must rotate.

Tom till later,

Tommerr,

I was actually thinking of you recently, on a NEW rifle that I purchased... While I can mill down some metal.... there are still some serious pits...

What would you recommend???

And after some cleaning...

Give me some pointers on how to hide some of these pits!!

As per my information, I can mill down the Military #1 Rollingblock to a "sporter" configuration... which will remove quite a bit of pits... but not all!

Good to see you back Tom. I was concerned about you and your wife. Let me know if you need any of my stash of 4140HT.

midmichigun wrote: Tommerr, I was actually thinking of you recently, on a NEW rifle that I purchased... While I can mill down some metal.... there are still some serious pits... What would you recommend??? And after some cleaning... Give me some pointers on how to hide some of these pits!! As per my information, I can mill down the Military #1 Rollingblock to a "sporter" configuration... which will remove quite a bit of pits... but not all!

I'm not Tommerr, but I would likely use a draw file to remove the rest of the pits, which should reveal any cracks etc that might be hiding.  it's a really slow process, but you preserve all the edges and curves.

for a wall hanger, I might actually use a little bondo filler to fill the pitting, sand perfectly smooth, like it was new, and finish using Duracoat...  lol

Tommerr, welcome back . Careful planning and willingness to trash those plans for better ones is the way to go setting up shop. Been putting mine together for too long but haven't had to move anything heavy .

I started filing and forging at age seven. Now that I am old and retired, I am not going to stop now. Un-benounced to you know who, I bought two lathes, two milling machines, a band saw and a sand blaster. I am working to put in power to my play house. Retirement is strange. You would think that you would dive into projects. No, the situation is rather more complex than that.

Hello Tom: I retired 12 years ago and still work 2 days a week.  The "Golden Years" are more like Fix or Repair Daily!  I hope your health holds up as well as mine has and you can enjoy some play time.
  Congrats on your retirement!

I would not touch the rolling block. It is a fine old antique. I would phosphate it and let it retire after a long career. The world is full of new and useable firearms. A true antique is a treasure. As they say, if only it could speak.