Finishing up my lugged Panda project

[AlNyhus]

Finished up the action, pillars and bedding.

Edges are radiused using a carbide dental burr, action screw holes are also radiused.

Front pillar is .750 O.D. with a countersunk 82 degree flat Allen headed cap screw. Mating surfaces are lapped.

Rear pillar is .625 O.D with another countersunk 82 degree cap screw with a deep Allen head recess. This one is also drilled/tapped for a screw to hold the trigger guard. The screw protrudes just a bit from the end of the pillar so the trigger guard is supported by it. That way, the rear action screw is independent of the trigger guard.

Plenty of clearance behind the tang and along it's tapered edges. If you don't watch this, it's easy for it to 'wedge' and act like a recoil lug. Bad JuJu for accuracy. I'll also mill the rear action screw hole through the tang and tap it. Doing this will give several more threads of purchase for action screw and eliminate the blind hole.

 

[boltfluter]

Nicely done Al! Always enjoy your project rifles.

Paul

 

[hpshooter]

Thanks for sharing the project details!

 

[CharlieNC]

What did it pull on the Dyno? LOL couldn't resist.

 

[AlNyhus]

The action ended up pretty filthy from all of this and didn't want clean up very well....probably from years of grease and dirt in the pores of the aluminum. So, I tossed it in my ultrasonic cleaner with a 4:1 solution of Simple Green concentrate and water. 10 minutes later, it came out squeaky clean but all black from the oxidation. With some Never Dull wool, it polished back nicely.

I'm more of a functional guy that a 'show and shine' type but it turned out ok.

 

[AlNyhus]

Rings are lapped and bedded. The tops are also done.

 

[BlueWater]

What was that '60s song ... "Anti-ci-paaaaa-tion ..."

Looking forward to seeing the finished rifle, and how it shoots.

 

[AlNyhus]

The final step was to make the blind rear action screw hole a 'through' hole. Stan Ware had done this on my previous Kodiak and Pandas and it's a worthwhile modification to make. You get rid of the blind hole and the possibility of the action screw bottoming out plus you gain another 3 threads of purchase. The Kodiaks are thinner than the Pandas here so it really helps them.

Real machinists and craftsmen will have to bear with me. My apologies up front for likely violating every rule of Machine Shop 101.

I wanted to mill the hole but wasn't totally comfortable my edge finding abilities to locate off the original hole. Keeping Stan's gentle way of instructing in mind when he felt I was at a teachable moment ("C'mon, Nyhus. You have to be smarter than a piece of bleep-bleeping aluminum!"), I came up with this.

The hapless patient prior to the proceedure. Note the coffee cup...very important.

With my pin gauges, I measured the I.D. of the threaded hole, which was .213. I turned a piece of .250 stock to .211 on the end to use as a locating pin in the rear hole.

Then, the locating pin went in the 1/4" collet:

The action was level in the vise with the dovetail rail spanning across the opening of the vise for support. Futzing around with the X,Y and Z got it to where the pin would just slide in the hole. Note the shop rag...Stan would kick my azz for using a greasy rag!

Lowered the mill table and swapped the 1/4" collet for the 3/8" collet and put a 3/16" O.D./3/8" shank end mill in. This is one thing I should have done differently. Had I used a piece of 3/8" stock for a locating pin, I wouldn't have needed to change collets and introduce that possibility of error.

Stepped back, took a breath, had a big drink of coffee and down in it went. Everything looked nice and centered. Tapped it with the appropriate class thread tap. You can see a small raised edge where the threads enter the cocking piece guide slot.

Touched up the edges with a narrow Arkansas stone and called it good!

Critques welcomed and encouraged!

Good shootin'. -Al

 

[WayneShaw]

Well done Al. It's all about figuring how to do things.