LOL,,,"MAGIC or MOLESTATION",,,I have to write that one down
"Say What'cha REALLY Feel Danny Boy! LOL"
Yup, this Dans40X dude is a complete prick, an A'Hole of the first order........which is PRECISELY why I'd have him do the job.
In my half-century of dealing with folks of all stripes, from "redneck meckanick" to "perfessional grade" to friggin' "certified out thee ever-livin' ass" I've learned to live by one single LAW when picking guys to do my work....... the dude doing the work must be busy and most importantly he MUST be a prick. If normal people don't hate the guy, I don't even want to waste his time.
I don't ever want no "nice guy" working on my stuff.
AND.... to make matters even better....... every "asshole" I've ever worked with turned out to be the best and nicest guy once I've earned his respect.
EARNED..... his respect.
Bully, like you I've spent my life (
am spending my life) learning how to do stuff..... I can build buildings and fix cars and survive in the woods and am generally undaunted by any sort of task BUT, to bastardize Dirty Harry Callahan in 'Cool Hand Luke'...... "A Man's Got To Know His Limitations"
I own MIGs, and TIGs and induction welders in addition to stick and gas. And I've silver brazed, copper brazed, lead soldered, tin soldered.....put on ribs and sights and put double-barrels back together. I've remodificated Mousers and Carcanos and Kraigs.....even went to some pay-yer-way gunsmithing school for two years of my early life (top of the class until they kicked me out) so I've got jigs and sinks here for bending and welding and stretching and boring and threading bolt handles....
But there are some places I'll never go.
I'll never make my own center-fire barrel blank.
I'll never make an action
I'll never tug on Superman's cape and.....
I'll never TIG my own bolt hannle LOL!!
WHY NOT???
I'm glad you asked...... because I think bolt handle/trigger timing is vitally important to accuracy.
Jim Borden's good at it.
Greg Walley's good at it.
Dan Armstrong's good at it, AND.... when he's got it timed he friggin' WELDS IT DOWN!! (kewl)
And there are 3 others who come to mind....
I don't mean to make a "safety issue" out of this cuz IT AIN'T..... but IMO learning to do ACCURACY well in the next 50yrs of my life is enough of a challenge that making my own barrel blanks ain't in it. Nor is making my own action, bolt, trigger nor firing mechanism, and when I have a guy at my disposal like Dan who's done enough of these bolt handle installs that he's well and truly THROUGH the obligatory learning curve (my record is...."I can always get it right, by the 3rd or 5th try"

) then I'll spend my money there and my time elsewhere....
So, me, puttin' in a plug for Dans40X 'tude and all.....(actually, mainly supporting the attitude itself cuz I love it when guys get good enough) ..... and also saying I wouldn't do it but.... "If you choose to TIG your own handle on, "Best Of Luck!""
and swd had a good idea...
al
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