Hello Folks,
Anyone have time in their schedule to re-lay the top rib on a 26" Remington 1894? It's 60% attached along the right barrel, and 40% attached along the left. I do not need it cleaned up after, or refinished, just relaid nice and tight. I've done shorter spans, but do not feel qualified to take on essentially the whole rib.
Send a PM if you've got time in your schedule to fit it in, and what size budget is needed. At this time, the barrel is in the white.
Thanks.

Took the plunge. Would have liked to trust someone else with it, but I'll learn something I'm sure.

Top rib came off quite easily; seemed to only be attach at a couple of points. Bottom rib needs a little work 6" from the muzzle and forward. My assumption is that I should fix that before laying the top.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Le_T3fmTGKbSDIKd_V97dhYauJ97eXYw/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vorWNdespCtKUoH3-Sa7uijLZMFOXgo9/view?usp=sharing

I do top and bottom together, others may approach it differently. The Bill Nittler video/book goes over his process. Mine is similar. He uses a modified torch to heat from the inside. I made some soldering coppers lathe turned and fit to a handle. I heat the coppers with an Oxy acetylene torch. Works well. I will say re-laying ribs is not my favorite job.

Thanks Steve. I think I'll fix that little bit on the bottom first. I like your process, but am not set up that well, and don't have the same level of experience.

First of all BG, way to get in there and make something happen. I have been wanting to tackle this as well and may be willing to work with you on some tooling if you are open.

Steve can you either post or email me some pics of your heater. I have a lathe and may be able to fab a set that could be shared.

Thanks and can't wait to monitor progress.

Travis

Two sets, top set slightly farther apart and close to bore diameter. Bottom set for the muzzles, nearly touch and just under .690" to pass through any chokes you may encounter. These built for 12ga. but the coppers are 1/4" 20 tpi and you can put on different sizes for different gauges. Super easy to make and keeps the flame away from the rosin flux. I'll post pics of the jogs for the ribs later.

Many thanks Steve.

How long does it take you to come up to initial temp?

I am assuming you have a flame spreader on your torch in order to distribute the heat evenly to both rods?

Thanks again.

50/50 solder melts pretty low, it is touch and feel for me, if you get it too hot things start smoking etc. You will know quick. O/A is very hot so it does not take long.

BG I am going to work on this and will share with you as I go if you like.


Travis

Yes please. Thank you.

It will be this weekend before I will have a chance to start.

I ordered some copper rod today so I may be able to get some work done this weekend.

Success. I used a bit more solder than was likely needed, but the clean-up wasn't too bad. Wonderful ringing tubes now.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1K1YKmjTt9QtmXswX_jMluZQH2ceHmsRi

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1LkjG-8YYlpoZQvcxhJIwzUgD40NJTESp

Nice work B Graham. It's good to see people learning and practicing the black arts plus it's nice that people are prepared to offer help, hints and advice.
Another double gets a new lease of life !

Thanks Nick. No longer fearful of doing ribs, at least not for my own. Not sure I'd do one for another just just yet.

Way to go BG.

I will try to catch up.

One question though. It looks like you struck all the blue off the entire barrel. Wouldn't leaving the blue everywhere you were not going to solder work to assist in the removal of the over solder?

Did you just use a torch to heat or did you make up a set of irons like SKB pictured?

Again way to go. You should sleep well after accomplishing that.

BG, great job on the rib. You took the plunge and it was good.
I like Travis have wanted to do this but just never had the nerve to start it. I have read a lot mostly on here. Steve has a great idea on how to do it. I tried one time on a short piece of a bottom rib, but either it wasn't clean enough or I got it too hot. I had both top and bottom wired just in case. One of these days.

Thank you.

The top rib was barely attached, so when it came all the way off, I media blasted the barrels, which leaves them very clean. Since it’s a damascus set with pits to draw file out, and polish, the plan was to get it back to the white anyway.

I used a propane torch. This time I had some grey colored paste a friend gave me that has metal in it. I applied that along the barrel where it would meet the rib, then laid a strand of 60/40 along the valley on each side and slowly heated moving the torch back and forth over an area. I am impatient, but this time not as much, so eventually the solder flowed easily, and all was well.

Next time I’ll use less and spare myself some clean up time perhaps.

Thanks David. I was really happy to hear that bell-like tone when they cooled off. My budget allows for cheap guns, always in need of some help, so it feels good to not find a loose rib as much of a purchase deterrent as it has been. Maybe I can get more doubles back in use.

Well done. Completing a job for the first time, successfully, is a good feeling.

What media did you use, walnut hulls?

SRH

Bill that solder paste has corrosive flux in it . Be sure to do something to neutralize the acid in the flux.

Thank you. I use a 50/50 mix of glass bead and 120 grit aluminum oxide.

Thanks Mark. I got what I used in an unmarked baggie, and a word of “here, try this”. What would suggest as a way to neutralize?

Water, dish soap and baking soda. If there are weep holes dunk the barrels in and out flushing the it in and our of the rib void.

I use solder past for tinning , then I clean the tinned parts with water , baking soda and dish soap. Final assembly I use rosin flux.

BTW, I used a rosin core solder.

As far as neutralizing goes, shouldn't be a problem. There is a weep hole, and I'm going to have to flush them out when I start with the ferric chloride anyway, and then dry out the ribs with a heat gun, etc.

late to the party but I thought this picture may be of help. Kester Rosin flux, sal amoniac for cleaning the iron(do not breath the fume), 150 watt hexacon solder iron, 50/50 solder, clamps made from the Nittler book. All this and it is still a dirty smelly job but one that I occasionally have to do. Plumbers torch not pictured.

I'm going to to have bad dreams about that picture .Scary .

You should see a set all wired and nailed up! With flux slathered everywhere, fire and smoke the smell.

I do my best to keep the flux out of the coffee....a little rosin never hurt anyone.

I have . Hundreds of them . I wired them up ,fluxed and tinned them down .