Stuck wedge

[bobthemotorcycle]

The wedge on my 1860 was so tight I could not get it out, I had to use 3 hands to get it out. Now I have scratched up the finish. How can I fill in the scratches? It's a black blue, anybody sell a bottle or repair blue.

 

[SDSmlf]

A cold blue would kind of hide the damage, but in my opinion a complete refinishing of the barrel would be the only way to completely repair it. On a small part like your barrel it’s pretty easy to do a rust blue. Wouldn’t bother doing it though until after you toss your Ironman like third hand. You are only going to damage the finish again if you don’t.

 

[user 33697]

There is a method that I have used with success for really bad scratches on my shooters without professionally stripping and hot bluing the metal piece. It's spot bluing but works for me.
Get some metal grade 220, 400, 600 grit sandpaper, Crocus cloth and a 4 ounce bottle of Brownells Oxpho-Blue (ebay or order from Brownells at the link below).

Start with the 220 and slowly work down with the next finer sandpaper and finally with the Crocus cloth until you get a matching finish with the rest of the metal piece. Degrease the entire metal piece with isopropyl alcohol. With a heat gun, heat up the metal piece (not really hot, hot!) and apply the Oxpho-Blue paste with a Q-tip to the sanded areas. Rub off the paste with a clean cloth and repeat if necessary to match the existing blue on the metal piece. When done, wipe with alcohol again and oil the metal piece.

BROWNELLS OXPHO-BLUE® | Brownells

 

[Musketeer]

A horrible feeling, eh? Things happen. I put a nice scratch on my Bess's stock with a screwdriver while replacing the tang bolt when I was experimenting with adding a rear sight. I just added a bit of stain to darken it and make it less noticeable. For future reference, a tight wedge is best dealt with by using a non-marring (wood or plastic) mallet to pop it out. If it's really, really stuck, a dead blow hammer might be an option, though I've never come across one that snug thus far.

 

[user 48679]

I remove tight wedges via tapping them out from the far side...….

I've never had to remove a wedgie…….

 

[bobthemotorcycle]

The problem was that nothing extruded out from the right side to tap on and the spring was very strong and the wedge was way too tight. I use a plastic hammer and a screwdriver. I held gun in left hand, pulled down on spring with screwdriver in right hand while girlfriend tapped with hammer. The slot was just too tght.

 

[Justin.44]

pulled down on spring with screwdriver in right hand while girlfriend tapped with hammer.

And there's where you went wrong

 

[Tom A Hawk]

The problem was that nothing extruded out from the right side to tap on and the spring was very strong and the wedge was way too tight. I use a plastic hammer and a screwdriver. I held gun in left hand, pulled down on spring with screwdriver in right hand while girlfriend tapped with hammer. The slot was just too tght.

A brass, wood or plastic tool smaller than the slot can be used to tap the wedge out.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Before I would worry about the scratches the fit of the wedge should be dealt with. Otherwise you will soon be in the same condition with bunged up gun.

 

[SDSmlf]

The problem was that nothing extruded out from the right side to tap on and the spring was very strong and the wedge was way too tight. I use a plastic hammer and a screwdriver. I held gun in left hand, pulled down on spring with screwdriver in right hand while girlfriend tapped with hammer. The slot was just too tght.

A properly fitting screwdriver is the right tool for installing and removing screws, but we all eventually learn, not always the best choice for knocking our toys apart. You need to find or make a tool out of non-marring material like brass or plastic. I tried purchased ‘brass’ wedge keys, but found the cast material they are made from to quite brittle. Some wedge keys that I made for a half stock gun out of brass bar stock turned out to work quite well for knocking out stubborn wedges on new pistols if I can’t get to them with a plastic hammer. Look around your workbench or go to a hardware store and you should find something that can be made to work.

 

[toot]

BIRCHWOOD CASEY makes a touch up BLUEING PEN, sorta looks like a SHARPIE, and it works great, I have used it many tines. it seems to blend in better than the cold blue. give it a try I think you will be satisfied!

 

[Ian Straus]

Years ago i made myself a brass drift for knockig revolver wedges out. I just hought a piece of 1/4 inch brass rod and filed one end thinner until it matched the width of the slot the wedge goes into. That and a mallet will get your wedges out without scarring up your revolver.

 

[Dibbuk]

Like SDSmlf's picture, I use a spare brass rifle wedge. I hold pistol in left hand, and use the brass wedge to press down on the spring with my left thumb. This leaves my right hand free to tap the pistol wedge with a non-marring hammer.

 

[Ontario47]

The problem was that nothing extruded out from the right side to tap on and the spring was very strong and the wedge was way too tight. I use a plastic hammer and a screwdriver. I held gun in left hand, pulled down on spring with screwdriver in right hand while girlfriend tapped with hammer. The slot was just too tght.
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REPLY:
The spring (or round bottom groove) in the wedge and the screw (on barrel above wedge) are only to keep the wedge from getting lost after the barrel is removed. On a properly working wedge neither the screw or spring or groove have any influence on the final "tight" position of the wedge or ability to move the wedge to the left (loosen) till the barrel is removable. As suggested you need to get the wedge working properly first in order to have any fun with this gun. You may have a collection of miss matched (poorly fitted) parts. The wedge installed (left to right) ,(spring up), (spring end hook on right side) into the arbor slot (barrel off) should slide easily left to right and back, and stop with the spring hook on the right side and lip (thicker edge of wedge) on the left. The wedge should fit in the barrel (not on frame) with the same limits (spring hook to wedge lip). With a proper barrel to arbor fit (no wedge) push the muzzle and grip heel together, the barrel assembly should bottom out on the arbor and front of lower frame (two pins) with the proper forcing cone to cylinder gap ( 5 thousandths +- 2 thou or so). You should be able to assemble (no wiggle between barrel and frame) and remove the barrel and wedge with thumb pressure or at most moderate tapping. Assembled the wedge should be proud of both sides of the barrel rectangular slots.