Welding a 1911 Slide

[Pat Miles]

I have a Springfield Armory 1911 slide that needs to have two holes welded over before I can cut a new dovetail for a front sight. The slide had a Millet front sight which required two holes for mounting. I shot the front sight loose over the years and want to replace it. I'll be TIG welding it and need info on the filler rod to use. The slide is carbon steel.

[This message has been edited by Pat Miles (edited 12-27-2005).]

[Dawai]

If the blue is not needing redone, I'd be tempted to just turn two taper head machine screws in the holes.

One thing leads to another. What kinda sights are going back on? Bomar sights were so tall they hung on everything. I remember retriving that rascal out of my belt, seeing a long white chunk of cloth and finding a hole in my underwear later.

Staking in a dovetail front?

[Pat Miles]

David,
I prefer to weld up the holes. I'm installing a Brazos Fiber optic sight(.365x.075x60 degree dovetail). Trying to get the gun ready for the "Single Stack Classic" match in Mesa,AZ the end of January. Not worried about the bluing right now. I will reblue later this spring.

[JCHannum]

Brownells sells a rod with nickle content that welds well with gas and TIG.

If the welds will not show, plain steel rod will work. Most rods will probably blue differently than the base metal if that is a consideration.

Pack or wrap the slide in wet rags, leaving the weld area exposed to avoid damage to the slide from heat of the weld.

[Your Old Dog]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by JCHannum:
[B]Most rods will probably blue differently than the base metal if that is a consideration. /B]</font>

Amen !

When faced with a similiar situation (filling in a void) while engraving a set of 3 barrels for scheutzen I was able to lift a some slivers of metal from the muzzle end that was later going to be turned round. I was working on the last barrel and was supposed to do the top 3 flats at the receiver on all three barrels. I had outlined in the 4th flat when I caught my error. The repair worked and the bluing never showed the error. I got religion that day!

[Paul Gauthier]

I have used the rod from brownells and it blues very well.

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Paul G.

[rkepler]

Brownell's sells a 4130 rod for TIG work like this. It flows nicely and blues up the same as the old stock.

[Pat Miles]

This will teach me not to check my Brownells catalog! Just placed an online order Sunday. Called the friendly folks there to add the welding rod but in their usual expedient ways my order was already shipped. Oh well, I needed other parts anyway. More $$$ for USPS. Thanks for the info!

[Rustystud]

Pat You may want to submerge the slide in water except for the end you are welding. I recomend tigging it with the brownells rod it melts at a lower temperature and will reblue. Not give you a red finish like other impure filler rods. Do it isn steps not to heat up the surrounding metal. Warpage and loosing the heattrating will ruin your slide. I often mill my slides and the new sights just cover up the holes.
Good luck
Rustystud