36-1 Yoke replacement

[newtonguitars]

Hello men,
I have a 36-1 that the Yoke end button has been damaged by the yoke screw, probably to the point of needing a new Yoke. What is the chance of buying a good used yoke from a similar dash 1 gun and it fitting up fine? What are my options as a DIY repair?
David.

 

[armorer951]

If you can find a similar -1 yoke, you should have no problem fitting it to your revolver. It could be more or less a "drop in", as you suggest.
Fitting issues, if there were any, would likely be confined to the length of the yoke barrel itself, and the fitment of the yoke button to work properly with your current piloted yoke screw.

There are several on Ebay now, including listings selling the yoke only and some offering the yoke/cylinder combination. Be sure to buy from someone that will allow you to return the item if there are compatability issues.

 

[andy52]

It's a little hard to tell in the photo but is that nickel?

 

[newtonguitars]

Yes, nickel.
Thanks armorer! I have identified a 36-1 yoke and cylinder in nickel with a good looking button and will get it going.

 

[andy52]

Don't buy one if you haven't already, I've got one you can have for the asking just PM me with your mailing address.

 

[newtonguitars]

What?
Andy, thank you! PM coming
D.

 

[andy52]

I'm sure this is what you're looking for.

 

[MetalMan]

Don't buy one if you haven't already, I've got one you can have for the asking just PM me with your mailing address.

Gotta love our forum members!!!

 

[newtonguitars]

Yes!
Thank you again Andy!
Maybe one day I can return the favor to someone here. Anyone need a guitar repair?
D.

 

[hyena]

Kudos to Andy!!! And I don't even know him. This is a great forum.

 

[Hondo44]

It's hard to beat a free yoke. Andy is a super star!

However, recognize that you've got a cosmetic fitting issue to consider: the yoke front and frame front contours are not going to be flush. It would be a miracle if they did. And any fitting or polishing done will remove the nickel plating and need re-plating.

My preference is always to use original parts when possible. Therefore I would have the button tig welded. It's a very simple task in your case. Then file down the welding bead to match the rest of the button's shape and it will be just like new.

By the way, how did that break occur?

 

[newtonguitars]

Andy! I got the yoke today, and wonder of wonders, I have finished fitting it to my frame and hope to shoot it soon.
Thank you again for your generosity!

Thank you armorer for the encouragement! I did have to stone the radius & top of the yoke to get it to close tightly to the frame and also cut back the cylinder shaft a bit. It is fitted pretty well now, but if you know how much the headspace should be, I can fine tune that.

Hondo, the front contour is so close to perfect even I, a picky person, cannot tell it isn't exactly perfect. I don't have a clue how to get the original yoke tig welded. Maybe a project for the future. By the way, the break came with the gun from the original owner, but I do know how it is done, by screwing in the forward screw while not holding the yoke tight into the frame.

 

[Hondo44]

Glad to hear you had success!

If you want to consider welding the original I can pass on those who specialize in it although tig welding is common and many local welding shops can do it.

 

[6string]

Pullman Arms in Mass. specialize in microwelding. They do a lot of repairs to parts for old (and valuable) guns.
They repaired a trigger on a Swiss Luger for me.
Very reasonable rates and fast turnaround time, too.

Easy to find via an online search.

 

[Hondo44]

The thing is, it ain't worth it to send it off. All it needs is about 2 minutes to lay down a 'bird t__d' bead. It would take longer than that to file it to shape.

A welder might not even charge you, or maybe a six pack would get it done, albeit they might have a shop minimum. Unless it was a one man shop.

 

[armorer951]

Glad you were able to get it installed. The rear gauge or headspace should be .060" - .068".

Be sure to double check that the contact between the yoke screw and the button of the yoke is correct. (there is no forward/aft movement of the yoke after the screw is installed and the yoke is closed)

 

[andy52]

Glad it worked out for you, the yoke was just sitting in the pile O parts container doing nothing.

 

[newtonguitars]

Armorer, I had to modify the retention screw tip also, it was too long and so filed it back a bit, then took some off one side of the tip so the crane moved smoothly.
I'm getting a sense of the history of the gun, I think the screw may have been a oversize replacement and was there to compensate for the damage done before.
I have seen a later-type retention screw, and they are a 2-part affair, I may source on of them in the future.

So chuffed! This morning I measured, the air gap is .006 & headspace is .008, went and shot a couple fives, excellent primer dents and the wood block jumped into the air several times!

Andy, its the likes of you makes a forum great, and the support team is super!