Spring compressor upgraded.

[look no hands]

Hi all,

I expect some people have already done this in the past but I thought it might make an interesting read, I struggled for many years trying to get springs in and out of rifles without doing myself harm, so a couple of years ago I bought a long sash clamp and it clamps in my vice and has worked pretty well, the only rifles I can't seem to use it on is the Airsporter/Mercury (but I have an idea for a wheel bearing set up which I can then use for the Mercury's), which is a bit daft as that's the rifles I seem to do most of my work on, anyway I was trying to squeeze a longer spring into my Brocock Indy yesterday but just run out of thread on the clamp, so after a little swearing session and trying to get more length with different length sockets, I had a little looksie on tinternet and come up with a cramp head set, a little trip down to my local Toolstation and low and behold the head with the adjuster fits straight onto the sash clamp and I now have double adjustment, I got the new spring in the Indy with ease, I've put links to the clamps I've been using so you can see what I mean.

SASH CLAMP

CRAMP HEAD SET

Cheers

Pete

[noz1]

Modern sash clamps all seem to have not much thread. I have an old Record one which has a much longer thread. Sometimes, you can find them at car boot sales.
Airsporters are difficult because of the end cap shape plus they seem to have a lot of preload as well.
Good informative post for all though, Sir.

Safe dismantling and shooting for everyone!

[look no hands]

Modern sash clamps all seem to have not much thread. I have an old Record one which has a much longer thread. Sometimes, you can find them at car boot sales.
Airsporters are difficult because of the end cap shape plus they seem to have a lot of preload as well.
Good informative post for all though, Sir.

Safe dismantling and shooting for everyone!

I know what you mean about the older clamps, I remember my Grandad had one with a very long thread on it, unfortunately the massive car boot sale that used to be near me closed down last year, so trying to find something like that now is even harder, I'm thinking of making a wooden holding device which I can slot the Mercury trigger block in and then having some sort of wheel bearing set up at the other end which will allow me to rotate the cylinder onto the thread when done up, the way I've been doing it is by putting the trigger block in a padded vice (I have one of those vices you can twist and lock into position) and then pushing the cylinder onto the block and getting it started that way, luckily the Airsporter RB2 I've just acquired has the trigger block held in with two allen bolts either side so much easier to get back together, so no push and twist needed.

Pete

[Phil Russell]

Modern sash clamps all seem to have not much thread. I have an old Record one which has a much longer thread. Sometimes, you can find them at car boot sales.
Airsporters are difficult because of the end cap shape plus they seem to have a lot of preload as well.
Good informative post for all though, Sir.

Safe dismantling and shooting for everyone!

This is a bit off topic but I have never used a compressor for an Airsporter / Mercury. For both stripping and rebuilding I clamp either the action or the trigger block in a padded vice and unscrew the 'other bit' from there. I wear leather gloves and put a towel over the threaded part until the threads give. For reassembly with an Airsporter I find it useful to clamp the trigger block in the vice and offer up the action. I have a wooden block with a recess for the muzzle to sit in. I find this gives good control. Maybe not so useful for a Mercury because of the possibility of the action breaking while trying to engage the threads so in that case I would clamp the action or work without the barrel attached.
No matter though .. good idea above.

On my compressor I have rarely run out of distance but a FWB 124/127 did defeat me (and an Original 66 came close) so I had to modify my compressor to shift the 'action stop' further away.

Cheers, Phil

[look no hands]

This is a bit off topic but I have never used a compressor for an Airsporter / Mercury. For both stripping and rebuilding I clamp either the action or the trigger block in a padded vice and unscrew the 'other bit' from there. I wear leather gloves and put a towel over the threaded part until the threads give. For reassembly with an Airsporter I find it useful to clamp the trigger block in the vice and offer up the action. I have a wooden block with a recess for the muzzle to sit in. I find this gives good control. Maybe not so useful for a Mercury because of the possibility of the action breaking while trying to engage the threads so in that case I would clamp the action or work without the barrel attached.
No matter though .. good idea above.

On my compressor I have rarely run out of distance but a FWB 124/127 did defeat me (and an Original 66 came close) so I had to modify my compressor to shift the 'action stop' further away.

Cheers, Phil

Not off topic at all Phil, like I said earlier I've never used a compressor for any of my 'Sporters/Mercs for the exact reasons you explain above and do the same as you when reassembling.

Pete

[Hsing-ee]

This spring compressor using a modified sash-cramp from our Norwegian correspondent gets my vote for functionality and elegance, and I will be building a similarish one as soon as I have got all my gubbins out of the old flat.

http://barx.org/airguns/?id=spring_compressor

Jon 'Shed Tuner' (the only thing he hasn't tuned is actually his shed, or at least his last one) has a jig thing he uses with the Airsporter/Mercury hand-stabbing end-block, you can make one out of two slabs of wood and some spacer things inside.

I might have a go with making one of those, I have done an Airsporter and a Mercury but they were possibly the least fun airguns to work on because of the combination of the strong spring and the awkward as back block screwing on action.

I did buy some studding and some of those nut things with teeth on the bottom of them to make up a purpose-built compressor, but the sash-cramp won me over. Maybe one day..

[TonyL]

Hi Al,

Before you go building one, hang fire. The one pictured above is nice but I have one which I think you'll find is nice and could easily be replicated. I'll try and get some pictures done on Tuesday and ping them across to you. If you wanted to post them on here, that'd be fine and others may find useful, too.

I can't remember now where it came from, but it may have been Terry Tobb. I bought it in the mid 80s. Decent thread length and with a selection of useful attachments.

[Hsing-ee]

Hi Al,

Before you go building one, hang fire. The one pictured above is nice but I have one which I think you'll find is nice and could easily be replicated. I'll try and get some pictures done on Tuesday and ping them across to you. If you wanted to post them on here, that'd be fine and others may find useful, too.

I can't remember now where it came from, but it may have been Terry Tobb. I bought it in the mid 80s. Decent thread length and with a selection of useful attachments.

Ah erm... Yes, the Robb sells them but they are about £100 or something. I already have the sash cramp and the Norwegian design has the nice wood blocks protecting the cylinder from the metal as they are slightly proud.