[Private_collector]

It took me a week, but I've just had the opportunity to discuss my welding requirements with the pro welder neighbour. He has been away in western Queensland for the past 8 days. I figured he was away. Hadn't seen his vehicle all week, and have been chomping at the bit to get his thoughts on my sight carrier repair patches. The outcome is encouraging. It would appear that the original section is indeed magnesium alloy. Potentially problematic to weld, but he is confident, and fully appreciates the peculiarities & unique properties of working with such an unusual metal. The welding should get done through the coming week, and I expect to have the finished product back with me by next weekend. There's nothing like having professional assistance with a tricky job like this!

All going well, I hope to be applying the minimal amount of filler needed to entirely disguise the grafted in repair section. Should have filing, filling, sanding, and priming done during, or ideally by next Sunday. If still enough daylight left after all that, I may even get color on. If so, reassembly may commence by Monday evening. That will be exciting, and will give me the first opportunity to see the parts working together again as one unit.

David, i understand your point. that has been worrying me as well. I'm afraid having the two metals in contact with each other is unavoidable, but I can assure you the finished product will have a far more sheltered life that it has enjoyed in past 70 to 80 years. I've been visiting my 'local' 25Pr for past 3-4 years, slowly taking measurements and photographs. In that time I've literally watched and (unwittingly) documented the guns slow, but inevitable, deterioration. Because I am only now rebuilding a sight carrier assembly of my own, my attention to the extent of same damage on their assembly was only drawn in past few months or so. I had to look back through some much older photos I had taken, to fully realise how badly (and quickly) the exposure to weather is breaking their weapon apart! It is both sad, and largely avoidable. My piece won't be seeing anywhere near such destructive elements. Once the entire sight carrier assembly is complete, including the horizontal adjustment parts I am yet to acquire (or make), the very next thing will be to create a suitable canvas cover for it. It's mostly needed to keep dust and airborne contaminants from settling on the surfaces. Water is an obvious peril, but i acknowledge humidity combined with surface debris is more subtle and just as dangerous, long term. With that in mind, my gun will live indoors, and ideally shouldn't see any rain. it's bound to at some stage though, and that's why the canvas cover will have a lining or waterproof vinyl on inside of the canvas cover itself. I know I can sew canvas reasonably successfully, although I am now banned from using my Wifes domestic sewing machine......(..apparently!) Sewing vinyl or similar waterproof material, and sewing it inside of canvas, is something of an unknown quantity. Or should that be unknown quality? Either way, we'll find out soon. It is also my plan to coat all bare internal surfaces with a lanolin compound, attempting to further reduce time related deterioration. I need to be careful there, because some internal parts will require grease and ablilty to move freely. Typical rust proofing products thicken over time and may gum up the internal workings/gears.