So I have this Sten bolt...

[pullnshoot25]

So I have a Sten bolt from my current Sten build and I don't know what to do with it since I can't use it for anything. I have two ideas though.

1) Make a lighter out of it (block holes, use hollow cavity in the back to hold fuel and striker)

2) Hand it to a blacksmithing/metalworking student and tell him to make me a tomahawk as a school project (throw him a bit of money too)

What do you guys think? What would you do with it? Do you think this could be forged into a blade of some sort? Any particular blade ideas in mind? It is a 1.5lb piece of steel so there should be plenty to go around.

 

[USCGGM]

well, if your talking about a Sten subgun bolt, then I would build me one! But, I figure that bolt failed tolerances, so I would throw it to someone with metal work talent and see what they come up with.

 

[Contained]

I like the idea of a lighter. It would give a really cool industrial look to the lighter, which i think would come out pretty nice!

 

[TheUSMC2017]

I'm no expert but I don't think this belongs in General knife discussion.
That would be a pretty awesome lighter, though. Let us know how it goes. With pictures, of course.

 

[harkamus]

I'm guessing the steel is pretty poor grade for knife material. Just a guess though.

 

[The Mastiff]

Looks like it has at least two different steels, or possible different RC's on the same stuff. If it dates back to WW2 they had wartime emergency standard steels in England and the commonwealth countries just like we did here. They used the simplest and cheapest stuff ( and processes) they could get away with as things like tungsten, moly etc. were scarce.

 

[mete]

It's probably case hardened.

 

[pullnshoot25]

well, if your talking about a Sten subgun bolt, then I would build me one! But, I figure that bolt failed tolerances, so I would throw it to someone with metal work talent and see what they come up with.

Oh no, the bolt is fine! I just can't make an open bolt semi or subgun, which is how this bolt operates. To build a legal semi-auto I have to have a closed bolt build.

The steel as been hardened and the quality seems to be OK. Fun fact: the bolt and ejector were basically the only milled and hardened pieces in the whole gun, the rest was essentially plumbing parts. The sear was sometimes milled but usually stamped.

USMC2017, where would it go then? This is about as "general" as it gets.

Here are some more photos of the bolt.

 

[Rugger]

You could always offer it for sale to someone who would be able to use it for its intended purpose.

 

[Les Snyder]

I'd keep it as a momento of the "greatest generation".... not too many of them left.....I had a piece of the Berlin Wall on my desk for several years, most of my students thought it was just a piece of painted stone

 

[pullnshoot25]

I'd keep it as a momento of the "greatest generation".... not too many of them left.....I had a piece of the Berlin Wall on my desk for several years, most of my students thought it was just a piece of painted stone

I have an extra one that I am keeping for that purpose and I have access to a few more as I have had other kits.

Maybe I will make a lighter out of it and give it as a gift to a veteran. That would be nifty, though I do need to find a British veteran to give it to and their numbers are dwindling rather quickly.