First build-300wsm complete. 16 feb update with target pics

[NickB1075]

Nick, I’m too old to wait. I’ll learn as I go buddy. Plenty of experience to learn from on the forums.

Ok, I agree there is a wealth of knowledge on here and I am not going to tell you I havent benefited from it. But there is nothing like someone being there to guide you and explain in real time how to do something and why something is not working correctly.

But I guess I just wanted to have a little better quality of work before carving up a $600+ blank. I guess i am funny like that. I work too hard for my money. Best of luck.

Nick

 

[mram10]

Nick, agreed. I will wait till I shoot them to see how they turned out. Now that these are built, I am going to focus on getting the lathe perfected

 

[carlsbad]

Please post the results of shooting.

If you encounter problems, stop, regroup, and make sure you understand the situation before proceeding. The best way to get hurt is to proceed in the face of uncertainty and do something that in retrospect, you realize was foolish. Get a peer check on your proposed course of action.

--Jerry

 

[Bully]

I agree with Nate, it is the reamer
Nick, I’m too old to wait. I’ll learn as I go buddy. Plenty of experience to learn from on the forums.
The reamer was a ptg with pilot. Super tight. As for the setup, here are some pics from the 6.5-284 I just finished. Now that I have stuff to shoot, I’ll take time to go through the lathe AGAIN and see if I can get the shakes out of it.

Soooooooooooo... Maybe I'm cranky. Or, maybe I've had too much wine.

You want to spend time and money building something that makes 50-60 thousand PSI just inches from your face THEN go in and figure out what you did wrong?

I'm on the same road. I just purchased a lathe (to my wife's unending chagrin) and I just finished a semester long class in basic machining at my local CC. I am also heading to a distant land to spend a weekend with an experienced 'smith learning the basics on how to screw together something that makes booms. Then, and only then, will I attempt to cut threads and chamber a rifle barrel. Your first post in this thread has me wondering what the deal is. You made a bunch of cuts and then asked if it was alright. What is anyone to say? It's done.

I don't mean to come off discouragingly. I promise that that isn't my intention. Screwing a rifle together is NOT brain surgery (I have brain surgeons as clients and what they do actually impresses me) but it IS dangerous. I simply don't want to see you get hurt. I feel like you're on that road.

Good luck and be careful.

 

[mram10]

Safety is not the issue. These are definitely safe. The barrels I took off did not have the tolerances they do now. They had a shank of .850 and the bolt face recess was not .010 off like these are. Threads are snug, barrels are straight and actions are touched up but not compromised. A friend in his 70s made 100s of rifles with .850 shank, .705x.150 recess and no specific measurements for each action, yet they shot well and were safe. Trust me, my family and career are not worth some fun with my lathe.

I seem to be getting more lectures than useful information. I don’t need “take a machining class” advice. I simply need pointers and techniques from experience.

 

[carlsbad]

google 338 kaboom. The guy had a problem that wasn't inherently unsafe but he then started tamping his stuck shells out and the process failed on him. My advice wasn't "stand back on the first shot" it was "don't proceed in the face of uncertainty."

 

[Cloudrepair]

Not sure if this has been mentioned so I will try
Many new machinist when first turning threads get the thought that tighter threads will make a more accurate rifle.
That insnt the case you will want a .002 thousands play for proper fit.
Then it is a good idea to use some anti sieze or grease on your threads to prevent seizing/galling them together.

 

[DCRYDER]

Gotta have that compound set on 30* and cut with the leading edge to cut smooth threads. You can't just plunge that 60* threading insert straight in where it cuts on both sides. Also I snug both crossfeeds down tighter while threading than i do when turning.

 

[mram10]

Hoz, from same factory. Hard to reply to all. No offense. I read and heed all advice given
Cloud, the threads are snug by hand. Definitely use a little anti seize
Dc, mostly told to use 29.5-29, so it touches the other side lightly.

 

[IdahoCTD]

What sound? "Sounds like a PTG reamer strikes again." I wouldn't jump to that conclusion.

You can call it what you want but I've had 3 reamers stick like he is talking about and all 3 were PTG. They would do it every time no matter how deep the cut or the size of the pilot. I didn't waste time trying to figure out why short of sending 2 of them back to PTG and they came back working exactly the same as before (the last one I knew was a waste of time). So I pitched them in the corner and don't use them. I've heard of people having the same problem with other PTG reamers, so mine aren't a isolated issue. Several sent them to other manufacturers to be resharpened and it fixed the problem. That pretty much tells me it's a PTG problem. I could tell of other problems with PTG reamers over the years but this thread isn't about that. Well OK how about one more.....ever had a reamer with a progressively shorter throat every time you use it? I've got one in 7-300wm. Or how about a throating reamer that is under size and won't clean up the rifling after two uses. Oh wait that was 2 more. My bad. What's the saying about repeating the same process over and over and expecting different results? I choose to spend my money elsewhere now and I haven't been disappointed since. PTG makes some unique products, it's too bad they can't get more of them "right".

I said the tenon length is what it is by measuring it. The difference between what he "WAS" making them and what he made this one was irrelevant if he measured this one for .010" clearance.

 

[Stan Taylor]

Safety is not the issue. These are definitely safe. The barrels I took off did not have the tolerances they do now. They had a shank of .850 and the bolt face recess was not .010 off like these are. Threads are snug, barrels are straight and actions are touched up but not compromised. A friend in his 70s made 100s of rifles with .850 shank, .705x.150 recess and no specific measurements for each action, yet they shot well and were safe. Trust me, my family and career are not worth some fun with my lathe.

I seem to be getting more lectures than useful information. I don’t need “take a machining class” advice. I simply need pointers and techniques from experience.

I don't think no one here is actually lecturing you if you would give a little more details on your measures as the distance to the bolt face of your action including the thickness of the recoil lug 90 percent here could tell you what the would like to see your finished shank length should be at for a minimum clearance work with them they will work with you trust me there is a right way an a wrong unsafe way.

 

[Jesswil61]

Hoz, from same factory. Hard to reply to all. No offense. I read and heed all advice given
Cloud, the threads are snug by hand. Definitely use a little anti seize
Dc, mostly told to use 29.5-29, so it touches the other side lightly.

If the threads are snug by hand how are the squared surfaces going to match up? The threads must have enough clearance to allow mating surfaces to align with each other, otherwise what is the point?

 

[mram10]

Stan, well said. I’ll give more measurements
Jess, snug meaning hand tight will allow the mating surfaces to mate when put in the barrel vise and torqued down for the final time.

 

[Jesswil61]

Stan, well said. I’ll give more measurements
Jess, snug meaning hand tight will allow the mating surfaces to mate when put in the barrel vise and torqued down for the final time.

The threads should not be a part of a tensioned joint, the tension/torque should be exhibited on the mating surfaces. If there is restrictions in the thread is could take away from the total tension of the joint. I want my action and barrel flange surface to be squared up when I snap them together by hand turning, then I will tension the joint in a barrel vise.

 

[hoz53]

Stan, well said. I’ll give more measurements
Jess, snug meaning hand tight will allow the mating surfaces to mate when put in the barrel vise and torqued down for the final time.

what the HECK mram-- why did you waste the money on that nice lathe.
You didnt need to buy anything--You could have gotten the same results with your milwaukee hole shooter on the reamer and your ridgid 300 machine to cut the tenion threads.
hmmm well you might have had to buy a file

 

[mram10]

Hoz, feel free to avoid my threads if you are going to complain. You’ve offered no good advice.

 

[Stan Taylor]

Here is the way I do mine Mram everyone does things differently.

 

[mram10]

Stan, thank you. As usual you are very helpful. The pictures really help. I’m sending you some cleaning rags for Christmas

 

[hoz53]

Hoz, feel free to avoid my threads if you are going to complain. You’ve offered no good advice.

mram ill feel free to do whatever i want and if i want some comedy type entertainment ill check out your threads like your tenon threads har har

 

[Stan Taylor]

Stan, thank you. As usual you are very helpful. The pictures really help. I’m sending you some cleaning rags for Christmas

I will clean the chips off when I am done setting the headspace.I ain't done yet.