Barrel polishing fixture

[urbanrifleman]

My friend has a machine shop that makes barrels and he is looking for a simple fixture to polish barrels so he doesn't use a lathe. Any ideas?

 

[Danny1788]

https://m.ebay.com/itm/Barrel-Spinn...re-Gunsmithing-Tool-/262825166146?_mwBanner=1

 

[tac284]

I use LRI ( long rifles inc.) “cassettes “ and a Baldor belt grinder with trizact belts.


https://www.longriflesinc.com/collections/products/products/lri-barrel-spinning-cassettes

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I think the smart guys use apprentices.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I use LRI ( long rifles inc.) “cassettes “ and a Baldor belt grinder with trizact belts.


https://www.longriflesinc.com/collections/products/products/lri-barrel-spinning-cassettes

this now and before I used the brownells cassettes. simple and easy

 

[shortgrass]

Clymer has been making a "barrel spinner" for at least 30yrs. I made my own while in gunsmithing school. Matter of fact, I think it was a "required" tool to make. And, I am still using it , 26yrs later............

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Clymer has been making a "barrel spinner" for at least 30yrs. I made my own while in gunsmithing school. Matter of fact, I think it was a "required" tool to make.

and I thought a required tool to have. I hate to think id have any type of polishing compounds or abrasives falling down on my lathe bed. gotta replace those wooden tips on the old ones or you'll wear a barrel. and also need to replace the white UHMW ones on the LRI spinner too. a sharp crown will eat em up quickly

 

[shortgrass]

I made the centers of Delrin. made 'um a bit long so I can re-dress the points as needed. No need in having sanding grit around or near 'precision' machine tools. If ya' do, they won't be 'precision' for long.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I wear leather welding gloves to keep the barrel speed where I want it. if you let it free wheel it gets to supersonic speeds

 

[shortgrass]

If ya' let the barrel 'free wheel' the sanding belt doesn't 'cut', so ya' gotta' slow it down. I've got belts from 80g to 600g. I think I'm using the 6th or 7th set of centers I've made. Good thing I bought 3' of material when I ordered the Delrin. I didn't even know there were "cassettes" made that you can buy until I clicked on the links in this thread. I've made and make a lot of the tools I need instead of buying them.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

those cassettes from LRI are very nice. they have actual ball bearings.

 

[alinwa]

OR, if you're cheap...like I'm..... ya can make a ball-bearing one for not much money. (I don't like the non-turning delrin ones because running the sawblade of the rifling against the delrin always cuts a groove and the mental picture of my barrel whirling about the room makes me ill)

Two hunks of AL plate, two skateboard bearings, a 1" AL bar and some delrin.

She spins like a dervish

Sorry about the pic, I snapped it for a friend.

 

[ridgeway]

Tubing and bearings from home Depot, turned 60 degree delrin centers. Spin on a Kalamazoo 1x42 belt. 5-10 minutes and done. Little more work on the manufacturers that like to rough their blanks with 40 grit, lol.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Tubing and bearings from home Depot, turned 60 degree delrin centers. Spin on a Kalamazoo 1x42 belt. 5-10 minutes and done. Little more work on the manufacturers that like to rough their blanks with 40 grit, lol.

i've seen some that I thought were threaded.

 

[Cigarcop]

i've seen some that I thought were threaded.

Yeah Kriegers are notorious for that!!

 

[shortgrass]

those cassettes from LRI are very nice. they have actual ball bearings.

The ones I made have ball bearings. I can't see NOT running the centers in bearings! You'd just destroy your centers, otherwise. Sealed bearing is press fit into the aluminum, stem on the Delrin center press fit thru the hole in the bearing.

 

[swd]

i've seen some that I thought were threaded.

Some of the older Douglas were REALLY bad. You had to take a lathe file to them.

 

[shortgrass]

Some of the older Douglas were REALLY bad. You had to take a lathe file to them.

Would depend on how you ordered, turned or finish turned & polished

 

[swd]

Would depend on how you ordered, turned or finish turned & polished

A few clients brought them in. They thought they were saving money until I told them there was an extra charge for the time time it took to finish them.

 

[shortgrass]

A few clients brought them in. They thought they were saving money until I told them there was an extra charge for the time time it took to finish them.

I hear ya'! "We're saving money now!", aren't we? Custom work ain't cheap. It all costs. Always have some who'll pull up in a new $65,000 pick-up looking for discount.