Retracting reamer at end of push

[Lucky Shooter]

I'm hoping to find the "right" way to retract the chamber reamer at the end of the push.

My working conditions----manual lathe. no forced coolant, floating pusher, taper bored.

Any comments about good practice for this ?

Thanks for any replies.

A. Weldy

 

[Terry]

Stop the lathe completely. Then remove.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I like to just let the pusher spin and turn the lathe off. You ever seen a guy drill a hole then run the bit in and out making the hole bigger?

 

[Lucky Shooter]

I don't quite follow you Dusty----my pusher doesn't spin, its
in the tailstock chuck.

Are you possibly referring to the reamer holder handle ? It'll spin if
I take my hand off it.

Thanks for the replies.

A. Weldy

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I don't quite follow you Dusty----my pusher doesn't spin, its
in the tailstock chuck.

Are you possibly referring to the reamer holder handle ? It'll spin if
I take my hand off it.

Thanks for the replies.

A. Weldy

Yes, let go of the pusher that the reamer is in and let er spin

 

[deadidarren]

Just a quick question fellas I've never chambered on a lathe only ever recrowned and profile the odd barrel I gather by what dusty is saying using a reamer you have a very slow speed

 

[linebaugh]

slow speed (200ish rpm on my lathe), Lots of manual lubing the reamer and clean/stop often to clean chips. Clean reamer between starts and more toward the end with less cutting toward the end. Prebore, I typically hit it with an undersized short drill bit then clean up to concentric with a boring bar with light cuts. Stop the lathe before pulling your reamer out, if you dont you can ring the chamber.
I clean my bore quite often with air and a loose fitting patch every time i pull the reamer and before I start every new cut. Also after prebore.
I am all manual myself with no flush so its a slow process but I only do a cpl chambers a year anymore. Last 2 were rimfire so much easier.

 

[DaveTooley]

I'd say 99% of the time I don't stop the spindle. As reamers get longer that has some influence on what I do. There's a big difference between a 308 size case and a 50BMG. Case taper also influences what I do.
I use a flat faced pusher. All I do is push back against the face of the pusher and that keeps the reamer lined up. Same goes for going back into the chamber if I have to make more than two passes. Every thing is same until it isn't so you figure out what works best for you. I used to get barrels in 125 at a time. Setups and techniques get refined quickly. Do what you have confidence in.

 

[urbanrifleman]

I don't quite follow you Dusty----my pusher doesn't spin, its
in the tailstock chuck.

Are you possibly referring to the reamer holder handle ? It'll spin if
I take my hand off it.

Thanks for the replies.

A. Weldy

When the reamer loads up with chips then reverse the tailstock wheel. Do not dwell. Slow the feed wheel. Stop. Reverse quickly. I spin it the wheel in reverse. The pilot is still in the bore for half an inch. When you get out and the wheel is spinning in reverse, pop the tailstock release and pull. Learn to make that all one motion. Slow. Stop. Reverse. Spin. Release. Pull. Hold the floating reamer holder so it doesn't sag. Don't mess around. Blow off the reamer and blow out the hole. Load up with oil all the way inside the chamber with a plastic fill bottle with a nozzle. Guide the reamer back in. Repeat.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I like to just let the pusher spin and turn the lathe off. You ever seen a guy drill a hole then run the bit in and out making the hole bigger?

I think different methods have different answers. I was always taught to pull a straight reamer out while the lathe is stopped. But a tapered reamer won't make the hole bigger if you back it out just a bit while the lathe comes to a stop. I prefer this over letting it dwell while it comes to a stop. I just spin out a turn, pull the tailstock back, clean up and go again.

 

[INTJ]

I don't stop the spindle either. My chambers come out great.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Stopping the spindle and pulling straight out sounds like a scratch waiting to happen.

 

[Rich S]

Can't say its the correct way but what I do is:

I use a bald eagle floating reamer holder. I got rid of the handle and fit an oversized knurled aluminum sleave as a grip to hold the reamer. I lock down the cross slide and zero the DRO to use as a stop for the tail stock.

When I'm ready to retract the reamer:

• back off the tail stock ~0.005" and stop the lathe with the brake. I keep pressure on the pusher.
• back the tail stock off 0.020" from where I stopped reaming
• slide the tail stock back remove the reamer, clean oil etc
• re-insert the reamer
• slide the tail stock forward and set the tail stock so I'm 0.005" less than were I stopped reaming
• Give the reamer a little twist by hand to ensure it moves freely
• Start the lathe and repeat

The main reasons I back off 0.020" is so its the same every time. It also helps ensure you don't bump the reamer when you slide the tailstock forward.

 

[Will Henry]

I reverse the handwheel (just give it a spin), and pull the tailstock back at the same time, with the spindle turning. As Dave mentioned, chamber length and taper influence technique. Generally though, I just back it out with the spindle turning. WH

 

[butchlambert]

I don't stop the spindle either. My chambers come out great.

So did my first 100 and then I ringed one. I always stop mine before pulling the reamer.

 

[Will Henry]

Anytime I got a ring in a chamber, it was from a chip welding onto the reamer. The exact cause of this was hard to determine but I suspect I cut too long without cleaning. Early in the chambering process, I load the reamer up a bit and there are times I take it too far. With most chambers, if this happens early in the process, it will clean up. With a minimally tapered chamber though, it may not, so one has to be careful with an AI or WSM. I've never had an issue with a PPC or BR; maybe because they are so short. When you are reaming a short chamber, it's easy to be patient. With a 7mm STW, not quite so easy. With the long, straight, chambers I have learned to take a little extra care. Now that I only do work for myself, a flaw isn't as serious. I just have to hide my brass so nobody sees! When I was doing it for customers, a ring in the chamber might cost me a barrel and double the labor. This did happen once. I got a ring in a 340 Weatherby chamber. It cost me a new Shilen barrel and the time to redo it. Luckily, I caught it before it was finished, so I saved a little work. The flawed barrel got set back and used for my own 338 so all was not lost. WH

 

[INTJ]

So did my first 100 and then I ringed one. I always stop mine before pulling the reamer.

If you had a chip welded on the reamer and pulled it out with the lathe stopped, wouldn't it put a scratch lengthwise down the chamber?

 

[TylerFromMS]

If you had a chip welded on the reamer and pulled it out with the lathe stopped, wouldn't it put a scratch lengthwise down the chamber?

It’d be on the side of the cutting edge in a flute instead of on the sharp part I think.

 

[DaveTooley]

If you had a chip welded on the reamer and pulled it out with the lathe stopped, wouldn't it put a scratch lengthwise down the chamber?

How? Reamers/chambers are tapered.
Chip weld can and will cause rings in the chamber. Sometimes it's so small you need magnification to see it until you learn what to look for.

 

[skeeljc]

Stop cutting by backing tailstock quill off 0.010", turn lathe off, allow spindle to stop, Unlock and move tailstock back (reamer comes with tailstock). Going back in: bring tailstock up to crosslide (stop), lock tailstock down, bring tailstock spindle in until reamer engages, note dial indicator reading, back tailstock quill off a little, start lathe, continue the cut.