Barrel/Action/Bolt fixture

[Ksmirk]

Afternoon fella's, I've a favor to ask and it's mainly to put my mind at ease. I'm wanting to put together a fixture that I can chuck up where I can indicate shorter items, my machine thru the spindle I'm stuck with 22" about as short as I can go so the question would be on bolt spacing, to cover about anything for long and short action I was thinking from the face to CL of bolt, .75, 4.500, and 5.800"? the slot window well I've not gotten that far along but those numbers should come pretty easy, I'm not looking to reinvent the wheel but asking if these numbers sound correct to the smarter folks.

I really like the looks of the Viper chamber/truing fixture but I have 16" of 4" 6061 bar, a lathe and access to a mill so thought it might be a fun project, I'm just a hobby kinda guy so I'm still learning things but thought to save a chunk of Aluminum it might be best to hit you fella's up and see if my thinking is square with my numbers. Thanks!

Kirk

 

[butchlambert]

I gave Bamban on this forum some 303 stainless to build a duplicate to the fixture that Mike Bryant uses.
Send Nez a PM.

 

[Ksmirk]

I tried to send Nez a PM and got an error?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I tried to send Nez a PM and got an error?

Maybe you misspelled it. Here it is.
@Bamban

 

[Ksmirk]

That worked! thank you sir.

Kirk

 

[GenePoole]

I made mine to roughly duplicate the viper for spacing, but threaded it to fit directly onto my lathe spindle so it is super rigid. Also, aluminum is easy to work, but use steel if at all possible. I don't use mine for bolts (I use a 5C collet), so I don't need a slot in the side. I may still cut a slot though as I have a tough time getting the bushings out when truing an action.

 

[boltfluter]

Just buy a LaBounty bolt holding fixture and be done with it. A very good tool that is reasonably priced.

Paul

 

[GenePoole]

LaBounty is nice, but my 5C collet works in the lathe or the dividing head in the mill and is much easier to setup and get repeatable results.

 

[butchlambert]

I like the idea that GenePoole addressed. Attach it solidly to your spindle or faceplate, most 4 jaws have very short jaws.

 

[Ksmirk]

If I did this for a living or more than a couple of times a week I would go about it in a totally different thought, I'd be purchasing backing plates and mounting the fixture in a totally different manner for sure. This idea is what can I do on the cheap with material and tools I have on hand.... will it work? more than likely..... is it the best method? probably not.

GenePoole I do believe I have seen your fixture when I was searching for ideas, I agree that steel would be the better material and ya know when I get everything all lined out I may pass the Aluminum one onto my little brother and spend the cash on materials to put together something a bit more robust together. I don't have a collet head but while I'm not new to machining I'm new to ownership and well I have found the lathe is going to be the cheapest part of this hobby lol

butchlambert I've got an email sent off to Nez and I appreciate the contact info, I have a good feeling that between this thread and contacts offered I should be able to get enough information to build something that will work out well.

Fella's I really appreciate the help!

Kirk

 

[paperpuncher]

I will submit the following for your consideration. I have Colchesters they have a pretty long headstocks, here's what I do. New barrels require you to cut 1" off the muzzle so I just turn the muzzle end and thread it, pick a size that will work for most barrels that you do. I went with 3/4X20 tpi. Get a bar or old barrel that is long enough to extend the shortest barrel that you plan to do thru the headstock. Bore and thread one end of the bar to the thread that you used on the muzzle in my case 3/4x 20 tpi. Bore and thread the other end of the bar to mate to the barrel tennon that with thread into the action. If you are doing a 700 or a clone 1.0625X16tpi. Take the bar screw it on the muzzle thread indicate the breach, make all the cuts and chamber. Flip it screw the other end of the bar onto the tennon you just created, indicate the muzzle end, part off the thread and 1" of barrel and cut the crown. Save bar for future use.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

LaBounty is nice, but my 5C collet works in the lathe or the dividing head in the mill and is much easier to setup and get repeatable results.

What if you dont want to remove the handle?

 

[GenePoole]

What if you dont want to remove the handle?

It's never come up. I either always replace a stock Remington handle with a PTG, or I buy new PTG 2-piece bolt.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Im just the opposite i guess. Ive never put one in the lathe without a handle on it. I use a labounty fixture. Always do it backwards- do the lugs then do the handle

 

[McFred]

My spindle bore's big enough, but the head stock's a bit long for < 30" barrels, so I made a fixture of an L0 back plate and press-fitted and screwed an 80lb lump of 1018 steel onto it and punched a big hole through. Whenever I need to true actions and bolts I'll add some additional set-screws but so far I've only needed to thread/chamber barrels.

I could have used a smaller OD piece of steel but I'm wary of the knobby knuckle-buster arrangement that'll grab me and wrap me around the spindle in the blink of an eye. I don't want anyone to find me spinning 'round like a rotisserie chicken after not picking up the phone for a week. That kind of thing is less of a concern on your smaller hobby lathes where belts can slip.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

You need a toolpost winch to move that rig

 

[McFred]

The 4-jaw's bigger/heavier . It's not bad to move it off the table behind the lathe to a wood saddle that protects the ways moving chucks on/off the spindle. Everything's about waist-high.

 

[hpshooter]

Is that a can of white lead on the tail stock? My inherited supply is depleted, look for it at every tool auction I go to.

[/QUOTE]

 

[Ksmirk]

Ok fella's I've come to the conclusion that I will space my bolts from the face of the fixture at .75", 2.875" and 5.00". If my math skills were any good and going from the receiver dimensions I could find these numbers should grab onto any long or short action receiver I would chuck up as well as any bolt I may need to work on as well hold onto anything short I need to put in and indicate. Some of you fella's know a hell of a mess more than I so if you'd slap a scale on your fixtures let me know if my spacing is correct please, I'd really like to just machine this thing once

I sketched up my fixture and you can tell I like the idea of the Viper fixture lol wish I could have found some dimensions for feature locations. I made the fixture 8" long 4" OD with a 1.625" ID and using 1" 1/2-13 brass tipped set screw the screws should never protrude from the OD. Let me know your thoughts if you'd be so kind. Thanks,

Kirk

 

[butchlambert]

2 Suggestions, like Mr Hudson, use fine thread set screws rather than coarse thread, but I find copper tips to be much better than brass.
Fine threads make it easier to dial in.