Chamber flush system build log.

[INTJ]

I put 3/4 qt of ATF in my ~3 gallons of astroswiss.... It flushes chips A LOT better than before.

What kind of ATF?

 

[LVLAaron]

Valvoline Type F I think .

 

[Henryrifle]

Just for fun here is a picture comparing my old 1/8 HP pump to the new 1/4 HP Pump:



Quite a difference. Looking forward to seeing the difference in performance.

Hank

 

[ronsatspokane]

Just for fun here is a picture comparing my old 1/8 HP pump to the new 1/4 HP Pump:

View attachment 1421115

Quite a difference. Looking forward to seeing the difference in performance.

Hank

Please report back. I'm in the same boat. 1/8 came with the lathe. Pressure is low with the thick fluid I'm using. Trying to decide if I should get a 1/4 or go bigger or go with a different design.

 

[Henryrifle]

I am chambering this weekend. Will report in soon...

Hank

 

[X Count]

IMHO you need something that can give you about 1.5gal/min at 30psi for 223 size chambers and about 3gal/min for 308 size chambers. Both pressure and flow work in conjunction to clear chips.

Same as amps and volts work in conjunction to achieve their desired task.

Look at the spec sheet and you'll probably see that the 1/4hp coolant pump doesn't give you much more pressure than the 1/8hp. More flow but not more pressure, your only solving half the issue because more flow can only be achieved if you have the pressure to overcome the system head pressure.

 

[GenePoole]

You also have to take into consideration the fluid characteristics. If the pump is centrifugal and designed for low viscosity fluids and you try to pump high viscosity cutting oil through it, extra HP won't do any good. You may need a positive displacement pump like a vane or gear pump to move enough fluid at enough pressure.

 

[Henryrifle]

@X Count & @GenePoole, y'all were right. The 1/4 HP pump is better than the 1/8 HP pump but not good enough flush chips past the reamer and out of the chamber.

It is much faster than removing the reamer, blowing the chips out of the barrel and off the reamer, coating the reamer with oil and setting the tailstock back in position. The actual reaming takes about 45 minutes now, once set up, but I am removing the reamer about 5 times for a 284.

Video

So, better, but not there yet.

Hank

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Please report back. I'm in the same boat. 1/8 came with the lathe. Pressure is low with the thick fluid I'm using. Trying to decide if I should get a 1/4 or go bigger or go with a different design.

Put a quart of trans fluid in there, one at a time until it gets right

 

[Walt Krafft]

Is your reamer modified for coolant? Oil groove bushings are the best.

 

[LVLAaron]

You need more pressure... and ATF will make a big difference.


When you pull the reamer out, is the lead/shoulder jammed up with chips?

 

[Road_Clam]

I'm wondering is using ATF as a flush is actually negating "some" of the reamer cutting characteristics vs a true cutting oil ? Obviously you guys know what works and what doesn't. I like Rigid cutting oil. It's a great "universal" cutting oil that works great for drilling , threading , finish passes on soft steels , and reaming . Doesn't smell real bad either so it's ok to use in your basement and not have your spouse yelling at you !

Thread Cutting Oil | RIDGID Tools

RIDGID Thread Cutting Oil cools and lubricates threads and pipe during operation providing optimal threading quality. Shop now.

www.ridgid.com

 

[Henryrifle]

Is your reamer modified for coolant? Oil groove bushings are the best.

Yes, I modified the screw with a Dremel.

You need more pressure... and ATF will make a big difference.


When you pull the reamer out, is the lead/shoulder jammed up with chips?

For the .284, I am drilling and boring 1 1/2" of bore. Reaming that section does flush pretty well--one stop, reamer extraction and inspection. It's the last 3/4" where the shoulder does fill with chips.

I am using the Astro Swiss oil, recommended by some earlier in this thread. It cuts a beautiful chamber. Not sure I want to mix ATF with it at this time. It looks like the known solution is a modified carbonator pump. I don't make more than 2-3 barrels a month. I'll start looking for parts but not in a big hurry. The current solution works--it's just not optimized.

Thank y'all for the feedback,
Hank

P.S. Somehow my reamer got magnetized. That is not a good thing at all! Any way to reverse that?

 

[BuffaloBill]

The Carbonator pumps along with an adjustable relief valve make a good solution imo. Those pumps are expensive new, but turn up used on eBay fairly often. I paid <$100 for mine.

 

[LVLAaron]

@Henryrifle - I'll certainly agree that a low pressure flush is better than no flush at all. You still save a TON of time and get a nice finish because your chamber is always fully lubricated. With low pressure you can back the reamer out and wipe any chips off with a flux brush

I didn't want to mess up my nice clean oil either... but I dumped a quart of ATF into the mix and chips really flowed out a lot easier. For you it will probably help more than me (I use a carbonator pump)

 

[Henryrifle]

PROCON PUMP KIT WITH MOTOR BRASS ROTARY VANE PUMP 115 VAC MTR 1/3HP 60HZ 6.2A | eBay

PROCON PUMP KIT WITH MOTOR. PROCON PUMP BY PROCON PRODUCTS / STANDEX. BRASS ROTARY VANE PUMP. SELF PRIMING (WATER): 6FT MAXIMUM LIFT. PUMP MODEL # 125A100F11AA250. PORT SIZE: 3/8 NPT INLET AND OUTLET.

www.ebay.com

Staring at this intently.

@LVLAaron:

There are still some of these kinds of kits available on eBay. Here is one example:
Procon Pump & Motor Kit

I am not a plumber but can, of course, screw stuff together. What is needed to regulate the pressure to an appropriate level for chambering?

Thank you,
Hank

 

[WSnyder]

What is needed to regulate the pressure to an appropriate level for chambering?

Apollo Valves Conbraco By-Pass Relief Valve 250 Max psi, Bronze 16-501-25 - 37011921

Shop Apollo Valves Conbraco By-Pass Relief Valve 250 Max psi, Bronze 16-501-25 - 37011921 by Penn Tool Co., your trusted partner for quality tools. Join the professionals who trust Penn Tool Co.upgrade now!

www.penntoolco.com

Call and make sure they are in stock. Penn has a habit of taking your money and then telling you a few days later something is back ordered. MSC carries them too. There were similar valves on eBay for less $$$. I found a Teel for ~$25.

Edit: I see no ebay deals to be had at the moment. Nothing quite right the right specs and prices have been jacked up.

 

[LVLAaron]

Here's what mine looks like right now. The valve on the front is how I regulate it... it's just a "manual bypass". When I was building mine the "proper" valves like above were impossible to find.

I don't really need the valve on the top left... but it's there and I don't care to take it apart to remove it.

 

[INTJ]

My AMT 1/4 HP pump on my home lathe works fine. I put an electric heater in the area of the reservoir when the temps were below 50 in the garage and that helps the flow.

I don't even try to run the reamer all the way in one pass. Even with my system at work-- that is set to 80 PSI--and using grooved screws, after I get in a little ways I only go .050" at a time, stop the lathe, and withdraw the reamer so all the chips are flushed.

I just don't want to take the chance of packing the flutes and scratching a chamber. Also, running at 80 PSI has a MUCH better likelihood of making a mess that keeping things turned down.

I also pull the flush, push out the oil, and borescope 2-3 times as I am chambering.

The extra 10-15 minutes that the scoping and withdrawing of the reamer is absolutely no issue, but it does ensure good looking chambers and good shooting rifles.

 

[DSMWerks]

Well mine is taking shape. Its got a gearpump motor with adjustable pressure plus the inline bypass valve. A humungus 10 micron Hydraulic filter($60) and a 7 gallon fuel cell for a tank. I did copper lines and flare fittings. So things learned, The 5 gallon steel hydraulic tank I would have liked better. The Procon pump with a bypass valve would have been cheaper. My pump was more in the $550 range. Insert sad face. Go with the smaller filter, its cheaper and plenty and still can get 10 micron. Also a smaller cart with the pump on top. I need to do a batch of barrels but I have plans to either rework this one or start over with my dream system now that I know what I like.