Chamber problems
- Thread starter rem40xb1
- Start date
DShortt
Gold $$ Contributor
Bore scope the bore. If it's scarred-up the pilot is too tight.
Spindle speed might be off, too. Perhaps too fast. What speed are you using?
butchlambert
Site $$ Sponsor
Put some wax paper on the flutes to clean it up.
Chatter can be caused by a number of things, but a tight pilot isn't one of them. Potential cause include:
a. Loose bearings on the lathe.
b. Instability or flex in the holder/driver.
c. Improper (excessive) clearance angles on the reamer and
d. Improper reamer geometry.
Of these causes, I think (b) and (d) are the most common.
As Butch mentioned, wax paper can help (best used before chatter gets too bad). Wrapping the reamer in cloth, filling the flutes with Plasticene, or filling the flutes with a heavy grease, are also viable cures. WH
a. Loose bearings on the lathe.
b. Instability or flex in the holder/driver.
c. Improper (excessive) clearance angles on the reamer and
d. Improper reamer geometry.
Of these causes, I think (b) and (d) are the most common.
As Butch mentioned, wax paper can help (best used before chatter gets too bad). Wrapping the reamer in cloth, filling the flutes with Plasticene, or filling the flutes with a heavy grease, are also viable cures. WH
Sniperhandle
Silver $$ Contributor
As mentioned, The wax paper trick works almost every time. Sometimes increasing speed and pressure will get you out of it, But do the wax paper, It works. Dave Tooley also says use wax paper.
Jonnyofalltrades
Silver $$ Contributor
Pretend your reamer is a cleaning jag, and you're putting patches on it. Spear a few patches of waxed paper onto the neck section of the reamer, so that they lay back along the body.
And firm pressure. A fully engaged reamer has lots of cutting edge length in contact with steel.
And firm pressure. A fully engaged reamer has lots of cutting edge length in contact with steel.
DaveTooley
Gold $$ Contributor
I wrap the body of the reamer with one full turn of wax paper. In extreme cases it may take more than one application but it has never failed to eventually stop the chatter. I have a couple of problem reamers that I know will cause a problem. I keep cut to size paper with other odds and ends handy.
Judd
Gold $$ Contributor
I recently bought my first replacement barrel for a customer, carbon of course. I dropped a 6 Creedmoor reamer and rolled an edge, I stoned it, ran it in for two passes and that rolled edge caused chatter. So I stopped and ordered another reamer. I got the new reamer and it never didn’t chatter. I tried a patch, wax paper, sped up/sped down, increase feed, decrease feed and nothing worked. The new reamer chattered the entire way and I got within .200 of headspace and phoned a friend. He’s a machinist and accomplished gunsmith…we tried everything and never got it out, he even cut it all out of the shoulder with a boring bar and then as a last ditch was to even put it in my Jacob’s chuck.
Few things I learned…while the JGS reamer holder is awesome, once you have chatter the design of it does no favors in helping you stop it. I have one that my buddy gave me to try but I will eventually find a design that works off a center or pusher type design. Even new reamers aren’t perfect, turns out there is something wrong with the new reamer.
One of those jobs where you spend $1200 to get $400 and questions your entire reason for doing this stuff.
Good luck, it’s frustrating!
Few things I learned…while the JGS reamer holder is awesome, once you have chatter the design of it does no favors in helping you stop it. I have one that my buddy gave me to try but I will eventually find a design that works off a center or pusher type design. Even new reamers aren’t perfect, turns out there is something wrong with the new reamer.
One of those jobs where you spend $1200 to get $400 and questions your entire reason for doing this stuff.
Good luck, it’s frustrating!
. I had best luck only going in 20 thou . with the wax paper . If it real bad you might have to use wax paper the rest of the way .
Sometimes, a new reamer is too sharp and wants to chatter. After a few chambers it settles down and the chatter stops.
LVLAaron
Gold $$ Contributor
I've made it a point to run a new reamer through a barrel stub or a piece of 416 before doing a real barrel.
DShortt
Gold $$ Contributor
Sage advice right here. Especially given the cost of a good barrel.
LVLAaron
Gold $$ Contributor
Agreed on that. As a part of my drill/pre-bore I've been cutting the shoulder angle in the barrel, and starting the reamer with a "little more than normal" feed pressure. Seems to help.
I picked up a PTG floating holder from a member here... I haven't used it yet, but want to test it out when things slow down. It has a collar that you can adjust how freely the reamer floats.
I have a 7 PRC reamer that loves to chatter. I made it through the first barrel ok. Second barrel same issue. I ran it on my other lathe and cut two mock chambers. It still chattered on the barrel. I had a 28 Nosler barrel to do next. I ran my 28 Nosler reamer in that same barrel, it went with no chatter. Next barrel was the same, fought it all the way, even ran it on my 17” Kingston rather than my 14” machine just to see. New reamer is on the way!
ArtinNC
Gold $$ Contributor
I agree with Will Henry , I'm not a machinest but did chamber some barrels for me . I rented a reamer that chattered so I had a reamer made and never had any chatter . as Will said B & D is the most common .
BuffaloBill
Silver $$ Contributor
I use the PTG floating holder. I’ve only chambered a few barrels thus far, but it’s worked very well. The first three were with a (new at the time) 6Creed Manson HS reamer. The next one (action due Feb) will be with a new JGS HS in 6BRA. Will chatter bite me if its first use is on my barrel blank? I will find out…..
LVLAaron
Gold $$ Contributor
You'll be alright. My own two cents here, and free advice is worth what you pay. Manson reamers are REALLY sharp. They leave a nicer finish after they've been used once. Honing the edge with a copper penny would probably have the same effect.
For the record I'm not saying anything bad about Manson. I buy a lot of their tools/reamers.
For the record I'm not saying anything bad about Manson. I buy a lot of their tools/reamers.
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