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Chambering and reamer chatter

I got burnt for a Sporter profile blank earlier this year. The mfg replaced the reamer but I got the pleasure of eating the blank.

The one reamer I skipped cutting a test chamber with because I didn’t have a 6.5 mm drop handy (I now have 26” of drop). At least it was for me and not a customer.
Ooof.
 
I got burnt for a Sporter profile blank earlier this year. The mfg replaced the reamer but I got the pleasure of eating the blank.

The one reamer I skipped cutting a test chamber with because I didn’t have a 6.5 mm drop handy (I now have 26” of drop). At least it was for me and not a customer.
I got burnt on a carbon earlier this year…much like you, it was fixed…one flute was .002 higher than the others. How does that even happen?

My lesson, pull the chute earlier. I’m sure I’ll use it for something some day but for now…it’s just an expensive and bad reminder.
 
I have about 170 reamers from JGS. Never had one chatter. I have experianced it from other brands on 2 occasions and I beleive it was too agressive cutting angles. The cure was to put a JGS reamer in the chamber and the chatter stopped instantly.
This just happened to me as well. 284 for another brand chattered like a beaver was chewing on it .200 in. Swapped it for the JGS of the same dimensions (neck, freebore, base diameter, and freebore diameter) and it all went away immediately
 
I have about 170 reamers from JGS. Never had one chatter. I have experianced it from other brands on 2 occasions and I beleive it was too agressive cutting angles. The cure was to put a JGS reamer in the chamber and the chatter stopped instantly.
I never experienced reamer chatter so dont know what you guys are talking about
I use Manson (maybe JGS and Manson use similar angles in their sharpen profile?)
Good to hear JGS isn't an issue though and is a good alternative
 
Clymer told me years ago to wrap reamer that chattered with shirt weight cotton.
I have also used toilet paper.
You might do the TP coated in oil and hand kiss that shoulder. But it will increase headspace. If the barrel is shooting - leave it. Chatter at the shoulder is ugly, but body chatter makes opening the bolt impossible.
It isn't the end of the world.
 
I never experienced reamer chatter so dont know what you guys are talking about
I use Manson (maybe JGS and Manson use similar angles in their sharpen profile?)
Good to hear JGS isn't an issue though and is a good alternative
Ive only had it a few times in 1000s of chambers. Always came down to the reamer. None of the tricks worked. I think a lot of chatter issues are caused by setups too. Reamers off center. Floating holders dont really float that well. Basicly if everything is lined up the only way your going to get chatter is if theres a reamer issue.
 
The wrapping the reamer is just a bandaid fix. Once finished, careful inspection of the finished chamber will tell you it really wasn't a fix. Haha...just my experience.
 
The wrapping the reamer is just a bandaid fix. Once finished, careful inspection of the finished chamber will tell you it really wasn't a fix. Haha...just my experience.
You aren't going to fix a chamber like that in the last 20 thou. See my thread on my 300wsm. Chattered from the start. Every cut until the body was 50 percent established needed wax paper.
 
You aren't going to fix a chamber like that in the last 20 thou. See my thread on my 300wsm. Chattered from the start. Every cut until the body was 50 percent established needed wax paper.
Man, that was a heck of a save! I would have been sweating bullets….
 
Reamers off center. Floating holders dont really float that well. Basicly if everything is lined up the only way your going to get chatter is if theres a reamer issue.
Yes, this is exactly the reason why i allow a piloted reamer to guide itself in by pushing against the "FLATS" on the back of the reamer rather than using a holder, so it can fully float and keep itself aligned with the bore from start to finish. It can't be pushed off center this way, the reamer then has no choice but to be guided in "by the bore".
I never have an issue even though it takes longer start to finish
which I prefer not having any chambering issues vs time involved
-----------------
I have not done 1000's of chambers like you have so use whatever methods I know ensure no issues
Thanks for assuring if there is an issue it is usually the reamer, which if I ever encounter an issue,I will know to address that first.
 
I need to add one thing here. Since I switched out my belt drive to a Variable Frequency drive - I have not had a chamber chatter. Just thought of that. Chatter may not always be reamer related. I have read where 5Rs want to chatter with a six flute reamer. Also going to AI from standard chamber is hard if reamer pilot isn't in lands.
I don't have a true count, but I have done close to 1000 chambers in my 50+ years.
Last weekend a customer set a club record at OKC with a 22 I built him. I have had numerous national records with gun I have chambered.
 
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I need to add one thing here. Since I switched out my belt drive to a Variable Frequency drive - I have not had a chamber chatter. Just thought of that. Chatter may not always be reamer related. I have read where 5Rs want to chatter with a six flute reamer. Also going to AI from standard chamber is hard if reamer pilot isn't in lands.
I don't have a true count, but I have done close to 1000 chambers in my 50+ years.
Last weekend a customer set a club record at OKC with a 22 I built him. I have had numerous national records with gun I have chambered.

Do you think maybe the belt introduces some compliance in the torque delivery, that allows an oscillation to set up with the cutting action of the reamer? With the VFD conversion, is the belt still present or is it geared now?

Would be interesting to see if a large flywheel mass was rotating on the spindle, would that too reduce the likelihood of chatter. Just thinking out loud here.
 
Do you think maybe the belt introduces some compliance in the torque delivery, that allows an oscillation to set up with the cutting action of the reamer? With the VFD conversion, is the belt still present or is it geared now?

Would be interesting to see if a large flywheel mass was rotating on the spindle, would that too reduce the likelihood of chatter. Just thinking out loud here.
The belt can definitely impart surface imperfections if it is left too loose.
 
In my manual machine days for AI reamers I would cut about .100" of the body before roughing in the rest of the chamber. That helped greatly with chatter. I think some of our problems relate to reamer core depth and flute thickness. Cutting forces aren't that high when finishing a cut but a reamer will twist while doing the meat and potatoes work.
 
Rockwell Lathe. It was a variable speed belt drive. Two cones that slipped to control speed. The belts weren't loose but could vibrate in the cones.
The VF is still belt driven but now fixed centerline. I can now turn target weight barrels the full length without chatter.
I haven't changed the way I chamber. I chamber in a steady rest.
 
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Rockwell Lathe. It was a variable speed belt drive. Two cones that slipped to control speed. The belts weren't loose but could vibrate in the cones.
The VF is still belt driven but now fixed centerline. I can now turn target weight barrels the full length without chatter.
I haven't changed the way I chamber. I chamber in a steady rest.
Sacrilege You can't chamber a barrel accurately that way. ;)
 

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