Wow. Never knew that.
How did you get your start ?
- Thread starter 806guns
- Start date
urbanrifleman
Site $$ Sponsor
I bought all the equipment to do barrels and the guy that was going to do the barrels quit.
There's that word "must". It is entirely possible, just like metric threading in reverse. I have a VFD (acceleration curve) and cheat a little but you can plunge the tip at start and cut a perfect thread without a relief groove. Done it many times. Inside blind hole as well. Never chipped an insert. Engaging the half-nut, the relief groove, can be the width of the insert at thread depth.
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806guns
Silver $$ Contributor
With time i have come to think by the end of the year i will be buying a lathe. After talking to a few gunshops no one in my area is offering barrel threading that they trust. This could a very good opportunity for me to get my start.
Still looking at options and models of lathes to start on
Still looking at options and models of lathes to start on
Ha! One of my pet peeves.
Like Aaron says. to be a real Gun builder a gent must have a sound understanding of using the machinery associated with gun work, both in theory and hands on.
This is my learned opinion. I started out on a lathe when 8 years old and have been employed in heavy industrial machining over the years, now 77 and have a nice hobby shop behind the barn.
My first lathe, still have it and it is often used. Other kids were out playing, I spent my time in my dad's shop making bushings, turning comms on armatures, just fixing things for the heavy trucks he repaired.
The backyard shop. About half of it, there is a lot more stuffed in that 24x36 building.
Two machines at once. A barrel in the rearmost lathe, action truing in the front lathe.
Tooling, got to have a lot of it. In addition to gun work I accomplished custom machining for the drag racing and motorcycle crowd.
Look close and you will see the shop made barrel vise.
Opening up a M70, for a 458 Lott.
Know what I am doing here? An important step for the big bores. 416 Rem. Take a close look at that ball bearing steady.
Motorcycle sprocket.
Shop Creed:
I have hundreds of photos, will put up more if there is interest.
I am an old grumpy machinist but would love to have an apprentice to "show the ropes". But I live way out in the boonies, no young ones here that want to learn a real skill. Sad when I think all my tools and machines will be cleared by some cheating junk dealer.
Like Aaron says. to be a real Gun builder a gent must have a sound understanding of using the machinery associated with gun work, both in theory and hands on.
This is my learned opinion. I started out on a lathe when 8 years old and have been employed in heavy industrial machining over the years, now 77 and have a nice hobby shop behind the barn.
My first lathe, still have it and it is often used. Other kids were out playing, I spent my time in my dad's shop making bushings, turning comms on armatures, just fixing things for the heavy trucks he repaired.
The backyard shop. About half of it, there is a lot more stuffed in that 24x36 building.
Two machines at once. A barrel in the rearmost lathe, action truing in the front lathe.
Tooling, got to have a lot of it. In addition to gun work I accomplished custom machining for the drag racing and motorcycle crowd.
Look close and you will see the shop made barrel vise.
Opening up a M70, for a 458 Lott.
Know what I am doing here? An important step for the big bores. 416 Rem. Take a close look at that ball bearing steady.
Motorcycle sprocket.
Shop Creed:
I have hundreds of photos, will put up more if there is interest.
I am an old grumpy machinist but would love to have an apprentice to "show the ropes". But I live way out in the boonies, no young ones here that want to learn a real skill. Sad when I think all my tools and machines will be cleared by some cheating junk dealer.
806guns
Silver $$ Contributor
Wow man. I live in the texas panhandle with nothing to do but work, farm and shoot. I wish there were more guys that would love to have an apprentice.Ha! One of my pet peeves.
Like Aaron says. to be a real Gun builder a gent must have a sound understanding of using the machinery associated with gun work, both in theory and hands on.
This is my learned opinion. I started out on a lathe when 8 years old and have been employed in heavy industrial machining over the years, now 77 and have a nice hobby shop behind the barn.
My first lathe, still have it and it is often used. Other kids were out playing, I spent my time in my dad's shop making bushings, turning comms on armatures, just fixing things for the heavy trucks he repaired.
The backyard shop. About half of it, there is a lot more stuffed in that 24x36 building.
Two machines at once. A barrel in the rearmost lathe, action truing in the front lathe.
Tooling, got to have a lot of it. In addition to gun work I accomplished custom machining for the drag racing and motorcycle crowd.
Look close and you will see the shop made barrel vise.
Opening up a M70, for a 458 Lott.
Know what I am doing here? An important step for the big bores. 416 Rem. Take a close look at that ball bearing steady.
Motorcycle sprocket.
Shop Creed:
I have hundreds of photos, will put up more if there is interest.
I am an old grumpy machinist but would love to have an apprentice to "show the ropes". But I live way out in the boonies, no young ones here that want to learn a real skill. Sad when I think all my tools and machines will be cleared by some cheating junk dealer.
We have a machinest that comes to our work that really needs a apprentice in his line of work. Line boring for bushings etc on big 4x4 tractors.
Pete Wass
Gold $$ Contributor
There is a great Joe Pie video on this on Youtube. I do mine that way because I'm a Klutz quite often and this method is Klutz proof.
Line boring, yep, been there. Hard core beat your body up, especially on big jobs.
Almost no young guys want to be a machinist anymore. Years ago, it was the top line skill to have.
I admire Jackie Schmidt: Very experienced heavy-duty machinist and I wound not attempt to do some of the things he does in the shipyard. Lots of skill and talent in those hands of his. This is what experience is all about!!
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I started reloading when I was 14. I stocked my first rifle when I was 18. I did my first glass bedding job a year later. After spending two years in other pursuits, at Uncle Sam's request, I got back into hunting and shooting and rifle work. I taught myself to run a lathe, but not well enough to accomplish much. My Dad was, in the early seventies, an avid benchrest shooter and I developed an interest from him. A family friend opened a gun store in Kamloops BC, and offered me a job. The gunsmith there was a pretty knowledgeable guy, name of Art Bourne. I learned a lot from him and built on that. I turned out to be a pretty decent accuracy 'smith (though probably not as good as I thought I was) and built quite a few decent rifles. I even won some tinware and wood myself. Other gunsmiths and shooters were great sources of information and I caught on early to the truism that he learns most who talks the least!
In the early eighties I moved to Calgary Alberta and worked as a gunsmith there for 10 years. From '94 on, I mostly worked for myself. For several years I worked in a hydraulics and fabrication shop. I BS'd my way into the job and a lot of my gunsmithing and toolmaking experience translated well to my job as a journeyman machinist.
Today, my biggest regrets are that I didn't get to know more of my contemporary gunsmiths and try to absorb some of their knowledge. I have come to realize that absolutely everyone knows something I don't. I regret that I don't have enough time left to learn it all! WH
In the early eighties I moved to Calgary Alberta and worked as a gunsmith there for 10 years. From '94 on, I mostly worked for myself. For several years I worked in a hydraulics and fabrication shop. I BS'd my way into the job and a lot of my gunsmithing and toolmaking experience translated well to my job as a journeyman machinist.
Today, my biggest regrets are that I didn't get to know more of my contemporary gunsmiths and try to absorb some of their knowledge. I have come to realize that absolutely everyone knows something I don't. I regret that I don't have enough time left to learn it all! WH
Do you want to make money or chamber barrels? Seriously, you can probably make more money cleaning guns than getting into bbl work. Don't be afraid to charge a fair price for your time and stick to it. It weeds out the junk and low balling customers. There's plenty of that type of work out there. There's really no school that covers everything and every gun. Even people that have spent decades in the business see guns they aren't familiar with on a regular basis.
Either that, or pic a small area of expertise...like bbl chambering but don't limit yourself to that. Hydro dip services and refinishing work are two different but related areas that one could specialize toward. Just look at @Bc'z and all the money he's raking in!
Just pic an area and be the best at that, as another approach.
Either that, or pic a small area of expertise...like bbl chambering but don't limit yourself to that. Hydro dip services and refinishing work are two different but related areas that one could specialize toward. Just look at @Bc'z and all the money he's raking in!
Just pic an area and be the best at that, as another approach.
Jonnyofalltrades
Silver $$ Contributor
Training on machines is an excellent investment.
Evening classes at a technical college won't give a great depth of skills, but will certainly be a great place to start.
I apprenticed as a machinist years ago, with pretty much the main draw being a desire to work on rifles, and needing metalworking skills to do so.
I am forever grateful for skills I learned there. Often I watch video footage of well known gunsmiths doing machining sins that would have earned them a dressing down in class.
Evening classes at a technical college won't give a great depth of skills, but will certainly be a great place to start.
I apprenticed as a machinist years ago, with pretty much the main draw being a desire to work on rifles, and needing metalworking skills to do so.
I am forever grateful for skills I learned there. Often I watch video footage of well known gunsmiths doing machining sins that would have earned them a dressing down in class.
Do you want to make money or chamber barrels? Seriously, you can probably make more money cleaning guns than getting into bbl work. Don't be afraid to charge a fair price for your time and stick to it. It weeds out the junk and low balling customers. There's plenty of that type of work out there. There's really no school that covers everything and every gun. Even people that have spent decades in the business see guns they aren't familiar with on a regular basis.
Either that, or pic a small area of expertise...like bbl chambering but don't limit yourself to that. Hydro dip services and refinishing work are two different but related areas that one could specialize toward. Just look at @Bc'z and all the money he's raking in!
Just pic an area and be the best at that, as another approach.
True, true. I built hunting rifles in the past but I had a real job in industry with good pay and benefits. We had an excellent profit share program that allowed me to invest money in machinery and tooling. Building guns was a "less than break even" deal, I did it for fun. When the times for FFL holders became more expensive, I gave it up.
That's a great looking shop, John. I would be thrilled to be the young guy you could show the ropes. I suppose, at 75, I might not fit the profile! WH
After 30 years as a master machinist, I met a couple of local 'smith's who asked me to teach them machining, I teach them , they teach me. Works out well this way
I generally only do (gun smithing) for my self, but general machine work is another story
I generally only do (gun smithing) for my self, but general machine work is another story
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