How to hold a barrel in a steady rest

[DaveTooley]

This is something I've done for decades as a quick, simple and safe way to run a barrel in a steady rest to crown a barrel. I don't use it for threading the muzzle. That's better done between centers. And while your threading the muzzle take a clean up cut on the barrel sleeve.
It's nothing more than an aluminum or steel sleeve large enough to go over the barrel. A piece of triangular paper to wrap the barrel and act as a filler.
Wrap the paper so it's gets thicker the further you go up the barrel. Get the right amount of paper and then tap the sleeve on tight. Take a clean up cut, then run the sleeve in a steady rest. Don't over tighten or you'll spin the sleeve. The paper protects the barrel in case that happens. You just start over with a clean up cut.

I'll let you deal with the other end.

 

[ELR LVR]

How do you deal with the taper on the barrel?
Isn't the sleeve only going to contact the barrel where the OD is largest (toward the rear) and allow it to then wobble once a cutter is placed against the barrel now applying pressure?
Or do you bore the same taper inside the sleeve? (That sounds like work )
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One gunsmith I knew did use Delrin and made sleeves just as you are describing
but I am not seeing how it would work well unless the barrel is either straight contour,,,or the ID of the sleeve is tapered to match barrel taper
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I ask of course.... because I do not want to experiment with expensive barrels and value your own personal experience with this method, so must keep using the method I know works for me and have perfect results with.
So how much barrel taper is too much, allowable, etc to allow an over sleeve to work and still retain runout tolerances less than .001"
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I personally hold the muzzle end of the barrel in the steady rest with the buttons adjusted onto the threaded portion of the muzzle where a brake would attach.
Since that portion of the barrels profile is flat and parallel even if it is threaded
I have heard/seen guys on You Tube, wrap emery cloth onto a barrel and do the same thing you do with the sleeves...
I tried THAT once, and the emery cloth spun on the barrel once lubrication got underneath
So I stick to my current method and have not experiemented further with other methods.
(I'm not a high volume Smith, so mainly do this for myself you see)
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Then the crowning can be done
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The (1/2-28,,,,5/8-24) threads do not wear the buttons hardly at all especially if the profile of the top of the thread is filed flat (it takes a few barrel jobs to cause wear ) being bearing bronze and I grease those contact points as well and keep checking for any button wear which would cause runout.

 

[DaveTooley]

What if there are no threads?
The paper wrap varies in thickness to make it easier to get the sleeve started. As the sleeve is driven/tapped on the paper compresses along the length of the sleeve. You only needs maybe a 1/2" for the steady to run on towards the breech side. Very little pressure is applied either when taking a clean up cut and even less when crowning. It's worked for me 30+ years

 

[paperpuncher]

Thanks for posting. I Learned something new today, I always like that

 

[WayneShaw]

Thank you Dave!

 

[ELR LVR]

I also tried this idea once...
and once cutter pressure was applied to the barrel it pushes the barrel off center and the brass saver falls out.
way too much deflection with an intermediate piece between barrel and live center.
So I stick to using a live center on the muzzle (a Very Rigid setup) and then the crowning is my last operation to freshen up and cut away any mushrooming the live center may have caused on the muzzle bore.

 

[AccelR8]

Good idea.

I do something similar but make the sleeve larger diameter inside than the barrel OD. Put the barrel between centers, set the steady rest up with the sleeve in place with a gap between sleeve and barrel, then fill the gap with Bondo. The sleeve is only 3/4 inch or so wide. After it sets up, cut the outside of the sleeve to true it up and then run the steady on the sleeve. When done with the job a heat gun softens the bondo to remove the sleeve and any remaining bondo can basically be scraped off with a thumb nail. Some masking tape before hand on either side of the sleeve helps keep excess Bondo off the barrel for easier clean up. Doesn't leave any marking behind on the barrel.

Or, a strip of abrasive cloth wrapped around the barrel cloth side in, abrasive side out, between the steady rest fingers and the barrel. Trap the two ends of the cloth between the two halves of the rest when you close it around the barrel. Keep it well oiled. This method however may leave some marks, light scoring on a blued finish or a polished band on a stainless barrel. Depends on the barrel finish as much as anything else.

I've used a brass intermediate piece as in the post above but mine, rather than having a taper to ride in the muzzle, I turn a shank that is bore diameter, a 90 degree shoulder to rest on the muzzle, and a 60 degree center drilled cone for the live center. But that's a lot of extra work as each barrel pretty much requires it's own brass to be made and I haven't done it for years now.

I'm going to try this paper method next time. Seems less muss and fuss than the Bondo.

 

[tobnpr]

I've made a handful of sacrificial bushings for this for typical contour muzzle ODs.
I bore oversize, put release agent on the barrel then slide the bushing about 1-1/2" onto the barrel. Inject the gap between bushing and barrel with epoxy for perfect fit that resolves the taper "issue".

Put the barrel (or barreled action with a mandrel) between centers, make a skim/truing cut across the bushing and it's ready for the steady...

 

[troupe]

Experience can not be beat and this forum, as well as Dave is a Gem in the accuracy world. Also just a great guy !!!

 

[WSnyder]

I also tried this idea once...

Too long. The Newlon crown savers are short/thin enough that the tip of the center is still inside the bore even with the saver in place. They work great.

 

[DaveTooley]

Good for polishing barrels. Not so good for machine work.

 

[Tucker65]

I built this unit that bolts to my steady rest. It doesn't show in this picture but in the other side of the aluminum plate is another bearing that the steady rest followers adust then to hold. The barrel is dialed in with the 4 jacking screws just like a spider. The nice thing about this is you can spin it as fast as you want as it's turning in bearings.

 

[ELR LVR]

Good stuff,
Thanks for all the ideas guys
I really like the Bondo Idea, under the collar to keep it stiff.