Lead lapping a barrel?????

[msinc]

I have used both alum oxide and silicon carbide. I think people get confused here. Silicon carbide can embed in the steel IF you were lapping with a harder lap. The grit will embed in the lead lap, not the steel. At least that is what I have found.

Yes, my worry is that it might still embed in a bad spot or maybe catch in a tool mark or such, but I haven't been able to find where that has happened yet. Haven't exactly lapped a thousand barrels yet either!!

 

[msinc]

Hey msinc. Thanks much for the laping pics and explanations. I've wondered how that was done for awhile. My one question is doesn't the lead run down past the jag or what keeps that from happening. It didn't look like that happened in the one in your pic. Thanks. Hoz

You are very welcome sir and thanks for the kind words. It did not and I wish I hadn't left everyone to guess that and could have showed it as a film, it would have been much easier to understand. What keeps it from happening is having the jag roughly fit the barrel, in example, you might have some leak past if you tried to use a 22 caliber jag on a 45 caliber barrel. I apologize as I should have had this info in the original posts with the photos. Glad you pointed this out, the jag doesn't have to be the exact caliber because the lead solidifies almost immediately in the relatively cold barrel. If you could get some to leak a little ways past the jag before it solidifies that might actually be better because the longer the lap the more work you can get out of it. The lap being soft lead fairly quickly wears down to the point that it is no longer affecting the bore.

 

[hoz53]

You are very welcome sir and thanks for the kind words. It did not and I wish I hadn't left everyone to guess that and could have showed it as a film, it would have been much easier to understand. What keeps it from happening is having the jag roughly fit the barrel, in example, you might have some leak past if you tried to use a 22 caliber jag on a 45 caliber barrel. I apologize as I should have had this info in the original posts with the photos. Glad you pointed this out, the jag doesn't have to be the exact caliber because the lead solidifies almost immediately in the relatively cold barrel. If you could get some to leak a little ways past the jag before it solidifies that might actually be better because the longer the lap the more work you can get out of it. The lap being soft lead fairly quickly wears down to the point that it is no longer affecting the bore.

Thanks for that info. I figured the lead would solidify purdy quick. When I try it I will make sure the bottom of the jag fits close and the top is smaller dia to make room for the lead. I wonder how it would work to try wheel weights. A little harder mabie the lap would last longer but mabie it wouldn't work at all? Has anyone tried that? Thanks

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I use wheel weight lead. Works fine.

 

[Brians356]

YThe lap being soft lead fairly quickly wears down to the point that it is no longer affecting the bore.

This raises a question about the lead itself: Could it not be a somewhat harder alloy, not unlike some of the mixtures used for cast bullets, where certain "lead" objects with some antimony content etc produce bullets which are harder than dead soft "pure" lead?

Edit: I see "hoz53" beat me to it, sorry.
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[msinc]

Yes, good question too...I have tried both the dead soft {as "pure" as I have} lead as well as harder alloy rifle bullet lead, but I really am not able to see where it made a lot of difference. I started with the dead soft stuff thinking that maybe it would be easier on the bore and I would have less chance of messing something up, but after going up in BHN {I started with a BHN of 6} to a little over 15 the lap really doesn't seem to last or work much longer, maybe a stroke or two, but that was all. I also fluxed it good because I was worried I might get some junk in the lap that didn't belong and gouge up the bore. Again, I didn't see an advantage either way to what alloy hardness I used.

 

[hoz53]

Yes, good question too...I have tried both the dead soft {as "pure" as I have} lead as well as harder alloy rifle bullet lead, but I really am not able to see where it made a lot of difference. I started with the dead soft stuff thinking that maybe it would be easier on the bore and I would have less chance of messing something up, but after going up in BHN {I started with a BHN of 6} to a little over 15 the lap really doesn't seem to last or work much longer, maybe a stroke or two, but that was all. I also fluxed it good because I was worried I might get some junk in the lap that didn't belong and gouge up the bore. Again, I didn't see an advantage either way to what alloy hardness I used.

Ok thanks Alex and MS.

 

[msinc]

Up.......

 

[boltfluter]

Msinc,

Great info and thanks for following through. Kind of exciting changing a tomato stake into a tac driver. The wheels are turning now. Lol.

Paul

www.boltfluting.com