reamer chatter

[dan06]

Now I'm not a gunsmith but I have sure paid a lot to get a bunch of it done. My favorite smith has built me a few nice rifles and done a wonderful job. This week he was installing a Brux barrel and chambering it 6.5-.284. The reamer started to chatter some and he had a hell of a time getting it corrected. I guess my question would be what could be the reasons why? he was feeding it really slow and useing pleanty of oil. Could this be a problem with the reamer itself?

 

[germanlongbow]

Sometimes a hard spot. Happened a while back with my smith chambering 223Ackley. Wrapped reamer in wax paper. Don't know how or why but helped settle down the chatter and smooth out the chamber. Have smith's name is you want to drop him a email to discuss. Let me know. Scott

 

[X Ring Accuracy]

With an oil feed system especially, if you see chatter increase feed rate. Also, is it a new reamer?

 

[WayneShaw]

I think Brux is into some different steel now. I recently did one that was notably different than the Brux's I've done in the past couple years. Using the same reamers and same methods, the steel is different.

 

[lpreddick]

do spiral reamers have less chatter tendicies?

 

[21shooter]

Hi, Sounds like to much rpm. John

 

[dan06]

My smith assures it wasn't too much RPM....It isn't a new reamer it has cut one chamber before. It had a slight chatter started at the very end of the reaming process on the first chamber that was corrected with polishing. This last chamber has been a real bear the shoulder had to be set back and chambered again to correct.

 

[X Ring Accuracy]

I use 115 RPM for reaming. Some use more, some use less. If you are using a sane rpm, (see above) then feed rate is the key. My 260 reamer is especially prone to chatter, so I feed it a bit more and becomes happy again. YMMV

 

[500 meter ram]

I also believe that feed rate is the culprit

 

[Gundoktr]

For what it is worth, I used to have chatter until I went to a faster RPM; don't know why but it cured the problem. The waxed paper works also, try it, it will make a believer out of you.

 

[Jim See]

My guess would be that if it chattered slightly in the first chamber and then again in the second it could be a reamer geometry issue. I had one recently new reamer that would cut for .030 and lock up tight, sent it back to regrind same thing, With a phone call the reamer maker said toss it and I'll send a new one. So somtimes that can be the issue.

Filling the flutes with plumbers putty, and sending it in for .020"- .040"will clean the chatter right out, then resume as normal with-out the putty.

 

[boltfluter]

Great tip Jim. I will have to keep that in mind. Thanks, Paul.

http://www.boltfluting.com/

 

[dksac2]

Filling it with Bee's Wax has worked wonders for me. Only had them that bad twice that I could not correct the problem, but the Bee's Wax is great.

If your smith had trouble with two barrels, maybe he should send the reamer back to be checked.

My Best, John

 

[Empty Pockets]

An oily patch wrapped around the flutes works well, too. Pilot fit is often a culprit in chatter. Likely a mucha anything else. I think the patch, wax paper, whatever, just tightens things up enough for the deeper shoulder angle to take over guiding the reamer.