Starting New

[StephenPerry]

Starting New
Last year I bought a lathe in hopes of someday doing my own gunsmithing. To be truthful I have no experience with metal lathes. Worked with a wood lathe as a teenager.
The lathe I bought is a Logan model 922. It is not a full bed lathe but has a 1 3/4 hole in the head stock. I am not one to chuck up a barrel and go at it. I will learn in my time.
What I have done is buy dial indicators to start getting familiar with the material I chuck up. I have 3 feeler indicators I call them a Fowler .0005, a Brown & Sharpe .0005, a Federal .001. I also have 5 .0001 gauges different makers and several .001 gauges. Enough gauges. Next I am going to buy a new tool post to replace my rocker. The list goes on and on with a lathe but I hope to be operational next year. Maybe a junior college machine shop class. Lathe works fine and I have a good 4 jaw chuck.
Thought this would be interesting to some maybe some comments would be nice. I might be green but I'm not dead.
Stephen Perry

 

[ArtinNC]

If you are new at this you need the book "The Complete Illustrated Guide To Precision Rifle Barrel Fitting" by John L. Hinnant. Some will not agree but it is a good book for some one new at barrel fitting. You can get the book from Dave Manson Precision Reamers, I think it is $35. Art

 

[StephenPerry]

Art
Thanks. I'll remember the book.
Stephen Perry

 

[kelseygress]

Stephen, have you found what JC's have a machine class in the Inland Empire?
Dick

 

[oldjad01]

I took a couple of High school night classes at Loara HS in Anaheim,a couple of saturday classes at Fullerton JC and then a few NRA summer gunsmithing classes. I found one thing was a constant: lousy, worn out lathes. You might check the NRA summer classes at Lassen JC in Springville CA or Havapai JC in Prescott Az. They did offer basic machine shop classes and a 2 week rifle barrel fitting class. I was building pistols at the time, cut, threaded and fitted several for S&W's, didn't get into the rifles. If you don't use it you lose it. I gave up on thinking about it for part time retirement because of the legal requirements. That was 10-12 years ago and I lost what little I had learned through inactivity. Good luck with yours, JimDee

 

[Rustystud]

StephenPerry:

Stephen, I began working in a small engine, saw, lock, and machine shop when I was 16. They did everything from reel mowers, saws, bored motors, cut cams and cranks, safe and lock work. The original owner still worked for his son who then ran the shop. He was a master machinest during WWI and WWI for the defense department. I learned the use of a machining tools under his watchfull eyes. I had the bug bad but college and a 30 year lawenforcement career got in the way.

Thirty five years later I started building myself a machine shop. I have invested more than $250,000.00 in the last 5 years. I went back to the community college at night and got a degree in machining. After the first two semesters everything went CNC. I got my Gunsmithing 02 FFL and my manufacturing 06 and 07 FFLs. I still work for the government in my day job. I have paid as I have gone along getting my equipment and tooling. I owe no more than my monthly bills. After 4 years I think I am just about to be able to retire from my day job and make it as a machinest/gunsmith. Insurance, taxes, utilities, and machinery/tooling depreciation will cost you 45% of your gross if you are honest. To make a living at gunsmithing you will need to generate at least $65.00 per hour to pay your overhead. I pick and choose my jobs carefully. It does not take many looser jobs to put you in the red. The first year I just barely had enough work to keep me busy. The second year was pretty steady. The third year was quite busy. The fourth year I have work pending. I have about 40 customers who account for 80% of my work. They are target shooters who go through about 4 rifle barrels per year each. I have several barrel and action manufactures that I do work for. I have three gun manufactures that I also do custom work for.

There are several types of gunsmiths, IE:

1. General Cleaning & Repair little or no machinery is needed, just hand tools.

2. Specialist with one type: Rifles, Pistols, Shotguns, or Black Powder.

a. Specialist in target guns, high end hunting guns.

b. semi autos/race guns, revolvers, cowboy action guns

c. shotguns for skeet, trap, sporting clays

d. black powder flint lock, cap lock, and modern inline

3. Specialist with stock work.

4. Specialist in metal finishes.

5. Re barreling, chambering, action truing

6. Barrel manufacturing

7. stock manufacturing

8. aftermarket parts and accessories manufacturing

9. Specialist in antique restorations.

You need to decide on what direction you are going to go in and is there a market there. I always have suggested young smiths go to the community college and get a machining or gunsmithing certificate or degree. Then go to work for someone else for a couple of years before trying to open their own doors.

You will get a lot of advice from folks on the internet. Some are very knowlegable and some are not. My advice is don't go heavily into debt and work for some one who is well respected in the gunsmithing community for several years to learn the trade.
Rustystud