The machines needed for a complete gunsmiths shop ?

[Shrek]

I’ve been collecting machinery for a diy shop and it looks like I’m going to be able to set it up in a friend’s warehouse. So far I’ve collected;
Clochester Clausing 13” lathe (same as Harrison M300)
Millrite MVN milling machine
Roll-in bandsaw
Three grinders and buffers
Deckle SO grinder
So far this is the machinery I’ve collected. What am I missing as far as machines go ? I’ve been collecting a bunch of tools to go with this and I’m not wanting to really delve into those yet just machines you would recommend that I don’t have.

 

[ridgeway]

Surface grinder comes in handy. Rotary table for mill is nice to have. Lots of Tooling. Maybe a small haas with 4th axis, TM2 maybe...

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Hardinge toolroom lathe with the cnc conversion to do your barrel shanking

 

[Dusty Stevens]

 

[hoz53]

I’ve been collecting machinery for a diy shop and it looks like I’m going to be able to set it up in a friend’s warehouse. So far I’ve collected;
Clochester Clausing 13” lathe (same as Harrison M300)
Millrite MVN milling machine
Roll-in bandsaw
Three grinders and buffers
Deckle SO grinder
So far this is the machinery I’ve collected. What am I missing as far as machines go ? I’ve been collecting a bunch of tools to go with this and I’m not wanting to really delve into those yet just machines you would recommend that I don’t have.

does that mill have a dro on it? how about power feed on the table - x

 

[hoz53]

that guys gonna wear out his indicator in one barrel wonder how much he has invested in that hardinge

 

[Shrek]

does that mill have a dro on it? how about power feed on the table - x

No dro but it does have power feed on the x axis. I also have a 12” Pratt & Whitney rotary table but it’s really too much for the little mill.

 

[Shrek]

Surface grinder comes in handy. Rotary table for mill is nice to have. Lots of Tooling. Maybe a small haas with 4th axis, TM2 maybe...

I’ve got the rotary table and the surface grinder is something I’ve thought about but wasn’t really sure what I would do with it.

 

[Shrek]

Things I’m still hunting for sure are a high quality drill press , square wheel belt sander , possibly a surface grinder. Not sure what else. There’s lots of tools I’ve already collected and much more I’ll need. I would like to upgrade the mill when I get a chance but I have the old and very worn Millrite. I was born with nothing and I still have most of it left so I’m not going for a 5 axis cnc anytime soon. I actually could get two cnc mills for a couple of thousand but setting them up and learning to operate and code for them seems more than I’m wanting to bite off. I’ve been tempted to buy the Bridgeport cnc and convert it back to manual but it seems kind of pointless and difficult compared to finding a full sized BP style milling machine.

 

[geo.ulrich]

Machine wise I think you have it pretty well covered for a start. now on to the small tools...

 

[Shrek]

Ridgeway , what do you use the surface grinder for ? Other than barrel lugs I can’t think of what I’d use it for gunsmithing. I can buy a ground barrel lug pretty cheap and I’m guessing I’d have as good of a chance turning a lug into a potato chip as I would getting it flat with a surface grinder. That’s my thought at least. Zero practical experience to work from so it’s all guessing right now.

 

[Shrek]

That’s a really nice lathe but it has a 1.25” spindle bore and it’s ridiculously expensive to buy. I don’t see the point of the indicator on the tail end or leaving it while running. That end needs to run out wherever it needs to go to get the bore at the end of the reamer running straight. If he dialed both ends he just bent the barrel into alignment and it’s not running true. But the machine is sweet ! I understand just enough to be a hazard to myself and equipment.

 

[Ksracer]

A Miller Dynasty DX 210 is nice to have when you need it.

 

[Bamban]

Dave, you need lathe #2

 

[Intheshop]

Tig welder,OA torch,couple of drill presses,surface grinder,and throw in some modest wood working equipment if at all possible. After that...... some modest sheet metal equipment comes in durn handy here. A squaring (stomp) shear,finger or press brake,and rolling machines. Oh yeah,nice big H frame press gets used here often enough to warrant the real estate.

You sort of need a "working list" of items you're looking for. Read as much as possible about them,learn what makes'm tick. Because when deals roll around you usually don't have time to do the research..... there's times to be patient,and times to bust out the $100's when it comes to buying equipment.

Team up with guys looking at equipment.... just like if you're buying used cars,don't go alone. Mores eyes are better but you gotta go looking. Not disparaging machine dealers,they can be a fantastic resource but.... there are reasons their machines aren't moving. It's a lot like fishing and hunting,the more you do it,the better your "luck". This is why you so often hear about guys buying their first lathe(mill,?) and then all of a sudden there's several more popping up. And they looked for 3 years to find the first one. You have to cultivate your machine spidey sense through research AND getting off the couch to actually look at pcs. The contacts you make are like friends.... they may not have the piece you're after but give you a line on a low mileage XYZ machine. Good luck,my wife cringes at the mention of a road trip,haha.

Edit; wasn't 10 minutes after posting above that I was surfing some of my favorite machinery venues and found/bought a sorta unicorn piece. Mid 1940's,needs some serious TLC. I don't want it but one of my sons is doing backflips this a.m. Don't need all the details but it was first posted late Friday night. If it was 6 months ago(pre covid) it would've been snatched up. Point being,I knew what it was and what it needs and ready to buy..... not dicker over price.

 

[hoz53]

Tig welder,OA torch,couple of drill presses,surface grinder,and throw in some modest wood working equipment if at all possible. After that...... some modest sheet metal equipment comes in durn handy here. A squaring (stomp) shear,finger or press brake,and rolling machines. Oh yeah,nice big H frame press gets used here often enough to warrant the real estate.

You sort of need a "working list" of items you're looking for. Read as much as possible about them,learn what makes'm tick. Because when deals roll around you usually don't have time to do the research..... there's times to be patient,and times to bust out the $100's when it comes to buying equipment.

Team up with guys looking at equipment.... just like if you're buying used cars,don't go alone. Mores eyes are better but you gotta go looking. Not disparaging machine dealers,they can be a fantastic resource but.... there are reasons their machines aren't moving. It's a lot like fishing and hunting,the more you do it,the better your "luck". This is why you so often hear about guys buying their first lathe(mill,?) and then all of a sudden there's several more popping up. And they looked for 3 years to find the first one. You have to cultivate your machine spidey sense through research AND getting off the couch to actually look at pcs. The contacts you make are like friends.... they may not have the piece you're after but give you a line on a low mileage XYZ machine. Good luck,my wife cringes at the mention of a road trip,haha.

Edit; wasn't 10 minutes after posting above that I was surfing some of my favorite machinery venues and found/bought a sorta unicorn piece. Mid 1940's,needs some serious TLC. I don't want it but one of my sons is doing backflips this a.m. Don't need all the details but it was first posted late Friday night. If it was 6 months ago(pre covid) it would've been snatched up. Point being,I knew what it was and what it needs and ready to buy..... not dicker over price.

thats quite a post . Alot of good info. Thanks

 

[Toolbreaker]

I’ve been collecting machinery for a diy shop and it looks like I’m going to be able to set it up in a friend’s warehouse. So far I’ve collected;
Clochester Clausing 13” lathe (same as Harrison M300)
Millrite MVN milling machine
Roll-in bandsaw
Three grinders and buffers
Deckle SO grinder
So far this is the machinery I’ve collected. What am I missing as far as machines go ? I’ve been collecting a bunch of tools to go with this and I’m not wanting to really delve into those yet just machines you would recommend that I don’t have.

That's a heckuva good start! Just a few thoughts off the top of my head, here...

-I have a love/hate relationship with welding, but sometimes a TIG welder really is a Godsend. An AC/DC unit with ~200 amps will definitely pay for itself along the way.

-A good standalone belt sander with a variety of different belts.

-That Roll-in is a great saw. Grab one or two outboard supports that will adjust to the table height, and you're good to go with just about any stock length.

-I've used a Deckle for years now. You'll find all sorts of odd jobs for it, not including the custom cutters and resharps you can do on it. Do you have a full set of collets?

-If you ever run across an old die filer in good shape at a reasonable price, don't turn your nose up to it. There's been more than one time I would have given my eye teeth for an hour with one.

-Small toolroom-sized surface grinders are fantastic, and I use one just about daily. Just like mills, the fixturing & wheels will wind up costing more than the grinder itself. They are very dirty, though. Dressing a wheel and grinding puts all kinds of abrasive & debris in the air (and on your other machines). If you get one, think about putting it off by itself and fixturing some kind of vacuum system to it.

-A heavy work bench and good vises (plural). I wouldn't trade for my Wilton bullet vises.

Edit to add: At some point, you may want to add air to your shop. Don't skimp on the compressor or especially the plumbing. 5-7.5 horse Champ or IR, in my opinion.

 

[sean68]

Pantograph or chemical etching system for engraving. Stamps work too, but are tricky to get to look nice. I have been happy with my New Hermes pantograph.

 

[Shrek]

Thanks for the ideas. I’ve been on the lookout for a New Hemes and the belt sander. Everything has been junk , too expensive , or just missed it. A big American drill press is on the list and I may have one on the line. Guy just needs to decide to let it go and he’ll have to move it to his new shop in a month or so. I’m hoping that’s the reason he needs. Welder isn’t on my list but it is on my friends list (neighbor) so I won’t have to buy that.

 

[tobnpr]

Blast cabinet.
Didn't see air compressor on your list?

Surface grinder, maybe. I've thought about one, but after discussion on machinists' forums I've decided to hold off. Most that own them- even in job shops- rarely use them and they're very "iffy" to buy used. Unlike a lathe, miller, or most any other machine where the operator can compensate for (inevitable) wear on a used machine, a surface grinder has to be dead-on precise or it's nothing but scrap iron. Ability to evaluate condition is paramount, as they can be very expensive to repair.

I'd like to have an engraver as well, but I'm good with stamps (made a jig that works well) for marking barrels and I'm looking at acid-etch kits for logo etc. that don't have a depth requirement.

I don't see anything related to sheet metal being relevant for the rifle work. Again, there's been times I wish I had a brake, etc. but it's never been related to smithing.