Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing New lathe accessories

If you are getting a lathe, what "other" stuff do you need to chamber a new barrel.

I could have new to a lathe vs. new lathe

on the cheap. All of the import accessories probably come from the same place. I will upgrade at a later date if I feel the need

http://www.shars.com/products/view/..._with_135_Lbs_Holder_Power_Magnetic_Base

http://www.shars.com/products/view/951/4quot_4_Jaw_Independent_Chuck_Solid_Hard_Jaws

Precision Machinist Level

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Master-Machinist-s-Level-8-x-0005-Per-10-/H2682

http://gretanrifles.com/products/details.jsf

I am going to make a spider for the rear once I get up and running

At a minimum, a steady rest and/or follow rest, a good cutting tool for the thread pitch you're going to need, a spindle bore large enough to handle barrels ( 1 1/4" or a little larger), a thread pitch measuring tool, a live center, maybe a fixture to fit to the outboard side of the spindle to handle long barrels and center them up in the bore/lathe axis.

You will also need a tapering attachment to taper barrels and another fixture to cut the radius from the shank to the barrel taper if you want to go that way.

Emory cloth in different grits (50 grit up to 400 grit) for preliminary polishing on the lathe.

You'll probably also need a tool for cutting the crown. A good, sharp cutter would do the job with a little practice, but there are dedicated tools for cutting and polishing the crown that are quicker and probably more accurate.

All of this is just to taper the barrel blank and shape, thread the barrel. For chambering you'll need a few other things- chambering reamers, finish reamers, a reamer holder, good micrometers, go/no-go guages for each cartridge, an action and/or barrel wrench, etc...

I'm sure others will throw in some other ideas for spending your money.

Bob

I'm going to get a grizzly gunsmith lathe so it'll have a steady rest, I need to see they come with 4 point chuck, and spider adj.

I do have mic's and a magnetic base w/ a couple indicators.

I did forget the level...

I wouldn't worry about a machinist level.

Perfectly level to that degree isn't really needed.

A good carpenters level will do.

Just my $.02

The only reason that I am buying one for my lathe is piece of mind. I was to get this thing nice and level, make any adjustments needed and go from there.

Opinions vary a bit about lathe leveling from what I have read.

It cant hurt so I will do it

Agree. Didn't know how strapped for cash.

Final adjustments on some lathes are made by twisting the frame.

Most people don't have a clue what is important in leveling a lathe. Once you have been around the block and haven't fallen off the turnip truck you will find the only real thing that is important is getting the twist out of the ways. It is better to let my barrel supplier contour my barrels. A following rest is useless for this unless you have air or hydraulic cylinders on it. My following rest and steady rest have gathered dust the last 10yrs, but I have them. For chambering I use a cathead on either side of the headstock. I do not and will not use a 4 jaw for chambering. I have a Deltronic pin set for each caliber that I chamber. 25 pins in .0001 increments for ea. bore size. I have several indicators that are in .0001 graduations. I have both thread mics and threaded check gauges for some tenons. Real micrometers from 1-3" will take care of 95% of any OD measuring. Calipers are for rough measuring only. I use a depth mic. I do not use carbide tools to thread. I use HSS inserts from Warner. Makes a much nicer thread. For precision work on Competition barrels I crown only with a very sharp HSS cutting tool, not one of the aftermarket crowning tools. I drill, reindicate and taper bore my chambers with a small rigid solid carbide boring bar before reaming the chamber.
I'm tired and going to bed. Probably forgot something. I'm sure somebody will remember it for me.

The primary benefit of leveling any machine tool is it gives you a reference for setting up tooling, jigs, fixtures, etc., Let's say you have a work piece mounted in the lathe and need to set something up relative to that piece but don't want to remove it from the lathe. If your lathe is level, you can use a level to dial in your setup without removing the work in the lathe.

Do what? If my lathe tilts forward, backward, left or right what difference does it make if there is no twist in the ways?

I have the Machinist Level and check my lathe maybe once a year and so far it hasn't moved from the first time i leveled it when i first set it up . I'm not a Gunsmith and don't pretend to have the Knowledge Butch has, but can set up and chamber my own barrel's and so far every rifle i have chambered and built has been a halve inch or better shooter with my loads . I never use factory ammo in my rifles so can't really say how they would group with them. I wish my Lathe had a Shorter Spindle so i could chamber shorter barrel's without have to do them from the Steady Rest.

My 6913 Clausing has a wide headstock. I drilled and tapped the spindle on the left side of the headstock and used a chuck adaptor to make a cathead for the chuck side. I can do a 19" barrel now.

Well if there's no twist in the ways, then you should be able to make bars that are straight; no taper. But leveling helps with a lot of other stuff such as layout or using measuring tools. But your right, it's about the accuracy of the ways more than anything else.

For just doing chamber work, the equipment is pretty simple.

There are two ways to do it, at the 4 head chuck with the barrel sticking out the outboard side, using an outboard center (cathead/spider). Or you can set the barrel up in a chuck and steady rest. I personally like the former because it's more secure and steady, but not everyone's lathe can take the entire barrel, so I've seen people actually pull it off using a steady rest.

So for the former you just need a 4 jaw chuck, and an outboard center/cathead/spider. Or you can use a cathead/spider on either side since it's essentially a 4 jaw chuck.

The nice thing about the cathead's; they're easy to make and a fun project to do once you get your lathe setup.

You will need a dial indicator on a magnetic base. And you will need a set of precision rods to place in the bore to check runout.

Which method isn't nearly as important as your ability to remove the last little bit of runout to get it all perfectly concentric before chambering.

Do you have a photo of this setup ?

Maybe, PM an email address. I personally see no use for a 4 jaw for chambering.

We're in an area that's dear to my heart, and I'm in no way trying to be contentious.

Can a barrel's THREADS and bearing shoulder be cut in that kind of setup ?

Seems the forces are quite a bit HIGHER, at that point.

Always up for learned council here, and asking out of an earnest and sincere interest.

GTC

I own but don't use the machinist's level, the steady rest, nor the follower rest.
I do use the DRO, the home made spider, the homemade carriage stop, the homemade gimbal, aftermarket lighting, aftermarket coolant system, and a keyless chuck in the tailstock.
I built a shelf over the lathe and fill it up with tool holders.
For turning brass necks I have drilled into the #3MT female in the tailstock to tether the shell holder.


I keep the lathe on a wide foot print front to back so it cannot fall over. I also keep it on casters so I can move it. I have friends that keep their lathes leveled. I have friends that keep their lathes on soft pads. You pay your money and take your choice.

Mt next new accessory will be a complete set of threading gears for mt Atlas.
As set up now it will turn a piece but the gears are so fast no threads can be cut.
Only time will tell what will come after.
Good Luck with yours.

I guess it all depends on how precise you need to be. When working over very short distances, generally you don't have to have your lathe leveled super precise. But if you're ever turning things that are long across the entire length of the bed, that's when you start seeing real issues.

For me, I'm rarely working on anything that long, and rarely do I need that level of precision. I generally am either making small things like firing pins, or I'm fabricating something for my personal use where I get to determine what the "spec" will be.

However, I will soon be making a new spindle for my drill press since I can't seem to get a spindle that will accept a normal chuck(Japanese made Jet). So when I do that, I'll be taking out the machinist level to check the level of my lathe. I'll be turning a #33 Jacobs Taper so that has to be right.

But yeah, for most things that we home users of lathe's make, you generally can level with a carpenters level.

It's when you need to make something that...oh I don't know...maybe things a MACHINIST would make. Then you'd better level it, and level it right.