First rebarreling attempt

[Ernest]

Thanks for all the great advice
The video's by Pieczynski are great. He has a whole series that are good

[Ernest]

OK here we go.
Had the week end off so today I got the lathe leveled. Cleaned and changed out the the 3 jaw to the 4 jaw. Set up the dial indicator. Chucked up a 1.25 aluminum rod and got it dialed in to less than .002 total run out at one point. then mounted the viper bench rest chambering and truing fixture. figured out how to mount my enco test indicator to test the internal bore and was able to dial it in to > .002 total run out. so far so good.

Then put the aluminum rod into the chambering fixture and tried to dial it in at to points about 2.5 inches apart. Yikes that is tough. Could get one point to about .001 run out but the other point would be embarrassingly far off. More You tube for me.

[HollowPoint]

Hang in there. On a couple of my rebarreling projects it took me almost two hours of just going back and forth when dialing in the center of my barrels before I got them as close to dead center as I could. In none of my projects was I ever able to index my barrel to a perfectly indexed state.

HollowPoint

[Petander]

Following.

I have no idea why but I have always wanted to be able to barrel a rifle.

You like to learn. That's one of the best reasons to do things.

I still don't have the lathe but I'm on the edge.

[Ernest]

You know of all the joys of life one that never goes stale is the joy of learning new things

[Moleman-]

What kind/size of lathe do you have?

[Ernest]

I have two. 1st is a Chinese ,I think Horror Freight, 1982 model 12 x36. That is what I will use. I also have a Sheldon lathe . but I don't have it set up and leveled yet

[Moleman-]

Do most of my barrel work on a 12x36 Sheldon lathe but also have a 13x36 Clausing and a 9x20 enco. The Sheldon and Clausing have a long headstock so a spider isn't an option. Don't use a cathead like the viper you mentioned. Usually just turn the muzzle end of the blank to fit a spindle bore sized bushing and then use a thin aluminum/copper/brass split bushing to hold the barrel in the 4-jaw while chambering. There's a lot of bleed over from chambering long range benchrest rifles that is likely overkill on a guy trying to chamber a barrel to shoot minute of deer. Try a few different ways and find a method that works for you. Green mountain barrels has good quality blanks at reasonable prices if you want to get one of their "gunsmith" blanks to practice on.

[Ernest]

Thanks
I will look into the green mountain barrels. I have not heard of them.

[Moleman-]

Their gunsmith blanks aren't turned on centers like their round blanks are. Often the cost savings is usually more than half of what the turned blank cost is. For the most part you're going to turn the OD of the barrel anyway so why pay to have it turned if you're just going to cut that part off anyway? Odd thing to remember about their unturned gunsmith blanks is that they are either unmarked (chamber end will have less runout) or will have the muzzle marked unless they've changed it in the last two months. Their regular turned blanks will have the chamber end marked though. Been using their barrels for about 10 years now and am happy with them.

[Ernest]

"There's a lot of bleed over from chambering long range benchrest rifles that is likely overkill on a guy trying to chamber a barrel to shoot minute of deer."
have been thinking about this. Sounds pretty wise . Got floating reamer holder from Brownnels Slowly moving forward.

[izzyjoe]

My friend taught me to cut a relief next to the shoulder, so that way you don't crash the bit. It takes a little practice, but you start slow and learn when to release the half nuts, and draw the crosslide out. I've never cut threads upside down, it don't seem hard, but I just cut to the left the way I was taught.

[GBertolet]

I was taught also, to leave a slightly recessed, unthreaded area at the shoulder, maybe .100. This will give you a area, to stop your threading at.

[44magLeo]

I guess I cheated when I unscrewed a 243 barrel and screwed in a 250 savage barrel. I used a Savage Model 11.
Bought a chambered barrel with a taper to match the stock barrel. Tough part was breaking the barrel loose.
Shoots well.
Leo

[country gent]

You might try using 2 indicators one at the chamber and one at the muzzle work them in together make an adjustment check other end work back and forth. Its a learning curve. You want snug fitting pins in the bore to indicate them

[Ernest]

Well life/work sure gets in the way of my play time but I am making progress.
I decided to use a tang safety 77 Ruger in 30-06 as the donor. The cartridge will be 400 Brown Whelen because I all ready have a rifle that was made in the caliber. . I have done all the research on it and I have a reamer, go gauge no go. Also have cases dies trimming set up etc. I have a Douglas barrel now.
Again life got in the way and I have not threaded or used the lathe in several years. I took some advice and started out with an aluminum rod.. Turned it down successfully after a couple of false starts. I then started to thread it... Oops ...I am really happy I started low and slow and only screwed up an aluminum rod but I figured out what I did wrong.
So here is the plan. 1. get back in the saddle with the aluminum turn it down and thread it.
2. I have several old take off barrels I will indicate one turn it down and thread and make sure it fits properly the action.
3. put the Douglas barrel in turn thread and chamber.

[country gent]

What was the opps?
Several things make threading much easier. Cut the thread relied mentioned above. Use a live center with an extended point, this gives more room also.
I set the tool in upside down in the holder. Grind so its still against the shoulder. If your using a lantern type post you mat need a taller rocker,in aloris style holders a small block under the adjusting wheel Helps alot. Set the lathe up normally for right hand thread. Turn on in reverse . This will feed out from shoulder to end in reverse its the right hand thread. The advantages to the upside down tool are 1) you have more room to stop the tool. 2) chip control is much better. the chip breaks and falls off down. 3) coolant has a better flow to the cutting edge.
The draw back to this is you have to start in the narrow relief cut meaning hitting it right on.
Use plenty of heavy cutting fluid Here is one place the old thick sulfur oils shine.
Hone the tools to a sharp edge to reduce cutting pressures.

[Ernest]

the chuck on my lathe is a screw on chuck, right hand threads. Is there a danger up unscrewing the chuck if you do left to right threading with the cutter upside down. ?

[country gent]

If its clean and tight it should be okay. starting out use cross feed to zero clear work and compound to feed. Take light passes.

[Ernest]

If its clean and tight it should be okay. starting out use cross feed to zero clear work and compound to feed. Take light passes.

I think I will try that at the lowest speed. If the chuck gets loose I will see it in time to stop.