Hand tools?

[Jim-Bibs]

I'm interested in getting some hand tools for gunsmithing. What does everyone recommend? I'm not referring to the tools you may only use once or twice, but the more common items. Thanks in advance!

[Rustyleee]

The first thing would be a catalog from Brownells. Hollow ground screwdrivers, brass punches, small hammer.

[44man]

Good screwdrivers are a must. Lyman sells a neat driver that uses the tips and will get about any screw out. Another good set is Bonanza.
You need a good grinder and Woodcraft makes a real good one that turns 1750 rpm's for tool grinding. I think I paid $85 for it. Sweet machine reserved for tools only. Super good wheels.
Good punch set next. I make brass punches for some pins and hollow out the end to fit pins. Prevents marring with a slipped punch. I made punches to move sights out of aluminum, nylon, brass and copper. I never use steel on sights.
Many tools you can make yourself. Made my own "V" cutters for wood out of triangle files that never get dull. Can't buy one that cuts.
For barrel channels, Brownell's sells a great tool with scraper rings. Sears chisels will take a razor edge. Their screwdrivers are tough and can be hollow ground.
The key is SHARP to cut wood so no pressure is needed. My home made ones will cut hair off a gnats butt!
Get a supply of tool steels, flat and round and learn to harden and temper. I make my own cherries for molds from oil hardening rod. You WILL need to make tools.
Learn woods, curly or birdseye maple needs cut cross grain ONLY.174156 This is what you can do with maple. Home made tools. I can't find any store tool to cut this stuff. My guns are made from planks, never pre cut. Taught myself to checker with brownell's hand tools to get this. 174160 I got so good I don't use border cutters.

[44man]

Have I made money? At times but not enough to live on, takes too much time to do right. Best as a sideline. To live with gunsmithing will price you out of the market. Then the laws and Obumber just used his poison pen to call gunsmith work MANUFACTURING if you even make a gun more accurate over factory. Jail and fines to $1,000,000 if you don't pay.

[mold maker]

Midway also has a great selection of gunsmithing tools.

[Jim-Bibs]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not wanting to do this as a business at all. Way to busy for that. However I am wanting to go above and beyond the ability to take care of my own firearms. So I don't have to pay a licensed gunsmith for work that I can do myself.

[44man]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not wanting to do this as a business at all. Way to busy for that. However I am wanting to go above and beyond the ability to take care of my own firearms. So I don't have to pay a licensed gunsmith for work that I can do myself.
I agree 100% and you can do it but what I said is still true. Lose fear and do it.
Remember the old TV's that always went bad? I could not afford a new one or service. I took a course in the mail. No net then. I got good and fixed mine but got a following. I would come home from work to find 17 sets in my garage from all across Ohio. I was cheap but with pride and still made a lot of money. My neighbor would get a lightning strike that I fixed for $25, even to get parts. Shop charged $79 for a diode and special resistor. I had money and bought guns with never less then $300 in my wallet. I gave my check from United to Carol, I did not need any money from it. But I worked half the night to fix and did many more sets to get it. Never cheated or robbed anyone. I took over all my area from the shop.
Back then the yoke on the tube could be moved to set color, etc. The shop guy would not tighten it and cars on the road would shake it. You had to call him again. Gray scale and color was a job. rows of pots to adjust.
Then the creep would put a picture tube brightener on every set. Increase voltage to the electrodes. Shorten life. I had a tube rejuvenater. I could clean the tube. I seen him in the store buying a case of tube brighteners. REALLY, cheat customers?
I could not live with myself.
Yes you can do it, just learn the gun.

[country gent]

Several things not mentioned here yet. A solid bench at the correct hieght with a wood top and mats for it. A good solid square vise 4"-6" in size with both steel and soft jaws along with liners. A support for the buttstock when the barrel is in the vise. This helps keep them from sliding and tipping away. A good rifle cradle can be a blessing for cleaning and bedding rifles. A good set of screw drivers hollow ground and sopme good standards for when you need to fit a special screw. Punches drift in various sizes, roll pin punches ( ends are relieved to help compress the pin) small to medium prick and center punches. A good magnafiying lense. Sharp scribe, makes laying out holes much easier and a carbide tip stays sharp along time. VArious hammers from a dead blow mallet to several sizes ball peens, my most used ball peen is a little 4 oz one that lays in the nicest prick and center punch marks. A coulpe good sets of pliers at least one set converted to soft jaws, leather or lead works good. A bench grinder with finer wheels can be handy along with a dremil tool or better yet a true die grinder a pencil grinder is 80,000 rpms and puts the dremil to shame. An air compressor is needed for the die grinders but also will supply compressed air for other chores as well.

[KCSO]

Get JB Woods take down books first. Each gun has the tools listed that you need to work on the gun. Plus you will know HOW to do it! I bought a set used in paperback many years ago and they are still hanging together, though dog eared.

[pietro]

I'm not wanting to do this as a business at all.

However I am wanting to go above and beyond the ability to take care of my own firearms - So I don't have to pay a licensed gunsmith for work that I can do myself.




1) Solid workbench w/large bench vise, bench grinder, & good/ample lighting

2) Gunsmithing screwdriver bit set

3) Machinist's/ball peen hammer & mallet w/soft heads

4) Quality files, large & small, mill & bastard, etc

5) Drill Press (Advanced, for drilling/tapping & light lathe work)

6) Quality drill bit set & a small machinist's square

7) Hole threading taps, as req'd (Advanced)

8) Machinist's cutting oil.

9) Read all the gunsmithing books you can get your paws on.



As referred to above, many "tools" can be self-made: vise jaw pads, drift pins (household door hinge pin), rags, parts hangers, fixtures, etc, etc.



As Clint once said: "You gotta understand your limitations." ;)



.

[44man]

There are no limits to hand work but can you pay your mortgage with it? Six months to carve a custom can not be paid for. Seat a swamp barrel is two weeks. Make a stock 1/8" over size to carve and bring to final size is not money in your pocket. OK for yourself. Go for it. be a man.

[bangerjim]

Gunsmith - Not a business I would want to venture into - with all the new laws recently!

[pietro]

gunsmith - not a business i would want to venture into - with all the new laws recently!


Did you read through the entire thread before posting ? (Jes' sayin')





don't get me wrong, i'm not wanting to do this as a business at all.




.

[bangerjim]

Yes I read the ENTIRE thread!!!!!!!

But with the new laws shoved out of HIS pen, the definitions of "manufacturing" guns/ammo/parts/ "you know...that deadly stuff that jumps up and kills people"....who knows what could be classified as what.

Now, MOST of those "tools" can and are used for a wide variety of OTHER things.

I still would never even think about going into gunsmithing these days. Good luck to those that are already performing that task.....and long life to their businesses!

banger

[Reverend Recoil]

Sam and Jacob Hawkins never ordered anything from Brownells or Midway. Make your own tools. Start with punches and screw drivers. Punches and screw drivers can be made from concrete nails, Allen wrenches, spring stock, and old car antennas. Fit sections of white oak broom stick for handles. Use your imagination. Think outside of the dumpster.

[DCM]

1) Solid workbench w/large bench vise, bench grinder, & good/ample lighting

2) Gunsmithing screwdriver bit set

3) Machinist's/ball peen hammer & mallet w/soft heads

4) Quality files, large & small, mill & bastard, etc

5) Drill Press (Advanced, for drilling/tapping & light lathe work)

6) Quality drill bit set & a small machinist's square

7) Hole threading taps, as req'd (Advanced)

8) Machinist's cutting oil.

9) Read all the gunsmithing books you can get your paws on.



As referred to above, many "tools" can be self-made: vise jaw pads, drift pins (household door hinge pin), rags, parts hangers, fixtures, etc, etc.



As Clint once said: "You gotta understand your limitations." ;)



.

Big +1 for the OP intent.

[Jim_P]

Start Here: http://www.graceusatools.com/product-catalog.php?category_id=1

I sent an E-Mail to Grace to inquire about price. I got an E-Mail back (from the company president no less) asking to send me my address and they'll ship me the tools and if I like em - I can pay for them. Otherwise send them back. Had them a few days later. I paid for them.

The also stand directly behind their tools. Offer re-forming services for their screwdrivers if you bung the tip up. Free, if I recall correctly (you pay the shipping however). If it's too bad they'll replace it I've been told.

I love em. You can't go wrong!!! I have their bench block and have added several of their handles to other tools (files and such).

Yup. You can get them through Brownells and Midway. Go to the source. Who else will send you $100+ of tools to give em a try and trust you to pay or return them?

BTW, dip the handles in BLO or Tung oil to seal and protect them.

[DougGuy]

0" to 1" digital readout micrometer that read in .0001" increments, can usually find a Mitutoyo for around $35 - $40
1" to 2" digital readout micrometer that reads in .0001" increments, again can find a Mitutoyo used for pretty cheap.

Mitutoyo digimatic caliper 6" that reads in .0001" increments, I just got one in great condition for $45 shipped.

[izzyjoe]

I've been wanting the wheeler 89pc bit set, cause I have a bunch of homemade stuff, and they work fine but seems like I'm always making new bits. Making you're own stuff gives you a sense of pride.

[Traffer]

For professional quality tools.....no clue. Wouldn't buy them. But I do buy tools, and more tools and more tools. I get them from eBay and of course, Harbor Freight Tools. Or as my wife calls it "Harbor Freight Rules"

[bangerjim]

You can buy inferior tools at HF and swapmeets and evilbay. Or buy quality name-brand tools that will maintain accuracy and last several lifetimes. I have the same set of USA-made drills (number/letter/fractional) I bought 20 years ago. You can still cut your finger on the flutes if not careful!!!!!! I have not needed to re-sharpen them on my Darex yet. But I have a cheeeeepo set of HF drills I use for general construction and drilling of the same sizes that I have resharpened at least 6 times in the past 8 years.

Same goes for lay-out tools. Starrett only here.

Same with taps and dies, hammers, screwdrivers, and any other tool. Quality trumps cheap ever time.

Buy what you can afford. But think ahead and buy tools that you grandchildren can use!!! I have many precision tools from the late 1800's that are still as useful and accurate as the day they were made.

[Traffer]

.Making your own tools with cheap Harbor Freight and Chinese eBay tools is ....well it's very superior. I have a shop full of tools that I paid about the same amount for what many people pay for one "high priced" tool. Do you want to show off your work, or do you want to show off your tools?

[bangerjim]

I show off BOTH............all the time!!!!!!!!! And get OOHS and AHHHS on a regular basis.

I am proud of my work.......................and even prouder of my quality "high priced" tools.

banger

[HangFireW8]

Jim,

Start with a Chapman master screwdriver set, the one with all the bits. Not marring screw slots is the first step towards professional work.

Next get a complete set of stones, different shapes, sizes and grits. Trigger and action jobs...

Next a complete set of files and rasps, if you plan to do stock and handgrip work.

Dremel, or a Foredom with reverse if you can afford it. Also get a complete set of polishing compound grits, from 60 to 1200.

If you don't already, get some one piece cleaning rods, different lengths and thicknesses, and bronze or brass core brushes and tips.

If you will do scope work, buy or make ring alignment rods.

Parallel smooth jaw pliers.

Gun vise and bench hockey puck. Bench mat. Bench brush for a clean working surface.

Get the Jantz supply catalog for good prices on headspace gages and no-fill sandpaper.

That's a good start.

[Traffer]

Get yourself a bunch of Harbor Freight tools and have fun breaking them. I do.

[Clark]

My 29 year old son makes $220k/year and has had a wrench in his hands twice in his life.
He is a software engineer at Google.

My 60 year old brother in law makes $1M/year and cannot operate a screw driver.
He is an attorney that does real estate arbitration.

Randy Ketchum was a gunsmith and gunstore owner that paid taxes on $30k/year.
I have interviewed many engineers. I think Randy had a genius IQ and would have made the big bucks in engineering.

Stewart Bengalt was the front man for a rock group and made $50/week in tavern gigs with Northwest booking agency.
Then he did furniture wholesale sales and got rich.

What does it all mean?
People want to be gunsmiths, rock stars, pro ball players, models, actresses, etc.
There are not many jobs available compared to the number of wanna be applicants.
With the same amount of talent thrown at a job market with big demand, one can get rich and then do amateur gunsmithing, or amateur guitar playing.

[44man]

I think it is a toss of the dice. Jobs were so hard to find long ago and today it is worse. You need to support a family and never give up. Today it is hard to start new and more so with your own business with taxes and regulations that lawyers don't understand.
To see college graduates sweeping floors or washing pots after going up to their necks in debt makes no sense.
You need a trade but many will not hire you without years of experience so how do you get that?
A trade school is best over college.
I learned myself and can do about anything from electrical to plumbing, concrete to block, construction and machining but to get hired with a good pay is another thing.
The smartest people I know made it to 12th grade and the dumbest took liberal arts, can you explain how that gets a job? What is liberal arts? Can you drywall or side a house.
Most jobs I get are from aircraft mechanics. Very smart but a weed eater or gun is strange.
A good smith can plumb or clear a sewer or wire a house. He can weld or machine. make tools and furniture, no limits.
I worked 42 years around aircraft mechanics and learned a lot. But they still download and print instructions for every job. Rules are tight with thousands of people in your hands. They were in mine too when I loaded planes. Responsibility was heavy. Look up in the window and see a lady, child or man. They paid my wages. They must arrive safely with their luggage.
Your mindset and love of your fellow man might not make you rich since getting rich can mean cheating and stealing.
Now you speak Spanish or Arabic and do not have to work. You can vote. No ID.

[Hooker53]

All that's listed above plus, after you think you have bought all the tools and books you will need, if you look At the books on the shelf, and Bob and Franks " Gunsmiths Kinks" is not in there, buy all four of them. Great books with great satire as well. This is Info from hands on folks that you will never get from a mail order course.

Roy
Hooker53

[Ballistics in Scotland]

The Brownells print catalogue is far more useful than the online version, because you can browse better for something you don't quite know exists yet. A lot of their special tooling is expensive for the amateur, who may only ever use it a couple of times, but for him his own copy might easily be good enough.

Filing things to a flat surface is skilled work if you only do it occasionally. A belt grinder can be an expensive tool, but you can do a lot with a small hand-held belt sander, held upside down in the vice. A drill press is very useful, and the less experienced you are, the bigger the advantage over a hand-held drill. For gunsmithing you should go for quality in preference to size, but even a cheap one is a whole lot better than no drill press at all.

Some cheap tools on eBay will do a good job, others won't. But you can find good quality ones there too, if you know the difference, and still get them cheaper than from someone who must keep up shopfront premises. The best way I know of getting a fine stockmaking rasp is to buy cheap hacksaw blades by the dozen, and fis them together in a block by machine screws or pop rivets through the holes.