Shop Made Barrel Wrench - bushing

[Chill Wills]

I want to make a large barrel wrench that will cover my needs into the future.
One that will except bushings for the different barrels I encounter.

I've borrowed in the past.

My plan is to make one something like the Brownelll's but only slightly larger.
Basically, two large 1018 blocks 1-1/4" by 2-1/2" and 1/2"-20 screws to pull them together.


I think rather than have a round bushing cutout it will have an unique shape.

I will cut out a triangle in each half forming a square on end. Ah... but I will drill where the top points and bottom point would be with a 1" drill, before cutting out the rest.
So it will have points at 3 and 9 o'clock and have 1" radius at 12 and 6. The (almost square) bushing will be 1-3/4" between parallel sides.

I wish I could offer a drawing.

This sounds hard but really it will make bushings easier to do and easy is good. I have not done barrel work and so I am looking for options for bushing stock. Aluminum, Nylon, Hardwood are all options I have heard about being used successfully.

One end of the clamp portion will be d&t for the 3/4" handle

Feel free to add ideas or troubleshoot.

[HollowPoint]

I watched a video just the other day of a guy on YouTube making, not a barrel wrench but a type of universal barrel vice-jig. The jig itself is torqued over the barrel of choice then screwed down onto the barrel with set screws. Then the rectangular jig is held fast in a shop vice. It looked like a very strong gripping jig.

It sounds like your idea may work just as well although I'm picturing a round barrel going into a square hole; which would mean only four thin points of gripping contact around the barrel's diameter. The jig I'm alluding to was bored out with a standard barrel taper to it's inside diameter so as to grip the full circumference of the barrel.

I'm sure I'm not fully understanding your description. I made a simplified barrel vice using two small halves of oak wood bored out to my barrel's diameter and clamped/sandwiched down onto my barrel between two pieces of 3"x3/4"x6" steel flat bars. I used some large nuts and bolts to do the clamping with the bottom most flat bar welded to a metal pylon anchored into the ground. Even with all that pressure I still managed to get some spinning of my barrel when applied the pressure of my actions wrench. When the barrel finally broke loose from the receiver I nearly soiled myself cause it caught me by surprise.

HollowPoint

[Chill Wills]

The outside of the bushing is, we'll call it square but with two radiused corners.

The inside, where it contacts the barrel, would fit the shape and size of the barrel being worked on.
On other words, round barrel = round bushing of the correct diameter. Octagon barrel = octagon bushing of the correct size across the flats.

[Moleman-]

Looking forward to seeing the wrench/vise. I've made two pretty standard ones for round barrels, but have just used an old oak block/steel plate vice for octagon barrels. Then I just make an action wrench to fit whatever I'm working on.

[Chill Wills]

Sounds like you make them easy enough. Me, being just a little short on experience, I might be over thinking this. But, for the most part, thinking is not a bad idea.
I like the idea of using hardwood bushings.

[John Taylor]

For octagon barrels, two V blocks will fit most. For round barrel I clamp two pieces of aluminum together with a few layers of paper between them and bore on center about .005" under the barrel diameter. My barrel vice uses a 20 ton jack to hold things.

[smokeywolf]

I use oak blocks in my barrel vise. Vise bolts to the bench.

[Chill Wills]

Is there a reason the barrel is the vice and the action tool is the wrench?
I was going to put the action in my padded vise as it has two flat sides and construct the barrel clamping part as a wrench.
Does it mater which is which?

[Moleman-]

Nope, but try to have the clamping force area over where the barrel threads are on whatever action you're working on to prevent twisting the action. Here's the barrel vises I've made along with a M1/M14 wrench I made 20 years ago or so and an action wrench for a 1891 mauser.

[Texas by God]

Nope, but try to have the clamping force area over where the barrel threads are on whatever action you're working on to prevent twisting the action. Here's the barrel vises I've made along with a M1/M14 wrench I made 20 years ago or so and an action wrench for a 1891 mauser.

Listen to Moleman- a well fitting action wrench is a necessity to prevent twisting the action. I almost cried when I twisted a Peruvian 1909 by using a vise. 25yrs later it still haunts me.
Best,Thomas.

[country gent]

On rifles that have a timed barrel its easier to set the barrel in the vise timed and torque the action into place most of the time. I also prefer the barrel clamp in the vise as the stripped action is lighter and easier to start

[country gent]

Texas By God, you right there I was breaking a M1A action lose and heard a tink it was the front ring cracking. Who ever installed that barrel over torqued it with locktite added for good measure. It couldn't have been far from poppoing when torqued because it was only the 3-4 slap of my palm on the wrench when it went.

[modified5]

I have used two wet 2x4's clamping the barrel with it in a press using 1/2 inch steel plates on top of that.
If the wood is too dry it spins so they can't be old 2x4's.

[smokeywolf]

With regard to the barrel being in the vise on the bench as opposed to action. Although I just went with what my father had set up, I think because the barrel requires the majority of the clamping force and is nearly always longer than the action (on a rifle) making it more unwieldy, it just makes more sense to clamp the barrel in a vise on the bench and hold the action wrench in your hands.

192310
Made of 1/2" steel plate. I'm starved for bench space so it only gets bolted up when needed.

[Chill Wills]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to post! Good info, and a lot of help!
Smokeywolf - the logic makes sense and thanks for taking the time to post a picture. For a visual thinker like me, pictures are great. That vice looks great too!

I'm in machine shop Elementary school, so to speak. When all you PHD types have something to offer, I listen.
Keep it coming, I'm all ears.