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Gunsmithing Barrel spinner madness!

LRI

LRI

Lance Criminal
Full Member
Minuteman
    • Mar 14, 2010
    6,346
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    Sturgis, S. Dakota
    www.longriflesinc.com
    #1
    I make these little buggers as a sort of "kindness offering" to gunsmiths. The cast ones have an expiration date as the material stretches around the square tubing over time, cracks, and then launches a barrel across the shop floor as it's being polished against a square wheel grinder/belt sander.

    Mine are 100% cnc machined from bar stock with little ergonomic features. Fully profiled and every corner has a 1/16th radius to save the hands from nicks n cuts.

    Sold a bunch here lately so I need to build the pile back up.

    Nothing fancy, just kinda' neat lookin.

    The only thing cooler than the sound a 3/8 3F high helix carb EM makes as it shreds through aluminum at 100ipm is one that can do it at 300imp. Unfortunately my ol girl just won't go that fast.

    Enjoy,

    C

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    #3
    Re: Barrel spinner madness!

    Video man... video.

    Ain't cuttin aluminum fun!

    I have to do a quality audit on the aluminum heads that we cast at work. Three inch facemill with four diamond tipped inserts. 6000RPM @ 250IPM feed...

    I'm limited by the RPM.
    grin.gif
     
    #6
    Re: Barrel spinner madness!

    Houston, we have barrel spinners. . .

    One question I was poised with:

    "Why not just spin polish the barrel in the lathe using emery?"

    That's certainly an option. However one must remember that when using an abrasive in any lathe/turning center the funk coming off the paper/part also contains abrasive. Over time that stuff builds up and mixes with the way oil. Wala, now you have lapping compound. Check out old lathes and look at the ways right in front of the chuck. Often they are worn and have a sag due to this is where most work gets done AND because of abrasives building up under the carriage grinding away at the ways. Its like a miniature glacier chewing the ground up.

    The use of a spinner on a square wheel grinder eliminates this.

    Just sumpthin to think about. . .

    Enjoy your weekend.

    C

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    #7
    Re: Barrel spinner madness!

    C.D., how does it work actually? im not grasping its use by the photos. two on a square tube to hold the barrel? top notch work, ive just no context to help me grasp its useage
     
    #8
    Re: Barrel spinner madness!

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: AXEMAN</div><div class="ubbcode-body">C.D., how does it work actually? im not grasping its use by the photos. two on a square tube to hold the barrel? top notch work, ive just no context to help me grasp its useage </div></div>

    The end pieces with the live centers are mounted to a piece of rectangular aluminum.

    The barrel is placed between the centers so that it can rotate.

    The barrel is held against a belt sander and the barrel is allowed to rotate at a relatively slow speed compared to the belt surface speed (takes some practice) and worked along its length to take out the lathe tooling marks.

    Coarser to finer grits, vary direction to insure the previous sanding marks are out.

    Looks great when finished.
     
    #9
    Re: Barrel spinner madness!

    Axe and Sbeckman,

    Thanks for asking and answering that question!

    This old carpenter was baffled as well!

    To take it one step further, any chance of a photo or video of the process?
    laugh.gif


    Thanks for a glimpse of your craftsmanship Mr. Dixon.
     
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